TalkBack - what is this program for Android. Disable Talkback on Android

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At using Android Smartphone users sometimes encounter the fact that their device begins to speak out all the text that is present on the screen. The names of applications, buttons, text in SMS messages and the browser are announced. All elements that the user clicks on are also spoken. At the same time, to interact with the controls, you need to click them twice, and not once, as usual. For such behavior Android smartphone Talkback program answers. Now we will tell you what this program is, why it is needed on Android, and how to turn it on and off.

TalkBack logo.

In the mobile operating room Android system There is a program called Talkback. This program is included in standard set Android software, so it is available on most devices and almost all firmware. The purpose of the Talkback app is to help users with poor eyesight. This is done by voicing everything that happens on the smartphone screen.

Talkback performs the following functions:

Voice-over of all text that appears on the smartphone screen, including voice-over of text in the browser or in files;
Voiceover of inscriptions on buttons and other elements Android interface and other applications;
Incoming call notification, receiving and ending calls;
Help with editing and typing text;
Help with entering other information;
Control your smartphone using gestures;

How to enable Talkback on Android

The Talkback application is turned on quite simply, which, by the way, often becomes the reason for accidentally turning on this option. In order to turn on Talkback, you need to hold down both volume keys and hold them for three seconds. As a result, a pop-up window should appear on the screen with two options: “” and “ Deactivate quick start " To enable Talkback, select the option " Use quick start».

This will enable the Talkback Quick Start feature. Now you need to press both volume keys again for 3 seconds. After this, Talkback will be enabled and a voice message, that Talkback works. To start using Talkback features Click on any element of the Android interface and you will hear a voice message that will explain what this element is and how to activate it.

If you are unable to turn on the Talkback program using the volume keys, then you can do this through Android settings. To do this, open the application " Settings" and go to the section " Special abilities».

Next, open the subsection “ Talkback».

And turn on the switch Talkback" in the same way.

If you have Android 4.0, then to enable the Talkback program you need to activate the switch " Talkback", return to the previous page and activate the option " Exploring by touch" In Android 3.2 and below you need to activate the " Specialist. Possibilities" And " TalkBack».

How to turn off Talkback on Android

Thanks to its capabilities, the Talkback program can significantly help Android users who have vision problems. But if this program If an ordinary user accidentally turns it on, then for him it will only create additional problems. Therefore, users often ask how to turn off Talkback on Android.

The easiest option is to use quick shutdown. To do this, hold down both volume keys and hold them for 3 seconds, just as described above in the section on enabling the Talkback program. If the quick enable option is working, this action will turn off Talkback. A voice message will appear indicating that the Talkback program is turned off.

If you can’t turn off the Talkback program using the volume keys, you can do this through settings. Here everything is exactly the same as in the case of inclusion, which we described just above. Open Android settings, go to the " Accessibility – Talkback" and move the switch " Talkback" to position " Turned off».

It should be noted that if the Talkback program is running, then in order to use the switch, you need to click on it twice (double-click, like on a computer).

All users of Android devices, seeing the new logo, among installed applications people are wondering what Talkback is, how to use the application and how to disable Talkback. In this article we will look at all the most interesting topics about the application from Google and learn how to stop and turn off Talkback.

TalkBack- This free service, with the help of which people with visual impairments (or its complete absence) can comfortably use devices running on the Android operating system. The Talkback application speaks interface elements, text, and provides sound notification o vibration response. This application comes by default on most Android devices and is also automatically updated. TalkBack turns on when you first start your device or any time after you activate it. It is logical that if you do not want to use the application, but it has started, it is better to disable Talkback. After turning on, the application begins to read the text on the screen, as well as all other actions performed; reports notifications and other events. And after you turn off Talkback, you will not receive any notifications from the program.

Activate Talkback app, as already written above, you can when you first start the device on Android 4.0 or more later versions platforms. When starting the device for the first time, it is advisable that you have headphones at hand (necessary for entering the password, for example, for Wi-Fi networks). By default, passwords are announced if headphones were connected to the device, but later you can change this point in the settings. And in order to disable Talkback, read on.

To launch Talkback on Android 4.0, you need to draw a closed triangle on the screen, and immediately after you do this, the device will beep sound signal. If you are the owner of a device running Android 4.1 or later, you will need to touch the screen with two fingers and hold it there for a while; Once the device recognizes the gesture, Talkback will launch and open the user guide.

If initial setup has already been made, then to enable the service on Android 3.2 or more earlier versions you will need to check the boxes in “Special. Opportunities" and "TalkBack"; on Android versions 4.0, select TalkBack and turn the switch to ON (after this you will need to return to the previous screen and turn on the Audio Guidance function); On Android 4.1 and later, it's worth turning on TalkBack and simply turning the switch to ON.

