Version 20261001 of the Jieshuo screen reader has been released. Here are the main additions and changes in this version.
Support For External AI Models
Jieshuo now supports using external AI models for a number of its AI-powered functions.
The new release allows users to set their preferred AI services for the following functions:
- Voice assistant chatbot
- Translation
- Recognize text on current screen
- Exam recognition
- Face recognition
- Inquire by voice about current focus
- Describe currently focused item
- Detailed description of focused item
- Recognize focused icon
- Video description
- Identify and activate checkboxes
- Identify screen content
- AI text correction
- AI summary
I assume that the functions related to the focused item also cover the corresponding functions that work on the entire screen, such as inquire by voice and detailed description. However, I cannot say this for sure because I have not tested these functions myself.
To set the models, go to Screen reader settings > Advanced settings > the section that is still in Chinese. There is a toggle for each function to enable the use of a custom AI model, and you can configure a different model for each function. You can customize the necessary parameters, such as the URL of an OpenAI-compatible AI service, model name, prompt, and API key. There is also a Test button that you can use to check whether the configuration works.
This feature is available to paid users only.
New Presets For Speech Audio
Jieshuo now includes new presets for the speech output audio. These are available in a new section that is still in Chinese in the TTS settings.
The standard preset is selected by default. Other presets include boosted bass, boosted treble, and others. I will not comment on how each preset sounds because hearing preferences are subjective, and the results can also vary depending on the speakers or earphones being used.
To Top And To End Functions Now Work On Sliders
The To top and To end functions can now be used on sliders. These functions are assigned to swiping up then down and down then up with one finger if alternative granularity navigation mode is not being used to move between navigation types. They can also be assigned to user-defined gestures and can be found in the main menu.
When a slider is focused, To top moves it to its minimum value, while To end moves it to its maximum value.
Like other slider adjustment mechanisms, these functions work only on sliders that the screen reader can modify.
During my testing, To end could not move the brightness slider all the way to its maximum value and stopped at 63%. However, it worked correctly on another slider.
More Customized Automatic Notification Reading
Jieshuo now allows users to stop automatic notification reading in three additional situations: when Do not disturb mode is on, when media is playing, and when Jieshuo timers are active.
These options are available in Notification reading settings.
I cannot comment on how reliably these options work because I do not use automatic notification reading on the device I tested with.
Translation Works Again
After translation functions stopped working because of changes on Google’s end, the new version includes the necessary modifications for translation to work normally again.
The translation issue also affected some AI-related functions, such as image descriptions. These functions use translation to automatically translate results that come in Chinese from vivo AI services into the user’s target language.
Changes To How The Long Press And Hold Function Works
I am not sure if this change was introduced earlier. Another user alerted me to it in this version, and I no longer have an older version installed for comparison.
It is now possible to extend the duration of the long press and hold function, which is 59 seconds by default, by tapping the screen once or performing any onscreen gesture. This removes the 59-second limit. To release the button, the user must tap the screen again with one finger. Other gestures do not work to release the button.
I do not know if the button is eventually released after a certain amount of time, but I tested it for 2 minutes and 39 seconds without the button being released.
Note that if the user performs the function again while still in the window, the limitation remains lifted. Only one tap is required to release the button.
Misc
Jieshuo no longer automatically moves between home screen pages when automatic page scrolling is disabled. I tested this with Lawnchair, but I do not know whether it works reliably with all launchers.
The changelog also mentions fixes for bugs related to some devices, including Vivo devices and others.
Notes
- To download the stable release, visit the GitHub releases page.
- If you are already running Jieshuo, go to Download additional resources from Screen reader settings, then select GitHub or the item labeled according to your current Jieshuo version to download the new version.
- All of the new options are still in Chinese because the translation strings have not yet been provided by the developer.
20% Discount On Jieshuo Plans
A 20% discount is currently available on all Jieshuo plans. The discount is active until October 5.
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