Getting Googles talkback on a samsung device

By Joshua, 20 March, 2024

Forum
Android

Hi
Below i will show how to get google talkback on a samsung device
If you have a Samsung device running android eleven or later it comes with its own version of talkback, this version can be slow and doesn’t get updated as frequently as googles version, The first thing you need to do is to install android accessibility sweet from the play store if it isn’t already, once you have done this, turn on developer options by going to settings, about phone, if you have a tablet this will be called about tablet, then tap software information, then find and tap build number seven times, if you have a passcode, after you tap seven times you will need to enter it, once you enter your passcode if you have won, talkback will say developer mode has bin enabled, now go back and you should be on the about phone option, swipe right once to developer options and double tap to go into it, find USB debugging and turn it on, you will get an alert asking if you want to enable it, double tap the ok button at the bottom of the screen to enable it. Now you will need to get your charging cable and plug one end into the phone and the other into the USB port on your computer, once you have done this you might get an alert on your phone, tap the always allow checkbox then tap ok, if you don’t see this when you plug your phone into the computer you will get it later, now on your computer go to the folder called files needed and press enter on the first file in the list called 1 enable google talkback.bat, googles talkback will turn on after pressing enter on this file and will bring up the talkback tutorial, swipe down and left or tap the close button, now to make sure your using google talkback, swipe down and right or tap with three fingers to open the talkback menu and tap talkback settings, at the bottom of the list it will say open talkback in the play store and the version of talkback, once you know you are using googles version of talkback, go to your computer and press enter on the file called 2 remove Samsung talkback.bat, now to make sure this worked, go to your phone and go to settings, tap accessibility and talkback will not be at the top of the accessibility settings, to get to google talkback, tap installed apps and tap talkback, hear you can assign a shortcut to turn it on. if you are on android 14 with 1UI 6 talkback will still be at the top of the accessibility settings but tapping it wont do anything, google talkback will not be in the list of instaled apps, to set a shortcut go to advanst settings in accessibility then tap what ever shortcut you want and tap talkback.
Important note, The tutorial is broken, it crashes after the 3rd page so you should get used to samsung talkback before doing this, gestures are the same with boath. That’s how to get Googles talkback on a Samsung device
Link to audeo demmo and files needed, files are in the discription
https://youtu.be/CEA6hClOvO8?si=KDDaAgQZnnMFZy_z.

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Comments

By Brian on Friday, March 22, 2024 - 12:23

Hi,

I know that there is information out there for doing this without a computer. My question is, which is the better option, doing it this way or doing it "the other way"?

Thanks. 🙂

By Joshua on Friday, March 22, 2024 - 12:23

Both ways work so its up to you to decide which way to do it

By Michael on Friday, March 22, 2024 - 12:23

I had a galaxy s23 ultra from last year and I could easily use talkback by just enabling and using it straight away. Are these instructions for older devices where maybe you couldn't do this? I know samsung has completely gone away with their own screen reader for quite some time now so I am just a bit confused.

By Joshua on Friday, March 22, 2024 - 12:23

Samsung has its own version of talkback from the galaxy store and it doesnt get updated as mutch as googles, samsung did this in android 11 for some reason
I know its super confusing, you can use samsung talkback if you really want to but when i switched to googles version it was a lot better and more responcive
Samsungs talkback apparently depends on the android version now for new features, you need android 14 to get the new features in talkback 14.1 and with google talkback they work on android 13

By Brian on Friday, March 22, 2024 - 12:23

Fair enough, and thanks. Another question, considering the current version of Android (14.1 I believe) is Samsung's Talkback up to Google's? I know you mentioned something above, so I am just asking for a little more clarification. I've had my eye on the S24 for some time now, but after reading recent articles at (another Android website) i have held back.

Thanks for any input. 😀

By Joshua on Friday, March 29, 2024 - 12:23

Samsungs version of talkback on android 14 is the same as google talkback 14.1
Hope this helps

By Holy Diver on Friday, March 29, 2024 - 12:23

Usually what happens is google makes a major talkback version to go along with their android release, Samsung updates theirs about 6 months later when they release their one UI skin for that android release but by then google is releasing some bug fixes and minor updates. So, yeah, for a few months they're almost the same although if there is some particular annoying bug there's a better chance google squashed it while Samsung hasn't quite gotten around to it. I think Samsung figures most people won't know or care and they're probably right, though whenever a new android version comes out with whatever major talkback updates you just have to wait for it to trickle into Samsung land if you'd rather keep Samsung's talkback. Right now we're in the part of the cycle where they're pretty much even but give it a few months and that will change.

By Brian on Friday, March 29, 2024 - 12:23

This probably deserves its own thread, but thought I would ask here just to be safe. So, as I understand it, Samsung is really popular amongst the android users out there. Samsung also has its own version of TalkBack, which is (relatively speaking) at least six months behind Google's Version of TalkBack.
A few months back, a sighted friend of mine got a brand new Pixel 8 Pro, and she let me play with it with talkback enabled. At the time, she had android 14, if I am remembering correctly.

