How to permanently disable TalkBack on Xiaomi Redmi 8: working ways of 2026

TalkBack voice assistant on Xiaomi Redmi 8 often turns on accidentally — just three times press the power button or hold two fingers on the screen. Once activated, the smartphone begins to voice every touch, and standard gestures stop working. If you are in this situation, do not panic: you can turn off the function even without access to the settings.

In this article, we will discuss 5 Proven ways to deactivate TalkBack - from basic (via the menu of special features) to emergency (using physical buttons or reset to factory settings). 8 Does not respond to touch or the smartphone is blocked. MIUI 12/13/14 and tested on real devices.

Why does TalkBack turn on on its own?

TalkBack (some firmware called Screen Speaker) is designed for visually impaired people, which converts text and actions on the screen into speech prompts. On Xiaomi Redmi 8, it is activated for three main reasons:

• 👆 Accidental press: triple press the power button (if the option is enabled in the availability settings).
• 📱 Two-finger gesture: two-fingered screen clamping for 3 seconds (standard gesture for TalkBack switching on).
• 🔄 Resetting: After resetting to factory settings, the function can be activated automatically.

Sometimes Redmi 8 includes voice assistant after updating MIUI or when connecting headphones.This is due to a bug in the firmware V12.0.3.0.QCNMIXM and V12.5.1.0.RCNMIXM, which Xiaomi never officially fixed.

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

If your smartphone is responsive to touch, but TalkBack is in the way of navigation, follow these steps. Importantly, the gestures in this mode change — instead of one touch, use two fingers.

1. Unlock Redmi 8 in the standard way (PIN, pattern lock or fingerprint).
2. Make a gesture with two fingers down (an analogue of swipe from top to bottom to open the notification panel).
3. Touch the pin of the gear with two fingers (⚙️) — This will open the settings.
4. Scroll the list with two fingers up/down to the Special Features section (or Additional Features in some firmware).
5. Select TalkBack (or Screen Narrator) and move the slider to the Off position.

If the slider is inactive, try disabling the service through the app menu:

1. Click on TalkBack Settings (three dots in the upper right corner).
2. Select Turn off TalkBack and confirm the action.

⚠️ Warning: If the screen turns black after TalkBack is turned off, don't panic - it's a temporary bug. Press the power button for 10 seconds to reboot the Redmi 8.

Method 2: Disconnect via physical buttons (if the screen is unresponsive)

When TalkBack is activated and the touch screen is not responding to touch, you can use hardware buttons. This method works on all Xiaomi smartphones, including Redmi 8:

1. Press the power button + volume button for 10-15 seconds until the device restarts.
2. As soon as the MI logo appears, release the buttons.
3. After booting the system immediately press the power button three times in a row - this will open the menu of special features.
4. In the window that appears, select Disable TalkBack (use volume buttons for navigation and power button for confirmation).

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

• 🔋 Connect Redmi 8 to charging.
• 📴 Squeeze the power. + Reducing the volume by 20 seconds will force the phone to turn off.
• 🔄 Turn on the device and immediately after vibration, pinch the power + Increase the volume to get into the Fastboot.
• 🔧 In the Fastboot menu, select Normal Boot (use volume buttons to move and power to select).

Method 3: Using voice commands

TalkBack supports voice control, which is useful if the screen is not responsive to gestures.

1. Activate voice input by saying “OK Google” or “Hi Google” (if the feature is enabled).
2. Say, "Open settings."
3. After opening the settings, say “Special Opportunities”.
4. Then say “Disable TalkBack” and confirm the action with a voice.

If the voice assistant does not respond:

• 🎤 Make sure the microphone is not silenced (check the physical switch on the headphones if they are connected).
• 📶 Check your internet connection – without a network, voice commands may not work.
• 🔊 Turn up the volume as TalkBack sometimes lowers the sound level to save battery life.

⚠️ Warning: Voice commands only work when you connect to a Google account. If you're not logged in, this method won't work.

Method 4: Resetting settings to factory (extreme case)

If none of the methods worked, it's a hard reset, which will delete all the data from Redmi 8, including apps, photos and accounts. SIM-Card and memory card – they can be damaged.

Instructions for resetting via Recovery:

1. Turn off the smartphone with a pinch Power + Volume reduction for 10 seconds.
2. Press Power + Volume Up until the MI logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data (use volume buttons for navigation).
4. Confirm the reset by choosing Yes.
5. Once completed, select Reboot to reboot.

Once reset, Redmi 8 will boot in its original state, and TalkBack will be disabled by default. Importantly, before using this method, try connecting the phone to your PC and backing up through the Mi PC Suite.

💡

If TalkBack is back on after the reset, check the special features settings in your Google account. Sometimes the feature syncs through the cloud.

Method 5: Disconnect via ADB (for advanced users)

If you have access to a computer and a USB-Type C cable, you can disable TalkBack via Android Debug Bridge (ADB).This method does not require a data reset, but you need developer rights.

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on PC.
2. On Redmi 8, enable USB Debugging: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version. Press 7 times on MIUI Version to activate Developer Mode. Return to Settings → Additional → Developer. Enable USB Debugging.

Redmi 8

adb devices

Make sure the device is identified.

adb shell settings put secure enabled_accessibility_services com.android.talkback/com.google.android.marvin.talkback.TalkBackService

adb reboot

If the ADB does not recognize the device:

• 🔌 Check the cable – use the original from Xiaomi.
• 🖥️ Install Mi drivers USB Driver from the official website.
• 🔄 Switch the connection mode to File Transfer in the notification curtain.

💡

ADB-The method is the only way to disable TalkBack without losing data if the screen is completely locked, but USB-debugging was included in advance.

How to Prevent TalkBack Inadvertently Included in the Future

To avoid re-activating the voice assistant, follow a few simple steps:

1. Turn off TalkBack launch gesture: Go to Settings → Special features → TalkBack → Settings → Start gesture. Turn off TalkBack Start option with two fingers.
2. Set up a triple tap of the power button: In Settings → Buttons and gestures → Triple press of the power button. Choose another action (like Screenshot or Flashlight).

password for special features

• In Settings → Special Opportunities → Special Opportunities settings.
• Activate Password Request and set a PIN.

We also recommend:

• 📱 Update regularly MIUI — In new versions, bugs with spontaneous inclusion of TalkBack have been fixed.
• 🔒 Use a case with protection against accidental pressing of the power button.
• 📋 Backup your settings through Mi Cloud to quickly restore configuration after resetting.

FAQ: Frequent questions about TalkBack on Xiaomi Redmi 8