How to disable TalkBack on Xiaomi Redmi: 5 working ways (including emergency)

TalkBack on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones is a built-in screen speaker from Google designed for people with visual impairments. It voices all the actions on the screen, from touching to notifications. However, many users activate it accidentally - for example, by holding both volume buttons for 3 seconds (the standard on-board gesture on most Redmi models), after which the control of the phone becomes extremely uncomfortable: each tap is accompanied by a voice comment, and standard gestures (for example, swipe) work differently.

If you find yourself in this situation, don't panic. There are a number of ways to turn TalkBack off, even if the screen doesn't respond to touch. In this article, we'll look at all the current methods for 2026, including emergency ones (via Fastboot and ADB), and explain how to avoid accidental switching on in the future. Instructions are suitable for all Redmi models, from the budget Redmi 9A/10A to the flagship Redmi K60 Pro and Redmi Note 13 Pro+.

1. Standard method: through phone settings

If TalkBack is activated by accident, but the screen is still responsive to touch (albeit with a delay), try turning it off via the settings menu. The main difficulty here is the custom control gestures that activate along with the function.

1. Unlock the phone. To do this, double tap the screen and hold your finger after the second touch until you hear the unlock beep.
2. Open the notification bar. Swipe with two fingers from top to bottom (one finger won't work!).
3. Find the Settings icon (cog) and touch it twice with a short pause between touches.
4. Go to the "Special Features" section, scroll the list with two fingers up/down until you hear the item, then tap it twice.
5. Select TalkBack and deactivate the switch. Confirm the action by pressing OK in the window that appears.

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

Settings → System → Additional → Special features → TalkBack

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI (for example, MIUI 14 for Redmi Note 12) the path may be different. If you do not find "Special features", use the search by settings (the magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner).

Remember the control gestures (two touches = tap, two fingers = swipe)

Connect the charger (in case of prolonged manipulation)

Make sure the screen is not locked with a password (if locked, use the method) №3)

Check the volume level (TalkBack can voice the actions quietly)-->

2. Disconnection through volume buttons (gesture method)

The fastest way to turn off TalkBack if the screen is not responsive to touch is to use hardware buttons. Most Redmi models (except the Redmi K50 Gaming and some others with custom button marking) will use the following combination:

1. Press both volume buttons (increase + decrease) at the same time.
2. Hold them for 3 seconds until you hear a beep or vibration.
3. After the signal, wait 2-3 seconds – the function should turn off automatically.

If the combination does not work, try an alternative:

• 🔊 Press the power button. + Volume increase of 5 seconds (on some models this causes a reboot, after which TalkBack can reset).
• 🔄 On the Redmi Note 11 Pro and later, try triple pressing the power button (if Emergency Call is activated").
• 📱 On the Redmi. 10C And similar budget models sometimes help prolonged retention of the power button (10).+ seconds) before vibration.

⚠️ Note: On Redmi with custom firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.eu or Pixel Experience), the gesture combinations may differ. If the standard method didn't work, move on to the method. №3 or №4.

Redmi Note 10/11/12/13 series

Redmi 9/10/11 series

Redmi K40/K50/K60 Series

POCO F/X/M series

Other (specify in the comments)-->

3. Emergency shutdown via Fastboot (if the screen is not working)

If TalkBack has blocked access to settings and gestures don’t help, you can turn off the feature via Fastboot mode.This method requires a computer with ADB/Fastboot drivers installed and a USB-Type C cable (or Micro-USB for older models).

Instructions:

1. Turn off the phone with a long hold of the power button (10+ seconds).
2. Press the power + volume down button to enter the Fastboot.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command prompt (cmd on Windows or Terminal on macOS/Linux).
4. Enter the command to check the connection: fastboot devices If the device is determined (the serial number appears), continue. If not, install the Mi Flash Tool drivers.
5. Execute TalkBack: fastboot erase config This command will reset special features settings, including TalkBack.
6. Reboot the phone: fastboot reboot

After the reboot, the feature will be disabled, but some user settings (such as desktop shortcuts) may reset.

4. Disconnection via ADB (without data loss)

If Fastboot seems too risky, try disabling TalkBack via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that stores all data on your phone but requires USB debugging enabled. If it was activated before TalkBack turned on, follow the instructions:

1. Connect the phone to the PC and allow debugging (if a request appears on the screen).
2. Open the command line and check the connection: Adb devices
3. Enter TalkBack: Adb shell settings put secure enabled_accessibility_services com.google.android.marvin.talkback/.TalkBackService:com.google.android.accessibility.talkback.TalkBackService Then reset all special features services: adb shell settings put secure enabled_accessibility_services ""
4. Reboot your phone: adb reboot

If USB debugging hasn't been enabled before, it won't work, so you just have to reset it through Fastboot or Recovery.

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Before using ADB, check the firmware version with the command adb shell getprop ro.build.version.incremental. On some versions of MIUI (for example, MIUI 13.0.4), the path to TalkBack may differ.

5. Reset to factory settings (extreme case)

If none of these methods work, the last option is hard reset, which will remove all data from your phone, including photos, contacts and apps, so use it only as a last resort.

1. Turn off the phone with a long hold on the power button.
2. Press the power button + volume increase to enter Recovery.
3. Use volume buttons to navigate the menu and a power button to select the item.
4. Select "Wipe Data" → "Wipe All Data" (some models may call it "Factory Reset").
5. Confirm the reset and wait for the process to be completed.
6. Reboot your phone through the "Reboot" item.

After the reset, TalkBack will be disabled, but the phone will return to the “out of the box” state. To avoid data loss in the future, regularly back up through Settings → System → Backup.

6 How to Prevent TalkBack Inadvertently Included in the Future

To avoid the problem of accidentally turning on TalkBack, follow a few simple steps:

• 🔧 Turn off gesture control in the special features settings. Go to Settings → Special facilities → Gestures → TalkBack and deactivate the “Start with Volume buttons” option".
• 🔐 Set the password for settings. MIUI You can block access to the settings sections through Settings → Password and security → Application lockdown.
• 📱 Use a case with accidental press protection. Many Redmi cases have button cutouts that prevent simultaneous clamping.
• 🔄 Update the firmware. MIUI 14/15 Added TalkBack protection (double confirmation required).

It is also useful to know the "hot keys" for emergency shutdown:

• On the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and later: triple press the power button (if the Emergency Call function is activated).
• On Redmi 10/11 series: press the power button + increase the volume by 10 seconds (call a reboot).

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The surest way to avoid accidentally turning on TalkBack is to turn off the gesture combinations in the special feature settings, which takes 30 seconds, but eliminates hours of coping.

FAQ: Frequent questions about TalkBack on Xiaomi Redmi