TalkBack For Android

What is TalkBack?

TalkBack is a screen reader made by Google for people who are blind or have low vision. It helps them use their phone without needing to see the screen.

How does it work?

When TalkBack is turned on:

• The phone speaks out loud whatever is on the screen — like apps, buttons, text, and messages.
• You can use finger gestures to move around the screen and select things.
• For example:
  • Swipe right or left to move through items.
  • Double-tap to select something.
  • Use two fingers to scroll.

Why is it helpful?

TalkBack makes it possible for people who can’t see the screen clearly to:

• Call or text someone
• Browse the internet
• Use apps
• Know who is calling
• Read messages and notifications

All by listening to the phone talk.

How to Enable TalkBack on an Android Phone

From Settings

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Accessibility.
3. Tap TalkBack (under “Screen readers”).
4. Tap the toggle switch to turn it ON.
5. You will see a message about how TalkBack works.
6. Tap Allow or OK to confirm.

Once it’s on, your phone will start speaking everything on the screen.
You’ll need to use two fingers to scroll and double-tap to select items.

How to Enable the Shortcut for TalkBack

You can turn TalkBack on or off anytime using a shortcut.

🔹 Step 1: Go to Settings

• Open Settings > Accessibility > TalkBack.

🔹 Step 2: Tap on TalkBack shortcut

• Enable the Shortcut.
• You can choose how to use it:
  • Press and hold both Volume Up + Down buttons for 3 seconds.
  • Or, if available, Triple-press the Power button (on some phones).
• Confirm the shortcut is turned on.

You can also choose to get a confirmation alert before TalkBack turns on.

How to Use the Shortcut

• To Turn TalkBack ON or OFF:
  • Just press and hold both Volume Up and Volume Down buttons together for 3 seconds.
  • Or use the Power button shortcut, if enabled.

📌 Tip: If TalkBack is on, you need to double-tap to select things and use two fingers to scroll.

Extra Tips

• If your phone is locked, you can still use the shortcut to turn on TalkBack.
• You can also ask Google Assistant:
  “Hey Google, turn on TalkBack” or “Turn off TalkBack”.

How to Open TalkBack Settings

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > TalkBack
2. Tap TalkBack settings

You can also access it via the TalkBack menu gesture:

• Swipe down then right in one motion (like an “L” shape) to open the TalkBack menu
• Then select TalkBack settings

Full List of TalkBack Settings

1. Speech Settings

• Speech rate: Adjust how fast TalkBack speaks. Move the slider to change it.
• Pitch: Change how high or low the voice sounds.
• Verbosity: Choose how much detail TalkBack speaks. Options:
  • High: Full details (labels, roles, hints)
  • Medium: Moderate detail
  • Low: Basic text only
• Use pitch changes: Slightly raises or lowers pitch to indicate things like screen changes or focus changes.
• Speak keyboard input: Speaks each key as you type.
• Speak passwords: Read passwords aloud.
  🔒 (May be disabled by default for privacy)
• Punctuation level: Choose how much punctuation is spoken: None, Some, Most, All.
• Language switch: Auto-detects language or allows manual switching (if multilingual voices are installed).

2. Touch & Gesture Settings

• Customize gestures: Assign actions to swipe gestures. You can change what each gesture does (e.g., swipe right = next item, swipe down = previous item)
• Customize keyboard shortcuts: If using a physical keyboard, you can assign TalkBack actions to key combos.
• Single-tap activation: Tap once instead of double-tapping to activate items. Makes navigation faster but may cause accidental taps.
• Focus on touch: Speaks the item as soon as you touch it (without lifting your finger).

3. Audio Settings

• Use audio ducking: Lowers the volume of other audio (like music) when TalkBack speaks.

 Sound feedback: Adds clicks, tones, and other audio cues to guide you.

• Vibration feedback: Adds vibration cues when navigating.4. Braille Settings (Only shown if BrailleBack or Braille keyboard is available.)

• Use the Braille keyboard to type using braille dots directly on the screen.

5. Advanced Settings

• Resume from suspend: Automatically reactivates TalkBack after a phone restart.
• Dim screen when TalkBack is on: Turns the screen dark for privacy. Useful for blind users to save battery and keep info private.
• Speak usage hints: Tells you how to use buttons or controls (like “Double-tap to activate”).
• Shake to start continuous reading: Shake the phone to have it read everything on the screen.

6. Developer Settings (for advanced users)

• Can control logging and exploration options for app developers working with accessibility.

How to Change TalkBack Voice on Android

Step 1: Open Settings

• Go to your phone’s Settings.

Step 2: Go to Accessibility

• Scroll down and tap Accessibility.
• Tap TalkBack (under “Screen readers”).

Step 3: Go to TalkBack Settings

• Tap TalkBack settings.

Step 4: Tap on “Text-to-speech settings”

• This is where you control the voice.

Step 5: Choose Preferred Engine

• Tap Preferred engine (usually it’s “Speech Services by Google”).
• You can also try Samsung TTS, Vocalizer TTS, or other installed engines.

