Android provides us with a series of functions, many of which are unknown to users. On mobile devices, TalkBack is one of those functions. Many people do not know or use it. If we want, we can disable TalkBack on our device.
In this article, we will describe the procedure to disable TalkBack on Android device. There are a variety of options to deal with this issue, but they will allow us to disable this feature on our Android phone.
If you want to do it, you will see that it is simple. Likewise, you will learn some things about TalkBack, in case you want to give it a new opportunity and it is useful to you when you know what it is about...
What is TalkBack?
TalkBack is a voice reading app that reads the content of your mobile device aloud. This app was originally developed to help the visually impaired navigate their devices and see the content on their screen, but there are many other uses for this app that people are now discovering.
TalkBack therefore reads the screen aloud any text displayed to the user, including notifications and incoming calls. This application can also read the content of a web page, the name of an application and the information on the home screen. TalkBack is available on all Android devices and can be activated by pressing the volume up and down buttons at the same time.
Why you should care about TalkBack
As mentioned above, TalkBack is a voice reading software that reads content on your mobile device aloud. This application was originally developed to help visually impaired to navigate your devices and view the content on your screen, but there are many other uses for this app that people are now discovering.
For example, it can be comfortable for many people who are doing other activities and cannot attend to their mobile phones, or for drivers, etc. Whether you want to access information you can't see, communicate with someone who's blind, or want to get the most out of your Android device, TalkBack is an invaluable tool.
How to activate TalkBack on Android
One of the best ways to get to know this screen reader is simply activate it. You can access TalkBack by pressing the volume up and volume down buttons at the same time. Some devices require that you also press the power button while pressing the volume buttons, but the method to activate TalkBack will be clearly indicated in the user manual of your mobile device.
After pressing the buttons, you will hear a tone and the volume will change. This is the tone that will allow you know when the screen reader is reading something out loud. Once the tone stops, the screen reader will pause and you can press the volume up and down buttons again to stop the voice reading.
How to disable TalkBack on Android
It's not something that comes pre-installed on Android phones, so it hasn't been automatically activated on this device. If you have it active, it is because we have activated it intentionally or unintentionally, but in any case, don't worry, it can be easily deactivated. For disable talkback on android you can choose various shapes.
from hardware
One of the methods to be able to disable TalkBack is through the hardware, without the need to do anything else from the system configuration. The steps to follow are:
- You must have your Android mobile device unlocked, and be on the main screen.
- After that, keep both volume buttons pressed at the same time for at least 5 seconds. Until you feel a vibration.
- You will now see a message on the screen saying that TalkBack has been disabled.
From settings
another way to do it It is through the Accessibility method, from the Android settings. To do it in this other way, if the previous case does not work, you can follow these other steps:
- Open the Settings app on your Android mobile device.
- Go to the Accessibility section there.
- Then access the TalkBack option that you will see if your device has this function.
- Turn this feature off with the switch next to TalkBack's name and you're good to go.
Google Assistant
On Android, we can disable TalkBack using either of the first two methods described above, but there are more ways to do it. This method, however, will depend on the Google Assistant and, therefore, will have a different procedure.
If you regularly use this assistant on your phone or tablet, it will be easy for you to use this option. Google Assistant is available on all Android devices, and we can use it for a wide range of tasks. We may also use it to disable any feature or option on our device.
In case you want to do it with voice commands, without having to touch anything, you can also disable TalkBack by following these easy steps for GoogleAssistant:
- If you have Google's virtual assistant activated, say the command to wake up the assistant, which can be "Hey Google".
- Once you have the assistant active, the next thing is to give it the necessary voice command to deactivate Talkback, which is none other than «Deactivate Talkback».
- Then all you have to do is wait for it to confirm that it has been deactivated and it will be ready.
maybe this method is the easiest if you want to deactivate it without using your hands, because you have them busy or because you have some kind of mobility problem. Just by saying the voice command Google will do it for you.
Remove TalkBack from your Android
You may want remove TalkBack from your phone, and not just disable it. As there are several options to do it, those who think about doing it will be able to choose the method they prefer to use. This can be done in this very simple way:
- Go to the Settings menu of your Android phone.
- From here, you can uninstall this TalkBack feature. To do this, look in the Applications section for the TalkBack app, or the Google accessibility suite, which is installed.
- Next, click on the uninstall button within said option and you will be ready.
Finally, to add that I do not recommend that you uninstall or remove this feature completely, as doing so may lead to future accessibility issues. And it is that all the functions provided by the Google accessibility suite that were active on the phone, not only TalkBack, will no longer be accessible if we eliminate it.
There may be situations where disabling TalkBack while leaving the other features active is the best option, if we consider them valuable or necessary.