TalkBack (often called “Talking Screen” or “Voice”) on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones is designed for people with visual impairments. It voices all actions on the screen, but often activates accidentally — for example, after triple pressing the power button or through a combination of keys. If you encounter the fact that the phone has started to “say” all the taps, do not be afraid: you can turn off this feature in several ways, even if the screen does not respond to usual touches.
In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods for disabling TalkBack on Redmi Note 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10 and other models - from standard settings to forced reset via Recovery Mode. Particular attention will be paid to situations where the touch screen is blocked due to activated voice acting, and you can not interact with the menu normally. All instructions are relevant for MIUI 12/13/14 firmware (including global and Chinese versions).
1. Standard shutdown via settings (if the sensor is working)
If you can control your phone at all (even with the voiceover of each action), try turning TalkBack off via the standard menu. In MIUI, the path to customizing special features may vary depending on the firmware version, but the general logic is maintained.
Follow the steps:
- Open the settings (cog icon).
- Go to Special Features (or Additional Features in some versions).
- Select TalkBack (may be called Talk Screen or Voiceover).
- Move the slider to the off position.
- Confirm the action in the window that appears by pressing OK.
If the feature continues to work after that, restart the phone. Sometimes TalkBack "wilts" in the background due to a system failure.
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On some Redmi models (e.g. Note 8 Pro), the path to voice settings may be hidden in Settings → System → Advanced Settings → Special features.
Disconnection through gestures (if the sensor does not respond)
When TalkBack is activated, standard touches work differently: one tap highlights the element, double tap activates it, which makes navigation difficult, but there's a workaround through the control gestures.
Follow the following steps:
- 👆 Swipe two fingers up or down the screen – this is the analog of scrolling a page.
- 👇 Swipe two fingers left or right – switch between tabs / sections.
- 🔘 Touch the element with one finger, then double-press anywhere on the screen – this is equivalent to pressing the allocated item.
With these gestures:
- Open the settings (cog icon).
- Scroll down to the Special Opportunities section.
- Find TalkBack and turn it off as described in the previous method.
What to do if the gestures don’t work?
3.Using Google Assistant voice commands
If your Redmi has Google Assistant installed (usually pre-activated on global firmware), you can turn off TalkBack with voice, a technique that is especially useful when the touch screen is not responsive to usual clicks.
Algorithm of action:
- Activate the voice assistant by saying “OK, Google” or by pressing the Home button (if physical).
- Tell the command to “turn off TalkBack” or “turn off the voice screen.”
- If the assistant requests confirmation, answer "Yes."
If Google Assistant does not recognize the command, try alternative wording:
- 🗣️ "Open the settings of special opportunities" → Then manually disable TalkBack by gestures.
- 🗣️ "Turn off special opportunities service".
4. Disconnect via ADB (for advanced users)
If the standard methods don’t work and you don’t want to reset your phone to factory settings, you can turn off TalkBack via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that requires a computer and a little technical skill.
Step-by-step:
- Download and install ADB Tools on your computer.
- Turn on USB Debugging: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI to activate Developer Mode. Go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers and turn on USB Debugging.
USB
CMD
Terminal
adb shell settings put secure enabled_accessibility_services com.google.android.marvin.talkback/com.google.android.marvin.talkback.TalkBackService:0Reboot the phone.
Important: If USB debugging wasn’t enabled before TalkBack activated, this method won’t work – you’ll need to turn off gesture voice or reset settings first.
Install ADB Tools on PC|Enable debugging on USB phone-on|Connect the phone to the computer|Start the command line on behalf of the administrator|Introduce the team ADB-->
5. Forced reset to factory settings
If none of the above methods work, the last option is a factory reset, which will remove all data from your phone, including apps, photos and accounts, so use it only as a last resort.
The reset can be done in two ways:
| Method | Instructions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Through the Recovery menu | Turn off your phone. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data. Confirm the action and wait until it's finished. | Suitable for all Redmi models, and when reset, the phone will turn on as new. |
| Settings (if the sensor is working) | Open Settings → About Phone → Reset. Choose Delete All Data. Enter a password (if required) and confirm. | Less reliable if TalkBack blocks access to the menu. |
Warning: After resetting, the phone will require you to enter your Mi Account information if you previously activated your Xiaomi account binding. If you do not remember your username/password, restore it in advance at account.xiaomi.com.
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Resetting to factory settings is "heavy artillery." Use it only if other methods have failed, as all data will be permanently deleted.
6 How to Prevent TalkBack Inadvertently Included in the Future
To avoid re-activating TalkBack, turn off the hotkeys and gestures that may trigger it:
- 🔑 Turn off the triple press of the power button: Go to Settings → Special facilities → TalkBack → Settings. Find the option Special Opportunity Shortcut and turn it off.
- 👆 Check the gestures in the Settings → System system → Gestures: Remove or reconfigure gestures that may conflict with TalkBack.
- 🔒 Set your password to settings: In some firmware MIUI You can block access to Special Opportunities through Settings → Lockdown and protection.
We also recommend updating the firmware to the latest version of MIUI - new versions fix bugs associated with the accidental activation of TalkBack. You can check for updates in Settings → About Phone → System Update.
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Back up your important data (contacts, photos, messages) to Mi Cloud or your computer, which will help you quickly recover information after resetting your settings.