How to permanently remove the TalkBack icon from the screen of the Xiaomi phone: instructions 2026

Why the TalkBack icon appeared on the Xiaomi screen and how to turn it off correctly

Many owners of Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones suddenly face the appearance of a small icon in the form of a man squared on the screen - this is an indicator of the TalkBack service. This tool is designed for people with visual disabilities, but often activated accidentally through a combination of buttons or after updating MIUI. The icon not only spoils the appearance of the interface, but can also interfere with the usual use of the phone: double touches turn into triple, gestures work differently, and the system begins to voice all actions.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 working ways to remove the TalkBack icon from Xiaomi’s screen, from simply turning off the settings to radical methods for stubborn cases. It’s important to understand that the service can be enabled not only through menus, but also through Quick Settings or even hardware buttons. We’ll also explain why the standard shutdown sometimes doesn’t work and what to do if the icon reappears after the reboot.

Before you start the instructions, make sure that the problem is with TalkBack, not with any other feature service, and the icon looks like a white square with a man inside (on new versions of MIUI, a blue circle with a white icon), and if you have a different character, maybe it's Screen zoom or Color Correction, and the solutions will be different.

Method 1: Standard shutdown through special features settings

The most obvious and safe method is to disable TalkBack from the settings menu, which works 90% of the time if the service was activated via the interface rather than the hardware combination, and the instructions are relevant for MIUI 12/13/14 on all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Mi 11.

To remove the badge:

• 📱 Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
• 🔍 Slick down and select Special Features (on some firmware – Universal Access).
• 👁️ Find TalkBack (can be called Screen Speaker or Voice Assistant).
• 🔘 Move the slider to the off position..
• ✅ Confirm the action in the window that appears by pressing OK or Disable.

If the icon disappeared after this action, but reappeared after a while, then TalkBack is enabled through a hardware button combination (for this, see the next section). Also check if the service is activated in Quick Settings - to do this, swipe down the screen from top to bottom and make sure that the TalkBack icon is not illuminated.

Method 2: Disconnect via button combination (if the service is hardware activated)

On Xiaomi TalkBack smartphones, you can turn on (and off) by holding two buttons at once. This feature is designed to be quickly accessed, but often works by accident - for example, when the phone is in your pocket or bag. If the standard disconnection through settings does not help, try the hardware method:

For most models (Redmi 10/11, POCO F4, Xiaomi 12T and newer) the combination is as follows:

1. 🔕 Press the Power (on/off) button and the Volume Up button at the same time.
2. ⏱️ Hold them for 3-5 seconds until you hear a beep or vibration.
3. 🔊 If TalkBack is active, the system will suggest disabling it - confirm the action with a double touch (as normal taps in this mode work differently).

Some older models (such as the Redmi 5/6 or Mi A2) may use a different combination: Power + Volume Reduction. If the first combination doesn't work, try the second one. Also note that phones with a physical Home button (such as the Redmi 4X) may need to hold it together with the power button.

Important! If the TalkBack icon still appears when you reboot after the button combination is turned off, then the service is on at the system level, in which case only resetting special features (method 4) or completely resetting the phone will help.

Method 3: Remove the icon via Quick Settings and disable notifications

Sometimes the TalkBack icon stays on the screen even after the service is disabled, because the system keeps showing it as an active notification or toolbar element, to remove it completely:

Step 1: Remove the icon from Quick Settings

• 📲 Swipe your finger down to open the notification bar.
• ⚡ Click on the icon. ⚙️ Edit (or Pencil in the upper right corner).
• 🗑️ Find the TalkBack icon and drag it to Unused or click on the cross.
• ✅ Save the changes.

Step 2: Turn off notifications from TalkBack

• 🔕 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 In search, type TalkBack and select the app.
• 🔔 Press Notifications and turn off all switches.
• 🚫 For reliability, also prohibit auto-start: Auto-run → Shut down.

If the icon is still hanging in the status bar after this, try restarting the phone. In rare cases, cleaning the cache of the TalkBack app helps (in the same menu, App Management → Storage → Clear Cache).

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If the TalkBack icon only appears when you connect headphones or Bluetooth devices, check the settings for special features for these accessories. Sometimes the service is activated automatically when you connect the headset.

Method 4: Resetting special features settings (if nothing helps)

If TalkBack persists in coming back after a shutdown, the problem may be the damaged feature settings, which can be helped by a partial reset that doesn't affect personal data, but brings all availability settings back to factory settings.

How to perform the reset:

1. 🔧 Open the Settings. → Special facilities.
2. ⚙️ In the upper right corner, click on three dots (menu) and select Reset Settings.
3. 🔄 Confirm the action by entering a password or pattern lock (if requested).
4. 🔁 Reboot your phone after resetting.

This method removes all custom settings of special features, including:

• 🔊 Select to Speak, Switch Access, Switch Access;
• 👓 Screen augmentation and color correction;
• 🎧 Hearing aid configurations;
• ⌨️ Keyboard settings for people with disabilities.

If the reset doesn't work, the last option is to completely reset your phone to factory settings, but try method 5 before you do, especially if you have MIUI 14 or newer.

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Resetting special features does not remove photos, contacts or apps, but may require re-configuring fonts, gestures, and other accessibility settings.

Method 5: Disable TalkBack via ADB (for advanced users)

If all previous methods have failed and the TalkBack icon keeps popping up, it may be embedded in MIUI system applications and not disabled in the standard way, in which case disabling through ADB (Android Debug Bridge) will help, a method that requires a computer and minimal technical skills.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux;
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original);>
• 📱 Included debugging by USB phone-on;
• 🛠️ Utility. ADB (You can download from the official Android website).

Step-by-step:

1. 🔧 On the phone, turn on Developer Mode: go to Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI And press it 7 times.
2. 🔌 Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers and activate debugging by USB.
3. 💻 Connect your phone to your computer and start the command line (or Terminal on the computer). macOS/Linux).
4. 📋 Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices should appear the name of your device.
5. 🔘 Disable TalkBack with command: adb shell settings put secure enabled_accessibility_services com.google.android.marvin.talkback/com.google.android.marvin.talkback.TalkBackService:com.xiaomi.accessibility/com.android.accessibility.TalkBack.TalkBackService For MIUI 14 Additional command may be required: adb shell pm disable-user com.google.android.marvin.talkback
6. 🔄 Reboot the phone.

Warning! Disabling TalkBack via ADB may cause other special services to work in an unstable way. If gestures or voice input stop working after this procedure, return the settings with the command:

adb shell settings put secure enabled_accessibility_services""

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If ADB-The commands don't work, try to turn off TalkBack in the settings first, and then apply the commands. Also make sure that the phone allows debugging for your computer (you will see a request when you first connect).

Table: Comparison of TalkBack Disconnection Methods on Xiaomi

If neither method worked, the problem may be a corrupted firmware or a conflict with another application (such as a third-party launcher).

1. 🔄 Update MIUI Up to the latest version through Settings → Updating the system.
2. 🏭 Reset your phone to factory settings (don’t forget to back up your phone!).

Frequently asked questions

If you’ve exhausted all the options, but the TalkBack icon still doesn’t go away, it could be a hardware failure (like sticking power buttons or volume) in which case, contact Xiaomi’s service center — especially if the phone is warranty-worthy.