One UI 8.0 Bluetooth Call Bug Silencing Screen Readers: What It Is and Current Workarounds

Samsung has rolled out the One UI 8.0 update based on Android 16 to many of the eligible devices. We previously covered
the bug that prevents Explore by Touch from working properly when using Samsung TalkBack with the screen dimming feature
. Another accessibility-related bug has emerged when using Bluetooth audio devices during calls, and we were able to confirm its presence on several devices running One UI 8. The bug causes the screen reader to go silent during calls after the in-call volume reaches a certain level.

Bug details

When using a Bluetooth device such as a speaker or earbuds and raising the volume during a call, speech output eventually stops completely until the volume is lowered again. We have confirmed that setting the in-call volume to 65% is enough to trigger the issue. The bug affects all screen readers that use the accessibility volume channel. Additionally, the brand of the Bluetooth device does not seem to matter, as the problem occurs with all devices we have tested.

Workarounds

The simplest workaround is to lower the in-call volume to a level where speech is restored. We found that 60% works without speech loss, which should still be sufficiently loud for most users. Speech returns immediately once the volume is lowered and disappears again when raised to the trigger level.

Another workaround for Jieshuo users, and for other screen readers that can use the media volume channel for speech output, is to switch to the media volume channel during calls. In Jieshuo, this can be done quickly by using the “Suspend the use of accessibility volume” function, available in the main menu and assignable to a gesture. To return to the accessibility volume channel, the same function can be used again, or Jieshuo can simply be restarted.

Samsung is aware of the issue, and it is likely that a fix will arrive with the One UI 8.5 update.