The appearance of a little person or icon in the corner of the screen of a Xiaomi smartphone is often a surprise to users. This symbol indicates the activation of a special feature, which is designed for people with disabilities of vision or hearing. However, once on the screen of a regular user, it begins to interfere with management, blocking part of the interface and requiring constant confirmation of actions.
Most activation occurs by accident when you press a key combination or by erroneously touching the settings menu. MIUI and the new HyperOS shell have several layers of protection, but you can bypass them when you use the gadget intensively. Remove this element of the interface is necessary to restore comfortable navigation and full access to all functions of the smartphone.
In this article, we will discuss all methods of deactivating an intrusive indicator, how to disable specific services such as TalkBack or Voice Assistant, and how to prevent them from being turned on again in the future. The instructions cover different versions of firmware and help you get your device back in your hands without unnecessary difficulties.
Reasons for the availability indicator
The main reason for the icon is the activation of accessibility services in the Android system settings, which are designed to help people with motor or vision impairments, allowing you to control the phone with voice or simplified gestures. When such a service is launched, the system must display the indicator so that the user always knows about the operation of the ancillary functions.
Often users accidentally turn on TalkBack mode by pinching certain buttons or making a specific gesture, in which case the phone begins to voice each action, and the control changes to two-step: one touch highlights the object, the second one activates it, at which point the corresponding icon appears on the screen, signaling a change in the mode of operation of the interface.
There's also a Quick Start feature that allows you to activate availability services with a five-stroke power button, and if your finger accidentally hits a button in your pocket or bag, the system might think of it as an SOS signal or a request to turn on help, and understanding the trigger mechanism will help you avoid such situations in the future.
- 🔍 Accidental pressing of the volume and power key combination.
- 👆 Activation through the menu "Special features" in the settings.
- 🗣️ Starting a voice assistant or text voice function.
- ⚙️ System Update Resetting Privacy Settings by Default.
⚠️ Note: If the icon appeared on its own after the firmware update, check the Security section, as new versions are available. MIUI Often changing the location of privacy switches.
Disconnection through the main system settings
The easiest and most reliable way to remove the icon is to go to the system settings menu, you need to open the Settings app and find the section responsible for additional device settings, depending on the version of the shell, this section can be called "Special features" or "Advanced settings".
Inside the menu, you need to find a list of services that are running, usually located at the top of the screen or highlighted by a separate "Downloaded Services" block, which displays all active modules, such as TalkBack, Voice Access or the special features menu, and to turn off, you need to click on the active service name and switch to "Down".
If the standard path is hidden or changed by the manufacturer, you can search by settings. Click on the magnifying glass at the top of the settings screen and type in "access" or "talkback" and the system will prompt you to go to the desired menu item, which will greatly speed up the search process.
Settings → Additional settings → Special features → Installation ServicesOnce the service is turned off, the icon should disappear instantly. If this does not happen, try restarting the device so that the changes are applied correctly. In some cases, confirmation of the action through password or fingerprint is required for security purposes.
☑️ Checking the disconnection of the service
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Use a search by settings if you can’t find the item you want manually – it works faster than wandering through the menu.
Managing TalkBack and Voice Input
The most common culprit for the icon is TalkBack, which is a screen reader that sounds up the visually impaired interface, and when it's active, the control of the phone changes dramatically, and it becomes difficult for the average user to even unlock the screen, and to remove the icon, you have to completely deactivate this module.
Go to the special options settings and select TalkBack. Press the switch and confirm the shutdown. The system can warn you that the control will change — agree. It's also worth checking the adjacent settings, such as "Select for voice" or "Voice Access", which can also leave indicators on the screen.
Newer versions of HyperOS have introduced a feature called Special Features Menu, which brings a floating button to the screen, which allows you to quickly turn on and off various tools, such as a screen zoom in or a virtual joystick, and if you don't need this button, you can also turn it off in the same settings section.
| Service | Function | Impact on the interface | Whether most people need it |
|---|---|---|---|
| TalkBack | Voice of action | Green frame, human badge | No. |
| Choice for voiceover | Reading text | Floating button | Rarely. |
| Accessibility menu | Quick access | Navigation button | No. |
| Increase | Screen zoom | Scale indicator | No. |
⚠️ Warning: When TalkBack is active, a single tap only highlights the item. To open the app or press a button, you need to quickly press twice anywhere on the screen.
What if TalkBack doesn’t turn off?
Quick keys and hot combinations
Android allows you to quickly run accessibility functions through physical buttons, most often by pressing the power button five times or simultaneously pressing the volume keys, which are often the combinations that cause the icon to be activated accidentally in your pocket.
To remove the icon and prevent it from appearing, you need to disable the special feature shortcuts. Find the settings menu for "Special Features Shortcut" or "Speed Start." Here you can turn off the response to button presses or change the combination to a more complex one that is difficult to hit accidentally.
Also check the power button settings. In some Xiaomi firmware, a long press of the off button causes a special feature menu instead of the standard phone switch menu. Change this setting under the Power button by selecting the "Stop Menu" or "Google Assistant" action.
- 🔋 5 presses of the power button - the standard trigger.
- 🔊 Clutching the volume buttons - an alternative method.
- 🖱️ Long press of the power button in the menu.
- 👆 Double tapping on the back panel (if configured).
Disabling these features doesn’t affect the phone’s performance, but makes the interface cleaner.You can always turn them back on through the settings menu if you or your loved ones really need them.
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Disabling shortcuts in button settings is the most effective way to prevent the accidental launch of features in the future.
Third-party applications and software conflicts
Sometimes the special feature icon is not due to system settings, but on the request of third-party applications.Gestural management programs, auto-clickers, launchers or applications for people with disabilities can request access to accessibility services for their work.
If you installed a new app shortly before the icon appeared, check its permissions. Go to the special features settings and see the list of allowed apps. If there is suspicious software that you haven't used, disable it or delete the app completely.
Version conflict can also cause malfunctions, such as updating Google Play Services or the Android system component can reset your previous settings, in which case cleaning the Settings app cache or resetting all settings to factory settings if the problem is critical will help.
Settings → Applications → All Apps → Settings → Memory → Clear the cacheBe careful with apps that require broad access rights.They may use accessibility services to record screens or automate actions, which is not always secure for your personal data.
Resetting and extreme measures
If none of the above methods helped remove the icon, there may have been a software failure, in which case you can try resetting the special features settings to the default state, which will not affect your personal files, photos or contacts.
To do this, go to the special features menu, click on the three dots in the upper right corner (or the menu button) and select Reset. After that, all services will be disabled, and you will have to configure them again if you really need them.
In the most difficult cases, when the icon appears again and again due to a deep system error, you may need to completely reset the device (Hard Reset).
⚠️ Note: Complete data reset will delete all photos, contacts and apps. Use this method only if other methods have not helped.