How to permanently disable TalkBack on Xiaomi: 5 working methods

TalkBack, the voice assistant on Xiaomi smartphones, often turns on accidentally — just press the power button three times or press two volume keys — for people with visual impairments, but for ordinary users, it creates a lot of inconvenience: the phone begins to voice every action, gestures stop working in the usual way, and the interface becomes almost unusable.

In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to disable TalkBack on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices – from standard settings to forced stop via ADB.

• 🔄 The screen does not respond to touch due to activated TalkBack
• 👶 The function was activated after the actions of the child
• 🔇 You need to turn off voice prompts permanently, not temporarily.
• 🛠️ TalkBack does not turn off via the settings menu

All instructions are valid for MIUI 12-15 (including global and Chinese versions) and tested on Xiaomi 13/14 series, Redmi Note 12/13 Pro, POCO F5/X5. If your device runs on Android One (such as Mi A3), use methods for pure Android.

1. Standard TalkBack Disconnection through Settings

If the screen reacts to touch (albeit with a delay), try to turn off the function through the menu. In MIUI, the path to settings changed depending on the firmware version, so we will give you the current options:

For MIUI 14/15 (2023–2026):

1. Open the settings (cog icon).
2. Go to Special Opportunities → TalkBack.
3. Move the slider to the off position.
4. Confirm the action in the dialog box by pressing OK.

For MIUI 12/13:

• 📱 Settings → Additionally. → Special opportunities → TalkBack
• 🔊 Or through a search by settings: type "TalkBack" in the search bar.

Important: If the screen turns black or doesn't respond after TalkBack is turned off, restart the device with a long press on the power button (10-15 seconds), which will reset the temporary availability settings.

2. Disable TalkBack by gestures (if the screen is not working)

When TalkBack is active, standard Android gestures are replaced with special combinations to disable the feature without accessing the settings:

1. The gesture "Swipe two fingers down" opens the notification panel.
2. The gesture "Swipe two fingers up" opens the application menu.
3. Find the Settings icon and touch it with one finger, then make a double touch (like a regular tap, but with a pause between taps).
4. In the settings, scroll the list with two fingers (swipe up/down) to the Special Features section.

If the gestures don’t work, try an alternative method:

1. Press both volume buttons for 3 seconds, and this will call Google Assistant.
2. Say “Disable TalkBack” or “Open Accessibility Settings” in your voice.
3. Follow the assistant's voice prompts.

💡

If TalkBack’s voice is too fast, slow it down: make a two-finger-down gesture to open the curtain, then tap the gear icon in the TalkBack notification and select “Speech Speed.”

3. Forced stop via Safe Mode

If TalkBack does not turn off using standard methods, start the phone in Safe Mode, which disables all third-party applications, including special services.

How to Sign In to Safe Mode on Xiaomi:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button before the MI logo appears.
3. Once the logo appears, press and hold the volume button until the system is fully loaded.
4. In the lower left corner of the screen will appear the inscription "Safe Mode".

In safe mode:

• 🛠️ Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 Find TalkBack in the list and select Stop. → Shut down.
• 🔄 Restart your phone in normal mode.

4. Disable TalkBack via ADB (for advanced)

If none of the previous methods worked, use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires a computer and enabled USB debugging.

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on PC.
2. On the phone, turn on Developer Mode (7 times tap the MIUI version in Settings → About phone).
3. In Settings → Additional → For developers, activate debugging over USB.
4. Connect the phone to the PC and type in the command line:

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


adb shell pm disable-user com.google.android.marvin.talkback




adb shell pm disable-user com.xiaomi.accessibility.talkback

Note: After you execute the commands, restart your phone. If TalkBack is activated again, check for MIUI updates - in some firmware, the service automatically turns on after you restart.

5. Resetting settings to factory (extreme case)

If TalkBack is turned on due to a system failure or virus and other methods do not help, reset to factory settings.This will delete all data from the device, so make a backup beforehand.

How to reset your settings to Xiaomi:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset.
2. Select Resetting → Erase all data.
3. Enter a password (if required) and confirm the action.

Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) may require re-activation of the Mi Account after a reset if a Xiaomi account was previously linked.

6.How to prevent accidental turn on TalkBack

To avoid reactivating the function, set up protection:

• 🔒 Turn off the hot keys for special features: Go to Settings → Special facilities → Hot keys. Turn off the TalkBack option in the list.
• 👶 Set Child Mode (if a child is using a phone): Download Google Family Link from the Play Market. Set limits to change system settings.

lock-in

Smart App Control

MIUI 14+

We also recommend adding the TalkBack disabler label to the lock screen:

1. Go to Settings → Lock screen → Shortcuts.
2. Add the Settings or Special Opportunities label.

💡

Even after the shutdown, TalkBack remains on the special feature list, requiring root or custom firmware permissions to remove it completely.

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

When you turn off TalkBack, users face typical problems, and here are the most common ways to solve them:

⚠️ Warning: If the screen turns black after TalkBack is turned off, but the phone reacts to sounds, this means that the Dark Theme or Blue Light Filter function conflicts with accessibility services. Try pressing the power button and the volume button for 10 seconds for a forced reboot.

If none of the methods worked, contact Xiaomi Service Center – in rare cases, the problem is associated with damage to the system partition.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions