TalkBack is a Google accessibility feature for Android that helps people who are blind or have limited vision use their devices. It reads aloud the items you select on your screen and allows you to navigate using special gestures. Below, we'll explain step by step how to enable TalkBack, use its gestures, and turn it off.
Open the "Settings" app on your Android device.
Scroll down and tap "Accessibility". The location of this option may vary depending on your device.
Find and tap "TalkBack" in the Accessibility menu.
Turn on the "Use TalkBack" switch and confirm your choice if prompted. TalkBack will now start reading aloud the items you select on your screen.
Once TalkBack is enabled, navigating your device works a little differently. Tap an item once to select it and hear its name, then double-tap anywhere on the screen to activate it. Swipe left or right with one finger to move between items, and use two fingers to scroll through pages or menus.
Swipe up and then left in one continuous motion. If your device uses gesture navigation, you can also swipe up from the bottom of the screen with two fingers.
Swipe down and then left in one continuous motion. If your device uses gesture navigation, you can also swipe inward from the left or right edge of the screen with two fingers.
Swipe left and then up in one continuous motion to open your recent apps. If your device uses gesture navigation, you can also swipe up from the bottom of the screen with two fingers and hold.
Swipe right and then down in one continuous motion. Alternatively, swipe down from the top of the screen with two fingers to open your notifications.
Good to know: TalkBack gestures may vary depending on your Android version, device manufacturer, navigation settings, and any customised gestures.
Want to turn off TalkBack? You may be able to use a shortcut to disable it quickly. If that doesn't work, you can turn it off through your device settings.
Press and hold both volume buttons at the same time for a few seconds. If the TalkBack shortcut is enabled on your device, TalkBack will turn off. If this doesn't work, continue with the next steps.
Open the "Settings" app on your device. Remember that with TalkBack enabled, you need to tap an item once to select it and double-tap anywhere on the screen to activate it.
Use two fingers to scroll through the settings menu. Find "Accessibility", tap it once to select it, and double-tap to open it.
Find "TalkBack" in the Accessibility menu. Tap it once to select it, then double-tap to open the TalkBack settings.
Find the "Use TalkBack" switch. Tap it once to select it, then double-tap to turn it off. If a confirmation appears, select "Turn off" and double-tap again.
Tip: If Google Assistant is available and enabled on your device, you can also try saying "Hey Google, turn off TalkBack".