Google TalkBack is an extremely helpful feature for individuals who want to use their Android smart devices like a smartphone or tablet but are blind or have other visual impairments. Through touch, the device will speak out loud to tell users what the screen says. Sort of like brail, but users only need to listen to understand what is written. While the feature was designed for those with visual impairments, it can be used by anyone on nearly any Android device. This guide will give information on how to use Google TalkBack and how to set it up on an Android device.

Visual Impairment and Technology

First, a quick word about the visually impaired and how they use technology, which most individuals do not know about. Despite common conceptions, the blind and visually impaired are able to take advantage of most technologies that are available. Although smartphones seem to require sight in order to utilize the features on the device, they have almost always been designed to assist the sight impaired. For example, the iPhone was the first to include accessibility features, including larger text, magnification, and VoiceOver.

Through touch, the device will speak out loud to tell users what the screen says.

The visually impaired use a host of other devices as well. On laptop computers, a braille display can be connected to help users read via touch. Alt tags on photos sometimes describe the content of a photo, however, most web pages do not include this information. There are also numerous accessibility apps available, that help users outside of their phone. For instance, LookTel is an app that identifies currency type and denomination and speaks this information out loud. While technology developers have started to bridge the gap for visually impaired individuals with features like Google TalkBack, there is often more that can be done.

Google TalkBack

The Google TalkBack feature is already set up on Android devices and is frequently updated when Google releases general updates. The app can be found under the Accessibility functions. There are two ways to access and turn on the feature, one of which is specifically designed for visually impaired individuals. To turn on Google TalkBack, simply hold down both volume keys for three seconds. Try again if it doesn’t work immediately. The second way would require the assistance of someone with better sight. First, open the settings application, then tap Accessibility. Then tap TalkBack and toggle the feature to On.

Customize Google TalkBack

Once on, the feature has numerous settings that can be adjusted. These will need to be adjusted with the assistance of another person. The volume of the speech can be adjusted in addition to the pitch. Settings regarding passwords can be adjusted so the device only speaks passwords out loud when headphones are in. Continuous reading can be made to start when shaking the device. This is handy for individuals who want to listen to long articles without grazing their finger over the screen the entire time. There are numerous other settings that users will have to navigate through in order to customize their experience.

Google Talk Back

The main feature of Google TalkBack is dragging a finger along the screen so users know what they are tapping on or what a page says. On the main screen of the phone, TalkBack will read out all the apps on the phone’s screen when users put their finger over it. When users find an app or feature they want to open or choose, they simply need to double tap anywhere on the screen, not necessarily on the exact place the item is located. By some reviews, the feature of needing to type on the keyboard has improved since earlier versions of Google TalkBack. Certain apps are easier than others to use. Google Maps, for instance, makes eyes free driving easy for everyone since the app can speak directions out loud (although we advise that visually impaired individuals let the self-driving Google Car do the driving). Gmail, however, is often slow to navigate and more difficult to use.