Jieshuo Screen Reader’s Lift to Activate Mode

Beginner users of the Jieshuo screen reader who are unfamiliar with its default gestures
might find themselves unintentionally activating onscreen controls without an apparent reason. This happens because the “Lift to Activate” mode, assigned by default to a long press of the volume-up key when the screen is unlocked, has been enabled.

To disable this mode, the same gesture can be repeated. Alternatively, the “Lift to Activate” function can be selected from the main menu, activated by speaking the command using the Voice Assistant, or simply turned off by restarting the screen reader.

So, what is “Lift to Activate,” and how can it be used?

What is Lift to Activate

Lift to Activate is a method used to click on screen elements by touching an element and lifting the finger. The item clicked is the one directly touched by the finger. This means that focusing on an element by swiping, then touching a different place on the screen, does not activate the previously focused item. Instead, it activates the item under the touch.

It is important to note that even when Lift to Activate is enabled, the traditional method of double-tapping anywhere on the screen to activate the focused item still works.

How to Use and Configure Lift to Activate

When Lift to Activate is enabled, touching an item and lifting the finger is enough to click it. If the finger remains on the item for about a second, lifting the finger afterward does nothing. A sound plays to inform the user that the Lift to Activate action has timed out.

If you are using a custom sound scheme, this sound can be changed by modifying the “cancel” sound in the settings of the active sound scheme.

It is important to note that the timing does not begin until Jieshuo finishes reading the item you have touched. This means that if the text is long and you lift your finger before the reading completes, the item will still be clicked.

Related Lift to Activate Options

To access options related to Lift to Activate, open Screen Reader Settings and activate Operation Settings, then select Clicking Settings. The available Lift to Activate-related options are as follows:

1. Use Lift to Activate
   This checkbox enables the Lift to Activate feature. When enabled, this mode remains active even after reloading Jieshuo, unlike the temporary Lift to Activate function found in the main menu (assigned by default to long-pressing the volume-up key when the screen is unlocked).
2. Lift to Activate Timeout Prompt
   This option determines whether the sound indicating that lifting the finger no longer activates an item is played.
3. Use Direct Click Instead of Accessibility Click
   When enabled, this option replaces the screen reader or accessibility click with a direct or physical click. This can resolve rare issues where certain items fail to activate using the screen reader’s click. However, this does not apply to the double-tapping method; simulating a physical click in such cases requires using the “Direct Click” function.
4. Hold to Long Press
   If enabled, keeping the finger on an element after the Lift to Activate times out triggers a long press.
5. Hold to Display the Current Per-App Gestures Menu
   If the user has created a per-app gesture scheme (a scheme specific to a particular app), placing the finger on an item within the app and holding it opens a menu with functions and apps included in the per-app scheme. Selecting any item from the menu executes it.
   • It is not necessary for the per-app gesture scheme to be actively in use for this feature to work; it is sufficient that the scheme has been created.
   • Based on my tests, enabling this option overrides the previous option, even if both are enabled.
6. Also Show Unassigned Functions in the Current Per-App Gestures Menu
   When enabled, all functions from the per-app gesture scheme, including those not currently assigned to gestures, appear in the menu.
7. Holding Duration
   Determines how long the finger must stay on an item before triggering a long press or displaying the per-app gestures menu. Options include Short, Medium, and Long.
8. Use Lift to Activate with Main and Functions Menu Items
   Checking this option allows touching a menu item in both Jieshuo’s Functions
   and main menus, then lifting the finger to activate the item, even when Lift to Activate mode is disabled. Unchecking this option has no effect when Lift to Activate mode is enabled, as menu items are treated like other on-screen items when the mode is active.
9. Use Lift to Activate with Software Navigation Keys
   Similar to the previous option, this applies Lift to Activate to software navigation keys (Back, Home, Recent Apps, or Accessibility buttons) for users who use on-screen buttons instead of gesture navigation.

Note that options related to Lift to Activate can only be modified if the Use Lift to Activate checkbox is enabled under Clicking Settings. While the effects of these options persist when using the temporary Lift to Activate function, they can only be adjusted when the setting is enabled. To change these settings, first enable the Use Lift to Activate checkbox, make the desired modifications, and then disable it again if needed.