A Detailed Overview of TalkBack Voice Commands

Last updated on 27 February 2025

TalkBack, the built-in screen reader on Android, includes a feature that allows activating certain functions and changing options using voice commands. This capability has been available since TalkBack version 9.1. This overview covers how to activate and use voice commands in TalkBack, as well as observed limitations. While the results are likely similar when using Samsung’s TalkBack, all tests were conducted on Google’s version, which is v15.2 at the time of writing. Additionally, although I have tried to include all commands and limitations, there may still be some details that I have missed.

What Are Voice Commands

Voice commands are spoken instructions that allow performing certain actions in TalkBack. These include commands for navigation, writing and editing, activating features, and changing options.

How to Activate Voice Commands

The default gesture to start voice commands in TalkBack is swiping right, then up with one finger. This gesture can be modified in TalkBack settings under Customize Gestures.

Alternatively, voice commands can be activated from the TalkBack menu. Although the item should be among the default TalkBack menu items, if you cannot find it, add it by going to TalkBack Settings, opening Customize Menus, selecting Customize TalkBack Menu, and checking Voice Commands under the Special Features heading.

When you try to use voice commands for the first time, TalkBack will prompt you to grant microphone permission. After granting permission, you can invoke voice commands, and a tone will play to confirm that TalkBack is listening and ready to process your command.

If TalkBack recognizes the command, it will execute it immediately. Otherwise, it will announce that the command was not recognized and suggest saying “Help” to view available commands. More on the Help feature later.

To issue another command, voice commands must be activated again using the gesture or the TalkBack menu.

To cancel recognition, you can say: Stop, Quit, Quiet, Pause, or Nevermind. Alternatively, waiting a few seconds without speaking will automatically stop recognition.

What Voice Commands Can and Cannot Do

Although voice commands cover several categories, they are quite limited in what they allow users to perform by voice.

Navigation

TalkBack does not include voice commands for moving between on-screen elements or activating them.

Regarding reading controls, there are commands to change the reading control, but not all available reading controls are included. Additionally, there are no commands to move to the next or previous reading control.

One thing I have noticed is that while there are commands to move to the next heading, control, link, and landmark, there are no corresponding commands to move to the previous ones. Moreover, commands for moving to the next item in other granularities, such as characters or words, are also absent.

Reading Control Commands

• Say “Next”, followed by “heading,” “link,” “control,” or “landmark” to move to the next item of that type.
• Say “Navigate by” or “Read by,” followed by “characters,” “words,” “lines,” or “paragraphs” to select the desired reading control.

Note that the selected reading control must be included in the list of reading controls configured in Customize Reading Controls under Customize Menus settings. Additionally, the reading control must be spoken in its plural form for the command to work. However, simply saying the reading control, such as “words,” is enough to select it.

Other Navigation-Related Commands

• Read from focused item – Starts reading on-screen content from the current focus.
• Read from top – Reads all content on the screen.
• First or Top – Moves to the top of the screen.
• Last or Bottom – Moves to the last element on the screen.
• Home or Desktop – Returns to the home screen.
• Back or Go back – Navigates back.
• Overview, Recent apps, or Recents – Opens the recent apps screen.
• Notifications – Opens the notification shade.
• Quick settings – Opens the quick settings panel.
• All apps – Intended to open the all apps screen, but on my device, it does nothing.
• Actions or Custom actions – Opens actions for the currently focused item if supported.
• Google Assistant or Assistant – Opens Google Assistant. Note that for this to work, Google must be set as the default assistant, as the command does not invoke the user-selected default assistant app.

Text Input and Editing

Voice commands can be used to enter text, but all text is entered in lowercase. Punctuation is not automatically inserted; however, speaking the name of a punctuation mark will insert it.

During my tests, I noticed that hint messages are included along with the dictated text. For example, in Telegram and WhatsApp, the word “Message” appears along with what is dictated.

To type or perform any text editing command, the edit box must be in focus. TalkBack does not search for an edit box on the screen; it only acts on the currently focused item.

Dictating and Editing Commands

• Type, Input, Dictate, or Write – Say one of these commands followed immediately by the text to type. Simply stop speaking when finished.
• Select all – Selects all text in the text field.
• Select, Start select, Start selection mode, or Start selection – Activates selection mode.
• Finish select, Finish selection, Finish selection mode, or End select – Closes selection mode.
• Copy – Copies the selected text or, if nothing is selected, copies all text in the field. Note that the copy command cannot be used outside of edit boxes.
• Cut – Cuts the selected text.
• Paste – Pastes the copied text.
• Delete – Deletes the selected text.

TalkBack lists commands to open editing options, but they no longer seem to work. This is likely because the Editing Options feature was removed from TalkBack, and editing-related actions are now included under Actions.

Screen Search

Screen search allows users to enter a search term for TalkBack to locate it on the screen. Searches can be performed using voice commands, and it is possible to move to the next available search result. However, there is no command to move to the previous result.

Available Commands

• Find, Search for, or Search – Say one of these commands followed by the text you want to find. To move to the next search result, repeat the command without saying the text again.
• Search on screen or screen search or Search screen – Opens screen search.

TalkBack Settings and Options

There are only a few options that can be changed using voice commands.

Available Commands

• TalkBack settings – Opens TalkBack settings.
• [Low, High, or Custom] verbosity or Change verbosity to [Low, High, or Custom] – Changes the verbosity level.
• Talk faster, Increase speech rate, or Speak faster – Increases the speech rate. Say slower instead of faster to decrease it.
• Languages – Opens the list of languages supported by the current system text-to-speech engine. A language cannot be selected directly using a voice command.
• Hide screen, Dim, or Darken – Hides the screen.
• Show screen, Brighten screen, Restore screen, or Cancel hide screen – Disables screen hiding.
• Label [custom label text] – Labels the currently focused unlabeled button.

Voice Commands Listing

Saying “Help” or “What can I say?” displays a list of available voice commands. The commands are organized into categories, and selecting a category reveals the related commands.

The list of commands lacks some variations found in the feature overview linked here. Additionally, there is an error—also present on the overview page—where reading control navigation commands are listed in singular form, even though they only work when spoken in plural form. Another error is the inclusion of the command “Cancel select” as the command to close selection mode, although it doesn’t work.

Final Remarks

Although the TalkBack voice commands feature is a useful improvement, it leaves a lot to be desired. It feels somewhat incomplete. Adding more commands is crucial to enhancing this feature and improving its effectiveness. Additionally, it could be useful if users are given the ability to create custom commands when they find it difficult to speak a particular command. It would also be beneficial to offer an optional feature that allows users to review how a command was recognized when spoken.

The limitations of the voice commands feature are evident, with the absence of the new web reading controls and the lack of a voice-activated option for the essential Describe Image function as examples of missing commands. Regardless of the number of users who could benefit from voice commands, enhancing the feature is always something we look for.