How to completely disable TalkBack on Xiaomi smartphones: all ways (including MIUI 15)

Why TalkBack is Activated and How to Fix It

You picked up a Xiaomi smartphone, and it suddenly started to voice your every action, and it turned on TalkBack, a built-in Android feature for people with visual impairments, and it's most often activated by accident: you just press the power button on a locked screen three times or press two volume buttons at once, but here's the problem: it's not as easy to turn off as it seems.

In this article, we will discuss all working ways to disable TalkBack on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones – from standard methods through settings to advanced solutions using ADB. Particular attention will be paid to the nuances for the latest versions of MIUI 14/15 and Android 13/14, where the management interface of the special features service has changed.

If you're reading this on a phone with TalkBack already activated, don't panic. On Xiaomi models with MIUI 14+, you can temporarily pause voice acting by holding two fingers on the screen for 3 seconds, giving you time to navigate the menu.

Method 1: Disconnection through special features settings

The most obvious method is to use a standard settings menu, but with TalkBack on, it becomes a non-trivial task. Here's a step-by-step guide to the interface:

1. Unlock the phone. If the screen is locked, swipe two fingers up (this will replace the standard swipe with one finger).
2. Open the settings. To do this, tap two fingers on the gear icon, and TalkBack will take this as a single tap.
3. Scroll down to Special Features. Use two fingers (up/down swipe) to scroll.
4. In the Rumor section, find TalkBack and tap it with two fingers.
5. Turn the slider to off (again, with two fingers) and confirm the action in the dialog box.

If you have a MIUI 15, the path may be slightly different.

Settings → Additional settings → Special features → TalkBack

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi Note 12) may need to restart the device after the TalkBack is turned off to make the changes take effect in full.

Twice tap the top of the screen to call the notification bar|Use Google Assistant voice search (say "Open Settings")|Ask the assistant to turn on the "For the visually impaired" mode and disable TalkBack through it|Connect your phone to your PC and control it through Mi PC Suite-->

Method 2: Quickly shut down via notification panel

The latest versions of MIUI have the ability to control TalkBack right from the notification curtain, which is the fastest way to turn off voice acting immediately:

1. Swipe two fingers from the top edge of the screen down to open the notification bar.
2. Find the TalkBack icon (usually an icon with a man in a mug) and if it's not there, tap the "Edit" button and add it to the active elements.
3. Slap the icon with two fingers to turn off the function.

If the icon is not in the curtain, it can be added:

Settings → Notification Panel → Order of icons → Find “TalkBack” and drag it to the active area

💡

On the POCO F5 and Redmi K60 models, the TalkBack icon is hidden by default. To see it, first turn on all icons in the notification panel settings.

Method 3: Disconnecting through Google's voice assistant

If your Xiaomi has Google Assistant installed, you can use voice control, which is especially useful when the touch screen does not respond well to gestures:

1. Activate the voice assistant by saying “OK, Google” or holding the home button (if you have one on your model).
2. Tell the command to “turn off TalkBack” or “turn off special features for the visually impaired.”
3. Confirm the action with a voice when the assistant asks about it.

Some firmware (e.g. MIUI Global) may need to enable full access for Google Assistant first:

Settings → Applications → All Apps → Google → Permissions → Special Features

⚠️ Note: If you have a Chinese version installed on your phone MIUI (China ROM), Google's voice assistant can be disabled by default, in which case use methods 1, 2 or 4.

Through setting up special opportunities|Through the notification panel|With the help of a voice assistant.|Through ADB (advanced)|Another way.-->

Method 4: Disconnect via ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work (for example, due to a system failure), you can disable TalkBack via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires connecting the phone to a computer and basic command line knowledge.

Here's the step-by-step instruction:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on your PC.
2. Turn on USB Debugging on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (Tap 7 times to become a developer) Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging on USB
3. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable and confirm the debugging permit.
4. Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (macOS/Linux) Enter: adb shell settings put secure enabled_accessibility_services com.google.android.marvin.talkback/com.google.android.marvin.talkback.TalkBackService:com.google.android.accessibility.switchaccess/SwitchAccessService Then: adb shell pm disable-user com.google.android.marvin.talkback
5. Reboot the phone.

If TalkBack is activated again after the reboot, try an alternative command:

adb shell settings put secure accessibility_enabled 0

💡

Use ADB only if other methods have failed, and incorrect commands can disrupt the system, especially on devices with a locked bootloader.

Method 5: Resetting settings to factory (extreme case)

If TalkBack is turned on because of a system failure and does not turn off any of the above methods, the last option is a factory reset. This will delete all data from the phone, so use this method only as a last resort.

How to reset with TalkBack enabled:

1. Open the settings (with two fingers).
2. Go to About Phone → Reset settings (use two fingers to navigate).
3. Select Reset all settings and confirm the action.
4. If the phone is locked, you can reset it via Recovery Mode: Turn off the phone → Press the power button + volume up → Select "Wipe Data" → Confirm

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi models with a locked bootloader (most devices out of the box), a reset via Recovery may result in a Mi Account entry requirement. Make sure you remember the username and password from it, otherwise the phone will become a “brick".

How to Prevent TalkBack Inadvertently Included in the Future

To avoid this problem, set your phone up so that TalkBack doesn’t turn on accidentally:

• 🔧 Turn off gesture for quick start: Settings → Special facilities → Special opportunity gestures → Turn off "Three taps for TalkBack"
• 🔒 Protect your settings with a password: Settings → Lockdown and protection → Blocking settings This will prevent changing the parameters of special features without entering PIN-code.
• 📱 Install an alternative launcher: Some launchers (like Nova Launcher) allow you to hide special feature icons from the app menu.
• 🔄 Check for updates regularly MIUI: In new versions of firmware, bugs associated with accidental activation of TalkBack are often fixed.

On Xiaomi models with an infrared port (such as the Redmi Note 11), you can also use a remote control to control the phone to avoid accidental taps on the screen.

FAQ: Frequent questions about TalkBack on Xiaomi