How to Disable TalkBack on Xiaomi: Working Techniques 2026

TalkBack, the voice assistant on Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones, is often activated by accident — you just need to press the power button twice or hold two fingers on the screen. Once turned on, the device begins to voice all the actions, gestures become illogical, and the MIUI interface becomes a puzzle. If you get into this situation, do not panic: you can turn off TalkBack even without knowing special commands.

In this article, we will analyze 5 proven ways to deactivate the voice assistant - from simple (through settings) to radical (reset to factory). MIUI (12-14) and smartphone models. If your Xiaomi is locked or does not respond to touch, here you will find a solution.

Why does TalkBack turn on on its own?

TalkBack, a feature that's designed for people with visual impairments, converts text on the screen into speech and changes the logic of how you control your smartphone, and these are the typical reasons for random activation:

• 🔄 Double pressing the power button (default setting in MIUI 13/14).
• 👆 Two finger gesture (hold 3 seconds on the lock screen).
• 📱 Resetting special features settings after firmware update.
• 🤖 Viral applications that change settings without the user’s knowledge (occurring on root-righted devices).

On some models (e.g. Xiaomi 12T or POCO F5) TalkBack can be activated after connecting headphones or Bluetooth devices if the settings enable the option Auto Read Notifications. This is a firmware bug that Xiaomi fixed only in MIUI 14.0.5+.

⚠️ Warning: If TalkBack is turned on after a smartphone drop or moisture hits, first check the sensor's performance.

Method 1: Disable via settings (if the screen responds to touch)

If your smartphone responds to touch, but your gestures don't work, follow these steps: In TalkBack mode, you need to tap once to select an item, and you need to tap twice to activate it.

1. Open the settings: 📱 Tap the icon once (hear the name). 👆 Press twice to open.

Scroll down to the Special Opportunities section (in) MIUI 14 may be called Universal Access).

Find TalkBack (or Screen Narrator) and double-click on the switch to turn off.

Confirm the action in the dialog box (click OK twice).

If TalkBack is activated again after shutting down, check your gesture settings:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → System and device → Gestures.
• 🚫 Turn off the TalkBack option (double pressing the power button).

Method 2: Using physical buttons (if the sensor is not working)

If the screen is not responsive to touch or TalkBack is blocking access to settings, try disabling the feature through hardware buttons.This method works on most Xiaomi models (except for the POCO F4 GT and Black Shark, where the button logic is different).

Follow the following sequence:

1. Press the button POWER + LOUD OPT for 5 seconds.


2. without releasing the buttons, wait for the vibration (the alarm).




3. Release the THROUGHT Up, but hold the THROUGH for another 3 seconds.




4. Wait for the second signal (sound or vibration) - TalkBack will turn off.

On some devices (such as the Redmi Note 11), instead of holding the buttons, you need to:

• 🔄 Quickly press Volume up. → Loudness down → Nutrition (3 times in a row).
• 🎵 After the sound signal TalkBack is deactivated.

⚠️ Note: On smartphones with MIUI 14 or later, the button combination can work as a Fastboot call. If after manipulation, the screen went out and the Mi Bunny logo appeared, then you are in firmware mode. In this case, reboot the device with a long hold of the power button (10).+ seconds).

Method 3: Disconnect via ADB (for advanced users)

If standard methods fail and the smartphone is connected to a computer, you can turn off TalkBack via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires USB debugging and drivers installed.

Instructions:

1. Download Google’s Platform Tools and unpack the archive.
2. Connect your smartphone to your PC and open the command line (cmd) in the adb folder.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices If the device is determined, execute: adb shell settings put secure enabled_accessibility_services com.google.android.marvin.talkback/com.google.android.marvin.talkback.TalkBackService:com.xiaomi.accessibility/com.android.accessibility.talkback.TalkBackService
4. Reboot your smartphone: adb reboot

For MIUI 14, an additional command may be required:

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

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If ADB doesn’t see the device, try switching USB connectivity mode to File Transfer (MTP) in the notification curtain.

Method 4: Resetting special features settings

If TalkBack is re-enabled after the reboot, reset the special features settings, and it won't affect personal data, but it will return all availability parameters to factory.

How to do this:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Find Resetting (in MIUI 14 – Additional → Reset).
3. Select Resetting Special Opportunities settings.
4. Confirm the action with a password (if installed).

Some firmware (e.g. MIUI 13 Global) may not have this item, so use an alternative method:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 Find TalkBack in the list and select Stop. → Shut down.
• 🗑️ Click Clear Data and Clear Cache.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI for Russia (e.g. Redmi) 10C) After resetting the special features settings, the voice assistant Alice from Yandex may disappear. To return it, reinstall the application from Google Play.

Method 5: Complete reset to factory settings (extreme case)

If none of these methods work, then there's a radical solution, Hard Reset, which will remove all the data from your smartphone, including photos, contacts, and apps, and only use it if you:

• 🔄 TalkBack blocks access to all functions.
• 📵 The touch screen does not respond to touch.
• 🔧 Other methods have failed to produce results.

Instructions for Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press Power + Volume up for 10 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data (use volume buttons for navigation, power for confirmation).
4. Confirm the reset by choosing Yes.
5. After the reboot, set up your smartphone as new.

On models with Mi Account lock (such as Xiaomi 13 Ultra), after Hard Reset, you will need to enter the information of the Xiaomi account associated with the device. If you do not remember the password, restore it in advance at account.xiaomi.com.

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Remove before resetting SIM-card and memory card – this will speed up the process and prevent data corruption.

How to Prevent TalkBack Inadvertently Included in the Future

To prevent TalkBack from activating on its own, make the following preventive settings:

1. Turn off gestures for special features: 🔧 Go to Settings. → Special facilities → Special opportunity gestures. 🚫 Turn off TalkBack (double press power button) and Thrifle Touch.
2. Set a password for settings: 🔒 B Settings → Security → Block applications add Special features to protected.

Update the firmware:

• 🔄 V MIUI 14.0.6+ Fixed bug with spontaneous inclusion TalkBack after connecting Bluetooth devices.

For the POCO F4 GT and Black Shark 5 models, it is additionally recommended to disable the Game Turbo in the settings - this feature conflicts with special features services.

FAQ: Frequent questions about TalkBack on Xiaomi