What is TalkBack and what is it for?
TalkBack is the screen reader integrated into Android devices that allows visually impaired people to interact with their phone without needing to see the screen. Thanks to this accessibility feature, the device provides voice, sound, and vibration feedback so the user can navigate menus, apps, messages, and more, using only touch gestures.
Who is TalkBack designed for?
TalkBack is primarily intended for people who are blind or have low vision, but it can also be useful for users with motor or reading difficulties. It is a key tool for digital inclusion, as it allows anyone to use a smartphone without relying on sight.
How does TalkBack work?
When TalkBack is activated:
- The phone reads aloud what appears on the screen: buttons, messages, notifications, etc.
- The user navigates using specific gestures (swipe, double-tap, drag with multiple fingers).
- You can interact with any app that is optimized for accessibility.
Additionally, you can customize the voice tone, language, reading speed, and the amount of information that is verbalized.
Why does my phone talk by itself and how do I stop it? Sometimes it gets activated by mistake and we need to deactivate it but don't know how to do it, below you have all the information.
How to easily activate and deactivate TalkBack on Android
How to activate TalkBack
Option 1: From Settings (traditional mode)
- Open the Settings app, it is the gear icon you will find on the home screen or by swiping up from the bottom of the screen.
- Enter Accessibility, you will recognize it because it has the icon of a person with three dots below.
- Tap on TalkBack, you will recognize it by the speech bubble icon as you can see in the following image.
- Activate the "Use TalkBack" switch.
- A message will appear indicating that TalkBack must be able to fully control your device. Tap "Allow" to continue.
If it is the first time you activate it, Android will show you a small tutorial of basic gestures.
Option 2: Shortcut with physical buttons (only works on some devices)
You can quickly activate TalkBack with the volume buttons:
- Press and hold both volume buttons (up and down) for 3 seconds.
- Confirm activation by double-tapping on “Use TalkBack”.
This shortcut must be activated in Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility shortcut.
How to deactivate TalkBack
Once TalkBack is active, the handling of the device changes, making its use quite complicated if you are not accustomed to using this accessibility setting.
You should keep in mind that when TalkBack is activated, to move through the screen menus you must first tap on the element or button you want to use and once it is selected with a green square you must double-tap on that button or element.
Here we explain how to deactivate it:
Method 1: Using the volume buttons (only works on some devices)
- Press and hold both volume buttons for 3 seconds.
- You will hear a confirmation message.
- Double-tap to confirm deactivation.
Method 2: From Settings (accessible navigation)
- Unlock the phone (use the correct gesture if there is a password).
- Swipe using two fingers to scroll (not one).
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > TalkBack.
- Tap once on the TalkBack switch to select it.
- Double-tap in the same place to deactivate it.
Does TalkBack activate by itself?
No. TalkBack only activates if you or someone else manually activates it or through the accessibility shortcut.
If it activates without you knowing, check the shortcut and make sure it is not activated as you can see in the following image.
