How to use TalkBack in Android Ice Cream Sandwich

This article explains how to setup the Talkback screen reader on your Android tablet or mobile. TalkBack provides spoken feedback as you navigate around the tablet, by describing your actions and informing you of any notifications. Sighted assistance will be required to turn on TalkBack if not turned on during setup.

• To activate the Accessibility features on your android device select ‘Settings’ under 'System' and then select ‘Accessibility’
• Tap the On/Off button under ‘TalkBack’ in the ‘Services’ section.
• Tap the On/Off button in the Top right hand corner of the screen.

When to Speak

• Tap to select ‘Ringer volume’
• Tap to select from the following Ringer volume options:
  • Speak at all ringer volumes
  • No speech in Silent Mode
  • No speech in Vibrate and Silent Mode
• Tap to select Speak when screen is off
• Tap to select Speak caller ID
• Tap to select Bluetooth output, this allows speech through Bluetooth headsets.

Feedback Settings

Vibration feedback

• Tap to select ‘Vibration feedback’
• To assign vibration patterns, tap to select, you can then assign
• Tap to select Explore by touch, tap to select from the following options:
  • Actionable
  • Clicked
  • Focused
  • Hovered
  • Notification

• Tap to select ‘Exploring clickable items’, tap to select from the following options:
  • Actionable
  • Clicked
  • Focused
  • Hovered
  • Notification

Sound Feedback

• Tap to select ‘Sound feedback’
• Tap to select ‘Sound volume’ and select from the following options:
  • Match speech volume
  • 75% of speech volume
  • 50% of speech volume

Assign sounds

• Tap to select ‘Assign sounds’ you can then select.
• Tap ‘Explore by touch’ tap to assign sound when exploring screen by touch.
• Tap ‘Exploring clickable items’ tap to assign sound exploring clickable items.

System

• Tap to select ‘Font size’.
• Then tap to select your required ‘Font size’.
  • Tiny
  • Small
  • Normal
  • Large
  • Huge

Speak passwords

• Tap to select ‘Speak passwords’.

TalkBack is an Accessibility Service for Android which helps blind and vision-impaired users interact with their devices more easily.  The application adds spoken, audible and vibration feedback to your device.  TalkBack provides spoken feedback as you navigate around the screen, by describing your actions and informing you of any notifications.  It is a system application and comes pre-installed on most Android devices.  The application is updated when the Accessibility Service is improved.