Android devices come with features that are designed to make them more accessible to everyone. One of these features is TalkBack. It’s designed to help people who are visually impaired, but anyone can use it!
TalkBack is an Android accessibility feature that provides spoken feedback, so you can use your device without needing to look at the screen. It essentially reads aloud everything you touch or that appears on the display. This allows you to navigate menus, activate buttons, and browse the web by listening to the screen reader. It can even describe images!
Keep in mind that using TalkBack changes how you interact with your phone. Normal tapping won’t work. You’ll need to use TalkBack’s specific gestures.
Setting Up TalkBack
You can enable TalkBack when you initially set up your device. If you skipped it, here’s how to turn it on later.
Method 1: Using Google Assistant
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Activate Google Assistant with your preferred method: a gesture, a long press on the home button, or by saying Hey Google.
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Tell Google Assistant to Turn on TalkBack.
Method 2: Using the Settings App
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If you prefer not to use Google Assistant, head to the Settings app and find the ‘Accessibility’ section.
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Tap the ‘TalkBack’ toggle to switch it on.
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After turning TalkBack on, tap on ‘TalkBack Shortcut’.
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Choose a quick launch method from the shortcut menu, such as the volume keys or a floating accessibility button.
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Tap ‘More options’ to further customize the button’s behavior and position. You can make it a floating overlay or place it on the navigation bar.
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Another way to activate TalkBack is by pressing and holding both volume keys simultaneously for three seconds. Once enabled, a helpful tutorial will guide you through its usage.
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When you select something, TalkBack will highlight it and read it aloud. As you move your finger around the screen, the selection will change, and TalkBack will announce the new item.
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Instead of tapping once, you’ll need to double-tap to perform actions, such as opening links or pressing buttons. Use two fingers to swipe and scroll. Swiping from side to side with three fingers changes TalkBack functions.
Using TalkBack with Google Chrome
Once TalkBack is enabled on your device, you can utilize it within the Chrome app to browse the web.
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Return to the Home Screen by swiping up from the bottom or double-tapping the navigation bar. Then, find the Google Chrome icon and double-tap to open it.
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Alternatively, swipe left or right with three fingers to cycle through controls until you reach ‘Controls’. Then, use one finger to swipe up or down until TalkBack announces ‘Chrome’. Double-tap to open.
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After Chrome is open, cycle through the controls again by swiping left or right with three fingers until you get to the ‘Controls’ mode. Then, swipe up or down with one finger until you hear TalkBack say ‘Search or type URL’.
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Double-tap the screen again to launch the keyboard. Enter your search query and double-tap to submit.
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Once the website loads, swipe left or right with three fingers to switch to ‘Links’ mode. Then, swipe up or down to hear TalkBack read aloud each link on the page.
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Double-tap on the name of the desired section to quickly navigate to it. Once inside a section, switch to ‘Headings’ mode to browse the page more easily. Swipe up or down with a single finger, and TalkBack will read the headings aloud.
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To read an article, double-tap to open it, then use TalkBack to read headings or the entire article. You can set it to read character by character, word by word, line by line, or paragraph by paragraph. Swipe left or right with three fingers to choose your preferred mode, then swipe up or down with one finger to listen.
Note: Swipe left or right with three fingers to get to ‘Links’ when you want to return to the Homepage.
- To move through text, swipe on your screen to proceed to the next character, word, line, or paragraph based on your chosen mode. When using ‘Headings’, swipe up and down to navigate between them.
Things to know
- Depending on your device, TalkBack might be located within the Accessibility Suite.
- It takes time to get used to the different tap gestures when TalkBack is enabled.
- If you’re using the TalkBack Accessibility button as a shortcut, you can easily toggle the feature on or off by tapping it. However, if you are unable to see the screen it’s best to use the volume keys.