How to turn off TalkBack on Android or VoiceOver on iPhone
If your phone suddenly reads everything aloud and taps do not work as usual, a screen reader is on: TalkBack on Android or VoiceOver on iPhone. They are essential tools for blind and low-vision people, and they are also easy to switch on by accident with a button shortcut.
This guide collects the ways to turn them off from Google’s and Apple’s own help pages, including how to move around the screen while they are still on.
Android: turn off TalkBack
The quickest way is the volume key shortcut: hold both volume buttons for a few seconds. You can also say “Hey Google, turn off TalkBack”, or open Settings, Accessibility, TalkBack and switch off Use TalkBack.
Moving around while TalkBack is on
With TalkBack on, one tap only selects an item and reads it aloud; to open or press it, tap twice with one finger. To scroll, place two fingers on the screen and drag up or down. That is how you reach the TalkBack switch in Settings.
iPhone: turn off VoiceOver
Ask Siri, for example “Turn off VoiceOver”. If the Accessibility Shortcut is set to VoiceOver, triple-click the side button, or the Home button on models that have one. You can also use Control Center if VoiceOver is added there, or go to Settings, Accessibility, VoiceOver. While VoiceOver is on you have to use its gestures: tap once to select, then double-tap to activate.
Why it switched on
Most often it was the shortcut: holding both volume keys on Android, or triple-clicking the side button on iPhone when VoiceOver is the Accessibility Shortcut. If it keeps happening, change or remove that shortcut in the accessibility settings, unless someone in the family relies on it.
If you need a screen reader
If you are blind or have low vision, keep it on: a screen reader is the main way to use a phone without seeing it. For long articles and books, audio files made with a text to speech engine are a handy extra; see our guide on text to speech for blind and low-vision people.