How to completely disable universal access on Xiaomi smartphones: instructions for all versions of MIUI

The Universal Access (or “Special Features”) mode on Xiaomi smartphones is designed for people with disabilities, including features like TalkBack, font augmentation, color filters, and gesture controls. However, sometimes this mode is activated accidentally, such as after a failed MIUI update or when certain button combinations are pressed, which makes the phone interface uncomfortable: familiar gestures disappear, voice prompts appear, and standard settings stop working.

You can disable universal access on Xiaomi in several ways – through the settings menu, with voice (if the screen does not respond), or even hardware reset in extreme cases. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods for MIUI versions 12 to 14, including the nuances for specific models (Redmi Note 11, POCO X5, Mi 11, etc.).

⚠️ Important: Some universal access features (like TalkBack) change the logic of the touch screen. If you accidentally turn on this mode, standard swipes and taps may not work - use double-touch with retention instead of single-touch.

1. How to disable Universal Access through MIUI settings

The easiest way is to deactivate the mode in the settings menu, which works if the screen is touch-responsive and the MIUI interface is not locked.

Instructions for MIUI 12/13/14:

1. Open the Settings app** (cog icon).
2. Go to the Special Features section (in some firmwares – Universal Access).
3. At the top of the screen, find the Special Opportunity Services switch** and turn it off.
4. If TalkBack is active, click on the line with its name and select “Switch off”** in the window that appears.

⚠️ Note: On some models (POCO F4, Redmi K50) This section may be called Additional Functions. → Universal access. If you can't find a paragraph, search by settings (lamp in upper right corner).

Battery charge > 30%| Wi-Fi connection (for reset via Mi Account)|Remember password from Xiaomi |Check screen response to touch-->

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

If the touchscreen is no longer responsive to touch after TalkBack is activated, you can use voice control, which is suitable for MIUI 13/14 with Google Assistant installed.

Step-by-step:

1. Activate the voice assistant by saying, “OK Google,” or holding the home button (if physical).

💡 Useful tip: If voice commands don't work, try an alternative method - double-tapping with retention (for 2 seconds) on any element of the screen.

3. Resetting special features settings to factory

If Universal Access is enabled after a MIUI update or because of a system failure, resetting only this settings section can help.This does not affect personal data, but returns all accessibility settings to default values.

How to perform the reset:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → All specs.
2. Find Resetting (or Restore and Reset)
3. Select “Reset Special Opportunity Settings”** (not to be confused with a full reset!).
4. Confirm the action with a password or pattern lock.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI Global for Redmi 9A) This item may not be available. In this case, use the method of ADB (section 5) or perform a soft reset (section 6).

4. Disable universal access through the Xiaomi account (Mi Account)

If your phone is locked because of TalkBack, but you have access to your Mi Account, you can try remote control, which only works when you have an active Internet connection (Wi-Fi or mobile network).

Instructions:

1. Go to account.xiaomi.com from another device.
2. Sign in with the same account as on your phone.
3. Find the Devices section** → select your smartphone.
4. In the management menu, click “Find the device” → “Remote management”.

🔹 Limitations of method:

• 📵 It does not work on firmware without Google services (China) ROM).
• 🔒 Requires confirmation of the SMS email.
• ⚠️ In some models (POCO M4) remote control disabled.

Through MIUI settings |Voice commands |Resetting of special features |Mi Account |Another way-->

5. Disconnect via ADB (for advanced users)

If the standard methods do not work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This method requires a computer, USB-cable and enabled debugging by USB (If it is not disabled in Universal Access mode).

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on PC.
2. Connect your phone to your computer and open the command line (Windows) or the Terminal (macOS/Linux).
3. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices must appear serial number of the device.
4. TalkBack: Adb shell settings put secure enabled_accessibility_services com.android.talkback/com.google.android.marvin.talkback.TalkBackService:0
5. Reboot your phone: adb reboot

⚠️ Attention: If debugging is on USB If it's turned off, it won't work, then it's just a hardware reset (section 6).

💡

Before using ADB, check if USB debugging is enabled in the developer settings. If not, activate it by pressing the Build Number 7 times in the About Phone section.

Extreme measures: reset to factory settings

If none of these methods work, you'll have to reset completely, and that will delete all the data from your phone, so you can only use this as a last resort.

Method 1: Through Recovery

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the button combination: 🔄 Loudness up + Food (for most models). 🔄 Loudness down + Meals (for food) POCO F3, Redmi K40).

Wipe Data

Wipe All Data

Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

Method 2: Mi Flash Tool (for locked phones)

If the phone doesn't load even in Recovery, you'll need firmware through the Mi Flash Tool.

1. Download the official firmware for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware website.
2. Install the Mi Flash Tool on your PC.
3. Transfer the phone to Fastboot mode (clamp Volume down + Power).
4. Connect to your PC and run your phone through Mi Flash (select Clean All).

💡 Useful Lifehack: Create a shortcut to quickly disable TalkBack. Add the Settings widget** to the home screen and select Special Opportunities.

FAQ: Frequent questions about universal access on Xiaomi