Google has started rolling out TalkBack 17 as part of the Android Accessibility Suite. This update introduces several improvements related to dynamic web content, braille displays, and physical keyboard usage.
Below are the most notable changes discovered so far.
Table of Contents
Improved handling of live updates on websites
TalkBack 17 improves how announcements work when browsing dynamic websites.
Previously, announcements coming from live regions or frequently updated sections of websites could sometimes appear in an inconsistent order. With TalkBack 17, announcements are now presented in a more logical sequence.
Critical alerts can interrupt browsing when necessary, while less urgent updates no longer constantly interrupt navigation.
This change should improve the experience on websites that contain live content such as chats, feeds, notifications, or real-time updates.
Customizable braille display commands
TalkBack 17 now allows users to customize braille display commands using the keyboard of their connected braille display.
To access this feature:
- Open TalkBack settings
- Navigate to Braille display
- Open Braille display commands
This makes it possible to remap commands and create a more personalized braille workflow.
Selection mode fix
TalkBack 17 also includes a bug fix related to selection mode.
Previously, starting selection mode could automatically switch the reading control to characters. With TalkBack 17, this behavior no longer occurs when selection mode is activated.
TalkBack 17 introduces keyboard-related hints for users who interact with TalkBack using a physical keyboard.
These hints are provided in addition to the existing touch gesture hints already available when using TalkBack with touch navigation.
We will continue testing TalkBack 17 and update this article if more changes are discovered.
Greetings!
This comment is more relevant to Talkback 16.2, but worth mentioning here as well. Some people complained about not being able to change the action key for the Enhanced Keyboard layout. In reality, you can, but you need to do it under the Physical Keyboard section in Settings (location may vary depending on the device).
Do note however, changing the Caps Lock key to the Action key means you’ll have to assign a different command for Caps Lock itself, especially if you use it often.
Disclaimer:
Testing was done on a Moto GPlay 2024 provided by Thrive Mobile, since my T-Mobile S23 Plus is still on OneUI 8 and not 8.5.
Yes, the Moto is on Android 14 (and the phone itself will be replaced with a different one in the future), I’m just glad I have a phone with Google’s Talkback on it!
PS. If this comment gets posted twice by accident, deeply sorry for that.