Topics Map > Mobile Devices > Android
Android - Learn About all TalkBack Settings
You can adjust your TalkBack settings to suit your preferences.
Step 1: Open TalkBack settings
- Open your device's Settings app
.
- Open Accessibility, then TalkBack.
- Open Settings.
Step 2: View or change TalkBack settings
Note: Settings vary by device and TalkBack version. If your settings are different from the ones described below, refer to Settings in earlier TalkBack versions below.
Speech
Setting | Description | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Text to speech settings | Choose your preferred text-to-speech engine, language, rate, and pitch. | Learn more about text-to-speech settings. |
| Verbosity | Set the TalkBack speech verbosity. Custom (the default setting) lets you adjust all your speech preferences. Choose High to quickly turn on speech preferences, or choose Low to quickly turn off speech preferences. | Custom; High; Low |
| Use proximity sensor | Some Android models have proximity sensors. If present, use this setting to temporarily silence TalkBack. Phones: Wave your finger on the proximity sensor to silence TalkBack. Tablets: Touch any application on the display screen. Touch the screen again to restart TalkBack. | Proximity sensor silences speech; Proximity sensor does not control speech |
| Shake to start continuous reading | Shaking the device enables continuous reading. | Disabled; Very light; Light; Medium; Hard; Very hard |
| Speak passwords | Choose whether TalkBack always speaks passwords, or only when using headphones. | On; Off |
Other feedback
Setting | Description | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Sound feedback | Get sound feedback in addition to verbalizations as you navigate. | On; Off |
| Audio ducking (Focus speech audio) | Make other audio volume sources decrease when TalkBack is speaking. | On; Off |
| Sound volume | Available when Sound feedback is turned on. Controls the sound volume of speech and other sounds created by TalkBack relative to the system’s volume. | Match media volume; 75% of media volume; 50% of media volume; 25% of media volume |
Navigation
Setting | Description | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Explore by touch | Touch the screen to hear what's under your finger. This setting is enabled by default. If disabled, your device doesn't respond to shortcut gestures or speak items when you touch the screen. Learn more about touch exploration. | On; Off |
| Automatically scroll lists | When checked, lists scroll by themselves during linear navigation (swiping to move between objects). | On; Off |
| Single-tap activation (Experimental) | Tap currently focused item only once to activate, instead of double-tapping. | On; Off |
| Show context menu as list | Select this setting to show the global and local context menus as lists instead of circles. Learn more about the global and local context menus. | On; Off |
| TalkBack tutorial | Review a tutorial on TalkBack. | Touch to launch the tutorial |
| Gestures | Select this setting to change the meaning of TalkBack gestures. | Learn more about TalkBack gestures. |
| Custom labels | Use this setting to manage any custom labels that you've created with the local context menu, including import and export. | Learn more in Global and local context menus. |
Miscellaneous
Setting | Description | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Keyboard shortcuts | Change TalkBack keyboard shortcuts settings. | Learn more about TalkBack keyboard shortcuts. |
| Dim screen when TalkBack is enabled | If enabled, the screen brightness is reduced to almost zero when TalkBack is on. For the first three minutes, you can disable screen dimming by pressing the volume up and down buttons three times quickly. During these first three minutes, instructions to disable screen dimming appear on the screen. | On; Off |
| Dim screen shortcut | Press both volume keys three times quickly to enable or disable screen dimming. | On; Off |