Step 6: Tap the ⚙️ Settings icon next to the engine

• This will open more options for that voice engine.

Step 7: Choose a Voice

• Tap Voice or Install voice data.
• You’ll see a list of languages and voice options (like “Voice 1”, “Voice 2”, etc.).
• Tap to listen and choose the one you like.

You can also change:

• Speech rate – how fast the voice talks
• Pitch – how high or low the voice sounds

Use the sliders to adjust what sounds best for you.

That’s it!

Now when TalkBack speaks, it will use the new voice you selected.

 

TalkBack Gestures

 

Basic TalkBack Gestures (1 finger)

Gesture	What It Does
Swipe right	Move to the next item
Swipe left	Move to the previous item
Swipe up	Scroll up or move in reverse (depends on context)
Swipe down	Scroll down or move forward (depends on context)
Double-tap	Activate (select) the focused item
Touch and hold, then drag	Explore by touch and move focus manually

Advanced Gestures

1 finger swipe combinations

These gestures are like making an “L” shape.

Gesture	What It Does
Swipe down then right	Open TalkBack menu
Swipe up then right	Open Reading menu
Swipe right then down	Read from next item
Swipe left then up	Read from top
Swipe right then up	Pause/resume speech
Swipe left then down	Go to Home screen

Two-Finger Gestures

Gesture	What It Does
Swipe up or down with 2 fingers	Scroll up or down (like in lists or pages)
Swipe left or right with 2 fingers	Move between pages or tabs
Double-tap with 2 fingers	Pause/resume TalkBack speech
Triple-tap with 2 fingers	Copy last spoken phrase to clipboard (if supported)

Other Useful Gestures

Gesture	What It Does
3-finger tap	Announce time, battery, and notifications
3-finger swipe up/down	Adjust TalkBack volume
4-finger tap top/bottom (if supported)	Jump to first/last item on screen

 

 Most Useful Shortcuts for TalkBack Users

1. Turn TalkBack ON or OFF quickly

Shortcut: Hold both Volume Up + Volume Down for 3 seconds

How to enable it:

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility
2. Tap TalkBack
3. Tap TalkBack Shortcut
4. Make sure it says “Hold volume keys” – turn it ON

📌 This lets you quickly enable/disable TalkBack anytime.

2. End calls using Power button

Shortcut: Press the Power button to hang up

How to enable it:

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility
2. Tap System controls (or search for “Power button ends call”)
3. Turn ON “Power button ends call”

✅ Helpful for blind users to end calls easily without finding the red button.

3. Answer or reject calls with volume buttons

Some phones allow this (depends on the brand):

• Volume Up = Answer call
• Volume Down = Reject call

To enable (if supported):

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Interaction and dexterity (or similar)
2. Look for Answering and ending calls > Turn ON Volume buttons

4. Mute speech instantly

Shortcut: Two-finger double tap = Pause or resume TalkBack speech

Use this when TalkBack is talking too much and you want it to stop for a moment.

5. Repeat last spoken phrase

Shortcut: Swipe up then down quickly with one finger
(or customize a gesture for “Repeat last utterance”)

6. Copy last spoken phrase to clipboard

Shortcut: Triple-tap with two fingers (if supported)

7. Access TalkBack Menu Quickly

Shortcut: Swipe down then right with one finger (an “L” shape)

This opens the TalkBack menu, where you can:

• Access settings
• Read from top
• Spell current item
• Adjust speech rate and more

 

Customize Shortcuts or Gestures

1. Open Settings > Accessibility > TalkBack
2. Tap TalkBack Settings
3. Tap Customize gestures
4. Choose any gesture (like swipe up then down) and assign a new action like:
   • “End Call”
   • “Repeat last item”
   • “Read from top”

You can also assign keyboard shortcuts if you’re using a Bluetooth keyboard.

Bonus Tips for Easier Navigation

Action	Simple Shortcut
Go to Home Screen	Swipe left then down
Open Notifications	Swipe right then down
Open Quick Settings	Swipe down with 2 fingers
Move to next screen/page	Swipe left with 2 fingers

 

Android Apps for Blind and Low Vision Users

1. Envision AI

An OCR app that articulates everyday visual information into speech, helping users read text and recognize objects.

1. Cash Reader: Bill Identifier

Identify banknotes from over 100 currencies instantly by pointing your camera at any bill.

1. NaviLens

A high-density artificial markers system for long-distance reading, aiding navigation and information access.

1. Supersense

An AI-powered app that helps read text, find objects, and explore places independently.

1. Lazarillo GPS for the Blind

An accessible GPS app that provides audio guidance about nearby places, streets, and intersections.

1. Aira Explorer

Offers on-demand, remote visual interpreting to assist with various tasks, enhancing independence.

1. Be My Eyes
Connects blind users with sighted volunteers or company representatives through live video for assistance with tasks like identifying objects, reading labels, and more.