How to completely disable TalkBack on Xiaomi Redmi 8: 5 working ways

Why TalkBack is activated spontaneously and how to fix it

TalkBack is an Android-built screen speaker for visually impaired people, which voices all on-screen actions, button presses, and even gestures. On Xiaomi Redmi 8, this feature can be activated by accident: for example, when you repeatedly press the power button (if you activate the option of Triple Press for TalkBack) or after a system failure. Many users are faced with the fact that the smartphone begins to “talk” for no apparent reason, and turn off voice prompts in the standard way does not work due to a modified interface.

The main problem is that with TalkBack enabled, phone management changes dramatically: instead of regular taps, special gestures are required (for example, double tap to select an item), which confuses users, especially those who have never used services for the visually impaired. Moreover, on Redmi 8 with MIUI version 10-12, the path to accessibility settings may differ from newer models, which makes it difficult to find a solution.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to disable TalkBack, from standard to emergency (including reset via Recovery), and learn how to prevent accidental activation of the function in the future and what to do if the smartphone “hangs” on the voice and does not respond to commands.

Method 1: Disconnect via availability settings (standard method)

If TalkBack is turned on but your smartphone is still responding to gestures, try turning it off via the settings menu. On Xiaomi Redmi 8, the path may vary slightly depending on the MIUI version, but the overall scheme is as follows:

1. Unlock the phone. With active TalkBack, this will require double tapping on the lock screen and then swiping two fingers up (swipe up gesture).
2. Open the settings (cog icon). To do this, tap the icon with one finger, then double-touch (TalkBack will voice: "Settings, double-touch to activate").
3. Go to Special Features (or Additional → Special Features in some versions of MIUI).
4. Find TalkBack (can be called Screen Narrator or Voice Assistant) and tap it once, then double tap it.
5. Translate the slider to the position Off.. Confirm the action by pressing OK in the window that appears.

If TalkBack doesn't shut down after this, try restarting your phone. Sometimes the feature will wilt in the background and require a forced stop.

⚠️ Warning: If the phone has stopped responding to touches after TalkBack is turned off, force the reboot (press the power button for 10-15 seconds). MIUI 11 and below.

Method 2: Using gestures to quickly shut down

On Xiaomi Redmi 8 with MIUI, there is a hidden option to turn off TalkBack without deep immersion in settings — with special gestures. This method works even if the screen does not respond to standard taps:

• 👆 Gesture two fingers down: swipe the screen from top to bottom with two fingers at the same time.This will open the notification panel where you can try to disable TalkBack through quick settings (if there is an icon).
• 🔄 THREE THREE TRIES gesture: Quickly tap the screen three times in a row (less than 1 second apart) and on some firmware, this triggers a special feature menu.
• 🔘 Press Volume buttons: Keep Volume up + Loudness down simultaneously for 3-5 seconds.This can trigger the TalkBack menu with the shutdown option.

If the gestures don't work, try the power button + volume increase (hold 5-7 seconds), which sometimes resets the availability settings to factory.

Method 3: Disconnecting with Google Assistant (if enabled)

If your Redmi 8 has Google Assistant activated, you can try to turn off TalkBack with your voice, which works even if the screen is completely blocked by accessibility gestures:

1. Activate Google Assistant by saying, OK, Google or by holding down the Home button (if it’s physical).
2. Tell the command: Disable TalkBack or turn off the screen announcer.
3. If the Assistant requests confirmation, answer Yes.

If the voice assistant doesn’t respond, check if it’s enabled in the settings: Settings → Apps → All apps → Google → Notifications → Assistant.

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On MIUI 12 and higher, Google Assistant may conflict with Xiaomi Voice Assistant. Before using voice, disable the secondary assistant in Settings → Additional → Xiaomi Voice Assistant.

Method 4: Forced Stopping through Safe Mode

If TalkBack is stuck and not disabled by standard methods, move Redmi 8 to Safe Mode, which disables all third-party apps and services, including TalkBack:

1. Turn off the phone with a long press of the power button.
2. Hold the Power button until the Xiaomi logo appears, then immediately press and hold the Volume Down button.
3. Keep Volume down until the phone boots into Safe Mode (the bottom corner will read "Safe Mode").
4. Open Settings → Applications → All apps, find TalkBack and click Stop.
5. Restart your phone in normal mode.

On the Redmi 8 with MIUI 10 firmware, the touch screen may not work in Safe Mode – in this case, connect the phone to your PC and control via ADB (instruction below).

Method 5: Disconnect via ADB (for power users)

If none of these methods worked, the radical way to disable TalkBack is to disable TalkBack via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which would require a computer with Xiaomi drivers installed and USB debugging enabled on the phone.

Instructions:

1. Enable Developer Mode on Redmi 8: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times).
2. Activate USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, open the Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux) and type in: adb devices (the name of your device should appear).
4. TalkBack: Adb shell settings put secure enabled_accessibility_services com.google.android.marvin.talkback/com.google.android.marvin.talkback.TalkBackService:0
5. Reboot your phone: adb reboot

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

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

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB If you turn off TalkBack, check the performance of Google voice and gestures in Settings → Special facilities.

How to Prevent TalkBack Inadvertently Included in the Future

To prevent TalkBack from activating spontaneously, follow the following steps:

• 🔧 Turn off the hot keys: go to Settings → Special facilities → TalkBack → Settings → Triple press and deactivate the option.
• 📱 Update. MIUI: in older versions of the firmware (below) MIUI 12) bugs with TalkBack spontaneously enabled are common. Check for updates in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🛡️ Set a password for settings: in Settings → Lockdown and protection → Blocking settings can be prevented from changing without entering PIN-code.
• 🔄 Reset availability settings: If TalkBack is enabled after the reboot, reset to Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Resetting availability settings.

If you often give your phone to children or elderly relatives, consider installing a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher) where you can hide access to special features settings.

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On Xiaomi Redmi 8 with MIUI 11 and below, TalkBack can be activated when you connect your headphones or headset. To avoid this, turn off the Auto Start option when you connect your devices in the feature settings.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When you turn off TalkBack, Redmi 8 users face typical problems.

• 🔇 Phone doesn’t respond to touch: If the screen is blocked by TalkBack gestures, try controlling the phone through the phone. USB-mouse (plug in) OTG-The mouse will operate as standard.
• 🔊 The voice keeps talking after the shutdown: it means the TalkBack service has "wailed."Reboot the phone in Safe Mode and clear the app's cache.
• ⚙️ There is no TalkBack in the settings: some firmware features called Screen Speaker or Voice Assistant. Also check the Google Services section in the accessibility settings.
• 📵 The phone freezes when disconnected: if after transferring the slider to the off position, the screen becomes black, perform a hard reset (press the Power supply). + Increase volume by 10 seconds).

If none of these methods work, the last resort is factory reset, and before that, save important data, because all files will be deleted.

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Power + Volume Up until the Mi logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data (manage volume buttons, confirmation – power button).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions