Important: This website does not attempt to establish a standard for how assistive technologies must behave. Read the FAQ for more information. Additionally, this is a work in progress. Please submit feedback or suggestions.

aria-selected attribute (aria)

Screen Reader support level: partial (21/54)

On this page

About this feature

Indicates the current "selected" state of various widgets. See related aria-checked and aria-pressed.

Age of results

Results across all tests for this feature range from 8 months ago to 5 years ago. Detailed dates and version information can be found in associated tests.

Failing and partial results are between 8 months ago and 5 years ago.

Expectations

What are expectations?

Screen Reader support by expectation

ExpectationJAWSNarratorNVDAOrcaTalkBackVoiceOver (iOS)VoiceOver (macOS)
ChromeEdgeFirefoxEdgeChromeEdgeFirefoxFirefoxChromeSafariSafari
MUST convey undefined value by indicating that the element is not selectablesupportedsupportedsupportedsupportedsupportedsupportednonesupportedsupportedsupportedsupported
MUST convey false value by indicating that the element can be selectednonenonenonenonesupportedsupportedsupportednonenonenonenone
MUST convey true value by indicating that the element is currently selectedpartial (1/2)partial (1/2)nonesupportednonenonenonenonesupportednonenone
MUST convey changes to aria-selected valuenonenonenonesupportedsupportedsupportednonenonepartialnonenone

Expectation: convey undefined value by indicating that the element is not selectable

Strength of this expectation for different types of assistive technologies:

  • Screen Readers: MUST
  • Voice Control: NA

Examples:

  • A screen reader might imply that the the element is not selectable by not announcing the selected state at all.
Screen Reader support for 'MUST convey undefined value by indicating that the element is not selectable'
TestJAWSNarratorNVDAOrcaTalkBackVoiceOver (iOS)VoiceOver (macOS)
ChromeEdgeFirefoxEdgeChromeEdgeFirefoxFirefoxChromeSafariSafari
ARIA gridcell role with aria-selected applied to: gridcell rolesupportedsupportedsupportedsupportedsupportedsupportednonesupportedsupportedsupportedsupported

Expectation: convey false value by indicating that the element can be selected

Strength of this expectation for different types of assistive technologies:

  • Screen Readers: MUST
  • Voice Control: NA

Examples:

  • A screen reader might announce something like "not selected".
Screen Reader support for 'MUST convey false value by indicating that the element can be selected'
TestJAWSNarratorNVDAOrcaTalkBackVoiceOver (iOS)VoiceOver (macOS)
ChromeEdgeFirefoxEdgeChromeEdgeFirefoxFirefoxChromeSafariSafari
ARIA gridcell role with aria-selected applied to: gridcell rolenonenonenonenonesupportedsupportedsupportednonenonenonenone

Expectation: convey true value by indicating that the element is currently selected

Strength of this expectation for different types of assistive technologies:

  • Screen Readers: MUST
  • Voice Control: NA

Examples:

  • A screen reader might announce something like "selected".
Screen Reader support for 'MUST convey true value by indicating that the element is currently selected'
TestJAWSNarratorNVDAOrcaTalkBackVoiceOver (iOS)VoiceOver (macOS)
ChromeEdgeFirefoxEdgeChromeEdgeFirefoxFirefoxChromeSafariSafari
APG Editable Combobox With List Autocomplete Example applied to: option rolenonenonenonesupportednonenonenonenonenot applicablenonenone
ARIA gridcell role with aria-selected applied to: gridcell rolesupportedsupportednonesupportednonenonenonenonesupportednonenone

Expectation: convey changes to aria-selected value

Rationale:

The user needs to know that the value was successfully changed.

Strength of this expectation for different types of assistive technologies:

  • Screen Readers: MUST
  • Voice Control: NA
Screen Reader support for 'MUST convey changes to aria-selected value'
TestJAWSNarratorNVDAOrcaTalkBackVoiceOver (iOS)VoiceOver (macOS)
ChromeEdgeFirefoxEdgeChromeEdgeFirefoxFirefoxChromeSafariSafari
ARIA gridcell role with aria-selected applied to: gridcell rolenonenonenonesupportedsupportedsupportednonenonepartialnonenone