Can a keyboard or accessibility app be used to override device controls?

Accessibility services are among the most powerful features on Android. A service can read the screen, tap buttons and change settings for the user. That makes them a favourite tool for malware, and a theoretical route to turn off a school's rules.

Skie blocks third-party accessibility apps with a policy switch, so none can be turned on by the student. Default apps are locked too, which means a custom keyboard, launcher, browser or dialer cannot take over its role. Keyboards matter because they see everything that is typed, and some offer built-in browsers or search.

If a protection is changed, Skie re-applies it, and the device reads each protection back from Android after every apply to report a compliance score. A device that does not match shows up against that device in the dashboard.

Students with genuine accessibility needs are a real consideration. Android's built-in accessibility features, such as the screen reader and font size, are part of the system and not the third-party services that are blocked. If a student needs a specific assistive app, raise it with the team so it can be assessed and approved for that student's group.

Practical tip: record which students need assistive support before rollout and put them in a group with the right app list. That avoids on-the-day surprises.