After turning on the program, a screen will launch with a list of extensions that are necessary to read text on the screen. To enable them simply click OK. If you understand that you don’t need them, just turn off Talkback.

Answer and end calls using TalkBack features

Every time your phone receives a call, TalkBack will automatically announce the name of the caller (unless you have disabled this feature, of course). There are several ways to accept or reject a call:

to answer incoming call touch the bottom of the screen and swipe it to the right;
To reject a call, touch the bottom quarter of the screen and swipe left;
to reject the call and write text message, just swipe up on the screen.

Note that Nexus devices have a “Phone” application instead of TalkBack, which contains slightly more functionality than TalkBack.

Disabling TalkBack

We are already accustomed to the fact that a smartphone or tablet is controlled by touching the corresponding icon on the screen.

However, it may seem that this method of operation is not suitable for a user with insufficiently good vision. Talkback in the Android operating system allows you to make calls, visit web pages and successfully control the gadget even for blind people.

What is Talkback?

Talkback is software option from Google, when activated, all actions performed on the smartphone are announced. When using the gadget, it allows you not to look at the screen. Absolutely every click and every step is voiced by a female or in a male voice(optional).

The algorithm for selecting the application of interest is interesting. We are used to the fact that a single touch is enough to launch a program. In Talkback, after such a click, the name of the icon is reported, and to confirm the choice, a subsequent double tap is required, similar to a computer mouse.

Even if your vision is completely normal, we recommend activating this function at least out of curiosity. Depending on the Android version, you must use one of the following methods:

Look for the Talkback shortcut on your smartphone and use it to launch it.
Press “+” and “-” on the volume button simultaneously.
Use two fingers to touch the display for 5 seconds.
Go to “Settings” - “Accessibility”. Further in various firmwares different manufacturers possible options:
- The categories “Vision”, “Hearing”, “Coordination impairment” will be offered. Here you need to select “Vision” and activate Talkback.
- You will be asked to activate Talkback without additional categories - this is the most common case.

Immediately after this, the program offers an introductory management course. At this point, the user learns the basics of navigating Talkback. For regular user They are very unusual, but visually impaired people should adapt quickly.

Talkback features

Multilingual voice acting - you can choose any foreign language.
Automatic voice volume adjustment depending on the distance from the user to the smartphone.
Supports more than 10 combinations of gestures, with which you can navigate between applications, turn pages in the browser, adjust the volume, open the notification panel, etc.
Using hotkey combinations for basic actions.
Convert any text information into voice playback: contents of web pages, documents, SMS, messages in instant messengers, contact name when receiving an incoming call.

This function has a specific list of settings, which can be found in our screenshots.

How to turn off Talkback?

Disabling Talkback is done as follows: reverse switching. In the settings menu of your smartphone, when you select “Accessibility”, you must move the checkbox to the “Off” position.

Talkback interesting program with wide functionality, which indicate that Google is trying to gain popularity not only among the majority of users, but also to adapt its products for people with disabilities.

Which allows people with low vision to use smartphones and tablets. It is designed to provide voice guidance for everything that happens on the display. The utility reads the text. When you click on an icon, it says what exactly you selected. In addition, it has a huge range of functions. But it’s difficult to understand the various parameters without instructions. Find out more about Talkback: what kind of program it is, how to enable, configure or disable it.

With the help of the Talkback program, using a smartphone becomes accessible to visually impaired people

Talkback Features

The utility has been created by Google. With its help, people who have poor vision will be able to work fully. If you turn on this application, it will accompany almost all user actions with speech, sounds or vibration. Here is a list of Talkback's main features:

Reading text from the screen. There are several voices to choose from.
Sounding of keys and buttons when pressed.
Description of everything that happens on the display. The program tells you what you are currently viewing.
Dealing with incoming calls. The utility will tell you who is calling.
Learning by touch. If you click on a folder or application, it will announce what you are about to open.
Auto-scroll lists.
Control of keyboard shortcuts, gestures, shaking. To enable or disable text playback from the display, you need to shake the device.
Automatic volume adjustment if there is a distance sensor.

Talkback is not standard application, but a built-in option. It is available on almost all Android devices. This function may be removed as unnecessary, because many users do not even know about its existence, and the place in permanent memory she occupies.

If you need this program, but for some reason it is missing or does not work correctly, you can download it from Play Market. In this case, it will be installed like any other application.

