Make the file chooser usable without drag and drop

What to change

Ask for a clearly labelled file-selection control alongside any optional drag-and-drop interaction.

A worked example

Illustrative example

A visitor taps Choose file on a phone, selects a test document and returns to the form with that document clearly identified.

How to check the result

Accept when file selection is achievable through ordinary device controls and does not require dragging or interpreting an unlabelled icon.

A mistake to avoid

A hidden native input is useful only if the visible replacement remains properly named, operable and connected to its resulting state.

Your action checklist

Use these checks to prepare a discussion with your team or supplier. Tick a check when you have recorded the decision or evidence, rather than when a feature has simply been promised.

Decisions to recordReach the upload area with a keyboard and open the device's file picker. Select a harmless test file and confirm the chosen name appears.Repeat on a phone using its normal document or photo picker. Ask the supplier to check that the available source choices support the accepted file types.Use a screen reader to identify the upload question, selection action and current file state. The decorative drop area should not replace those meaningful controls.

Evidence, open questions and decisionsNext action and responsible role

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