How to Disable TalkBack on Xiaomi: 5 Ways (Emergency Including)

TalkBack on Xiaomi smartphones is a built-in screen speaker for people with visual impairments that voices all the actions on the screen. However, many users accidentally activate it through a triple press of the power button or a combination of keys, after which the phone starts to “talk” every touch, and the control becomes uncomfortable. If you are in this situation, do not panic: you can turn off TalkBack even without access to the basic settings.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to disable TalkBack on Xiaomi in 2026, including methods for cases when the screen does not respond to touch or the phone is locked. Instructions are suitable for all models: Redmi Note 12/13, POCO X5/F5, Xiaomi 13/14 and other devices on MIUI 13/14 (including global and Chinese versions of firmware).

What is TalkBack and why does it turn on itself?

TalkBack is a Google-based special feature service integrated into Android and adapted for MIUI. It is designed to voice the interface: app names, buttons, notifications and even gestures. It is useful for blind users, but can cause a lot of inconvenience if activated accidentally.

The main reasons for spontaneous inclusion:

• 🔄 Triple press of the power button – a standard gesture for calling special features (configured in Settings) → Special facilities → Special opportunity gestures).
• 🎵 Voice command – if Google Assistant or XiaoAI is enabled, the phrase “Enable TalkBack” may work.
• 📦 Update MIUI — Sometimes after upgrading the firmware settings of special features are reset.
• 👶 Children or Pets – Random touches of the screen in the settings menu.

TalkBack changes the logic of phone management: instead of the usual taps, special gestures are required (for example, double tap for selection, swipe with two fingers for scrolling), this often puts users in a stupor, especially if the screen is blocked or does not respond to usual actions.

Method 1: Standard shutdown via settings (if the screen is running)

If your phone is responsive to touch, but TalkBack is in the way of control, follow these steps. Note: TalkBack gestures are different than normal gestures!

⚠️ Warning: In TalkBack mode, one tap highlights the element, and a double tap activates it.

Instructions:

1. Open the settings. Do this by double-tapping the icon.
2. Scroll down with two fingers to the Special Opportunities section and select it with a double tap.
3. Find TalkBack (or Screen Narrator in some versions of MIUI) and double tap open.
4. At the top of the screen will be a slider – swipe it with two fingers to the left to turn off the function.
5. Confirm the action in the dialog window (double touch on OK).

If the phone still issues voice prompts after disabling TalkBack, check the settings of Google Assistant or XiaoAI – they can duplicate the voice function.

Method 2: Disconnect via the notification panel (fast method)

The easiest way to turn off TalkBack is if the screen is responsive to gestures, but navigation on the menu is difficult. MIUI 12–14.

Algorithm of action:

1. Swipe two fingers from top to bottom across the screen to open the notification bar.
2. Find the TalkBack icon (usually an icon with a person in a circle or microphone) and if it is not, swipe the bar to the left to open all the buttons.
3. Double tap the icon to turn off the function.
4. Confirm the action in the window that appears (again double tap).

If the TalkBack icon is not on the panel, you can add it:

• 🔧 Open the notification panel and tap on the icon ⚙️ (Edit).
• 📍 Find TalkBack in the list and drag it to the active area.

💡

If the notification bar doesn’t swipe, try swiping two fingers from the top edge of the screen down – a universal gesture for TalkBack.

Method 3: Emergency shutdown via buttons (if the screen is unresponsive)

If TalkBack is turned on on on a locked screen or the phone has stopped responding to touch, you can use hardware buttons.This method works on most Xiaomi models, including the Redmi 10/11, POCO F3/4 and flagships of the Xiaomi 12/13 series.

Step-by-step:

1. Press the power button and volume button for 5-10 seconds at the same time until the phone vibrates and restarts.
2. After rebooting, when the lock screen appears, press the power button three times - this should call the special features menu.
3. In the window that appears, find the TalkBack item and turn it off (use double tap).

If the triple press doesn’t work, try an alternative:

• 🔄 Press the power and volume button before the Fastboot menu appears.
• 📱 Select Reboot to System – sometimes it resets temporary special features settings.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO X3 Pro) Prolonged button clamping can cause resets to factory settings. If the Mi Bunny (factory logo) appears on the screen, release the buttons immediately!

Method 4: Disconnect via ADB (for advanced users)

If standard methods don't work and the phone is connected to a computer, you can turn off TalkBack via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires pre-configuring the debugging over USB.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 📱 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 🔧 Included debugging by USB in the developer settings (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Tap 7 times, then return to the Additional Settings → For developers).

Instructions:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and open the Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with ADB.
2. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
3. TalkBack: Adb shell settings put secure enabled_accessibility_services com.google.android.marvin.talkback/com.google.android.marvin.talkback.TalkBackService:com.xiaomi.accessibility/com.xiaomi.accessibility.talkback.TalkBackService
4. Reboot your phone: adb reboot

If TalkBack is activated again after the reboot, delete its cache:

adb shell pm clear com.google.android.marvin.talkback

Method 5: Resetting special features settings (last resort)

If none of these things work, you just have to reset the special features to the factory, and it won't delete your data, but it will return all the accessibility settings to the default state.

How to do this:

1. Go to Settings → Special Opportunities → Special Opportunities settings.
2. In the upper right corner, press three dots (⋮) and select Resetting Settings.
3. Confirm the action (a password or pattern lock may be required).

After discharge:

• ✅ TalkBack and other accessibility features will be shut down.
• ⚠️ Font, contrast and gesture settings will reset to standard.
• 🔄 You will have to reconfigure XiaoAI, Google Assistant and other services if they were associated with special features.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI Resetting special features can cause all gestures to be disabled, including swipes for navigation. → Display. → Touch buttons.

How to permanently delete TalkBack so it doesn’t turn on accidentally

To prevent TalkBack from being turned on again, follow the following steps:

1. Turn off the triple-press gesture: Go to Settings → Special Features → Special Features gestures. Remove the tick opposite the triple-press power button.
2. Block access to TalkBack settings: Install a third-party application to block settings (such as AppLock). Add Settings → Special features to the blacklist.

• In Google Assistant (Settings → Voice Assistant → Voice Control), disable the Allow Voice Control option.
• In XiaoAI (Settings → Applications → XiaoAI → Voice Control), deactivate Voice Awakening.

This does not guarantee that TalkBack is disabled, but it can help if the problem is caused by a cache failure.

⚠️ Warning: Hard reset will delete all data from your phone, including photos and apps!