You can download the Talkback app from Play Market

Setup and use

Go to the “Accessibility” of your device. Where they are located depends on the version of Android. Either “Settings - My Device”, or simply “Settings”.
In this menu, click on “Talkback”.
To turn it on, turn the switch to “ON” mode. It will turn green. In older versions of the OS this is done differently. You must not only activate this option, but also check the “Accessibility” checkbox to allow their use.
In the “Talkback” section, select the desired parameters.

Here is a list of some settings and functions:

"Learning by Touch" If you tap on any application once, its name will be spoken. To start, you need to touch it again.
"Shake to read." Shake your device to make it read the text on the screen.
“Voice phonetic symbols.” If you press the symbol on virtual keyboard, the program will say some word starting with this letter (“A, stork,” “B, beaver,” and so on).
Controlling a combination of buttons and gestures.

The application has detailed instructions, which can be found in the settings. It's quite simple to use. You just have to get used to the fact that it takes two clicks to launch something.

Talkback allows you to use touch device literally to the touch

How to disable?

If you have studied, tried different settings and accidentally launched this application, getting rid of it will not be so easy. Or the device prompted you to enable this function when you first started it, and you, not knowing what it was, agreed to activate Talkback. How can I remove it after that?

For blind people, this utility is almost the only way use a smartphone or tablet. But if you can see perfectly what is displayed on the screen, voice accompaniment will interfere. When the program is active, you have to double-click on icons to open something. Because of it, the interface can noticeably slow down. Constant voicing drains the battery faster. Therefore, it is better to use this option only when it is really needed.

Here's how to turn off Talkback on Android:

Go to "Settings". You need to click on the icon twice. First time to hear voice prompt, the second - to open. To scroll, “swipe” the screen with two fingers instead of one.
Find “Accessibility” (in Android2 and earlier models this section is located in the “My Device” tab).
Open Talkback.
Turn the switch to the “OFF” position. To do this, press twice again.
Confirm the action to disable the utility.

It will not be possible to completely remove it this way, since it is part of the system. If you are going to flash the device yourself, find the talkback APK file in the archive with the firmware and erase it.

Using convenient, multifunctional electronic mobile devices, most people don’t even realize how many possibilities this technique and its software. Those who are interested in the capabilities of their tablet or smartphone, trying to learn as much as possible, will definitely find applications unknown to them in the system, including wondering what Talkback is for.

Talkback - what is it?

Many users not only don’t know what Talkback is on Android, but they don’t even realize that the application, which is useful in many cases, is available on every smartphone or tablet based on operating system Android. This utility is designed primarily for users with low vision. The application accompanies user actions:

sound signals;
vibration;
speech.

The program has the following set of functions:

Reading text from the display.
Ability to select voices for dubbing.
Sound signal when pressing keys.
Description of what is happening on the screen.
The application reports what is currently being viewed.
The utility tells you who is calling.
When you touch a folder on the screen, the program will verbally inform you that it will be activated.
The application provides the ability to control the device by shaking it, gesturing or combining keystrokes.

How to use Talkback?

Talkback application, its settings provide detailed and clear instructions, which is easy to follow. As a rule, users learn quickly and use the program successfully. The most difficult thing is to get used to the fact that activating any action requires the user to double click to a button or key, and working with touch display must be performed with two fingers. The most useful and popular features of the utility are:

Explore by touch feature, which speaks the name of an app when you tap its shortcut on the screen once. To launch the selected application, you just need to touch it again.
"Shake to read." This is an opportunity to shake the device and activate the device to read text from the screen in voice.
“Voice phonetic symbols.” Useful feature, which allows you to recognize characters on the virtual keyboard. By touching a letter on the keyboard, the user will hear the word that begins with it.

How to enable Talkback?

As soon as the program is activated, including using the Talkback quick-start function, it will notify with sound, vibration and voice about events and read text from the device screen. When starting for the first time, you must connect headphones to the device. Then you can avoid doing this by changing the settings. To launch the program, touch and hold the settings screen with two fingers. The phone or tablet recognizes this command and activates the manual. To activate the utility in version Android 4.0, you should display a closed rectangle on the settings screen.

How to unblock Talkback?

If Talkback is activated on your device, there are two ways to unlock it. To do this, use two fingers to swipe up on the display and enter the unlock code, if required. Or, using audio prompts, find the unlock button, which is located in the middle of the bottom of the display, and press it twice.

How to pause Talkback?

Configuring TalkBack and the functionality of this utility allows you to pause its operation. This can be done by revealing the main thing context menu program and select “Pause Reviews.” This item is located on the left top corner radial menu. Then you need to confirm this action and, if necessary, here you can uncheck the “Always display this warning” checkbox, which will allow you to immediately pause the program in the future.