I have read on these forums, and elsewhere, that talkback is a tad slower than VoiceOver is on an iPhone, however her Pixel was super snappy, and TalkBack seemed very responsive and fluid.

So what is it about Samsung phones that make them so popular? It seems like the issue with Samsung's version of TalkBack what deter people from wanting to use a Samsung phone.

By Trenton Matthews on Friday, March 29, 2024 - 12:23

If Google stuck with their Nexus line of phones/tablets from back in the day, along with them sticking with snapdragon as the thing that powers them, most people would probably not have gotten Galaxy devices instead.

Another thing to keep in mind, there are so many people who still want that SD-Card slot for expanded memory. And with Moto and Samsung in the US really being the only ones with expanded storage over here in the USA (BLU phones and others may have that too still), but who knows.

What's really upsetting, is that only Samsung and Pixel devices (unless ya side-load a port of the Google Camera for a device that's supports it), ya really do not have an accessible Android Camera!

I'm running OneUI 6.1, which now brings along Talkback 14.1.

And as I mentioned in a similar thread about Talkback 14.2, we'll, Samsung doesn't seem too far behind Google's version now.

By Brian on Friday, March 29, 2024 - 12:23

Thank you Trenton Matthews for that informative information. You mentioned 'Moto' above, is that Motorola? Aside from what you mentioned about the Google camera, or Motorola any good these days?

By Joshua on Friday, March 29, 2024 - 12:23

I like Samsung because of the additions that they add on to android like a bunch of accessibility stuff and more customization, they have an app called good lock that you can use to really customize your device and I just generally like Samsung

By Justin Harris on Friday, March 29, 2024 - 12:23

I tried to get the files referenced but when I click the link to Google drive, it says the page does not exist.
Can you share the files here?

By Joshua on Friday, March 29, 2024 - 12:23

I got them from the blind android users telegram grupe and don’t know how to share them hear

By Trenton Matthews on Friday, March 29, 2024 - 12:23

You're very welcome. And yes, I was talking about Motorola.
Native moto camera doesn't speak faces.

By Justin Harris on Friday, March 29, 2024 - 12:23

As far as how to share those files, I didn't know if you maybe had an updated link to them. If you don't, I understand. But that link in the video description should be updated, and I already left a comment saying such, so here's to hoping that happens somewhat quickly.

By Joshua on Friday, March 29, 2024 - 12:23

That link works too

Fun fact, i was the one that wrote that article, they just edited it

By Justin Harris on Friday, March 29, 2024 - 12:23

I think that I would prefer to do it with the pc instead, if I can manage to somehow get the files in question.

By Joshua on Friday, March 29, 2024 - 12:23

Join the blind android users telegram grupe and the files are in the files section

You can join from the link on the blind android users website

https://blindandroidusers.com/

By Brian on Friday, March 29, 2024 - 12:23

Is it easier to do it via PC, or are you just more comfortable doing it this way? I am genuinely curious. 🙂

By Joshua on Friday, March 29, 2024 - 12:23

Its easier and faster too

By Brian on Friday, March 29, 2024 - 12:23

I'm glad there are choices for anybody wishing to go this route with a Samsung device. 🙂

By Justin Harris on Friday, March 29, 2024 - 12:23

Yeah, after reading through the guides, sounds easier, and it's what I feel much more comfortable with.

By Holger Fiallo on Friday, April 5, 2024 - 12:23

Curious why they do not create one and just release it. Those companies that creat phone instead of making their own, why they do not have one team that focus on talk back. I think it will help more. Oh well.

By Shankar on Friday, July 5, 2024 - 12:23

Hi Joshua,
firstly thanks so much for sharing the instructions for setting up the google talkback on the samsung s24 device.
1st I hit enter on the 1st file "1-Enable-Google-Talkback.bat"
I was able to see the google talkback options like image descriptions and then i hit enter on the 2nd file that is "2-Remove-Samsung-Talkback.bat"
then samsung talkback got uninstalled.
now the issue is i cant able to see any of these screen readers on the device.
what is the solution to bring up the screen readers again.
please help as soon as possible.

By Joshua on Friday, July 5, 2024 - 12:23

You said you have an S24 so it is on android 14, if you do this on android 14 google talkback won’t show up in installed apps, to set a shortcut go to advanced settings in accessibility and choose a shortcut from there

Hope this helps

By Shankar on Friday, July 5, 2024 - 12:23

Hi, thanks for the prompt response.
once clicking on the 1st batch file, jaws says"Install-Google-Talkback-on-Samsung-Phone
* daemon started successfully
* daemon not running; starting now at tcp:5037
TalkBackService"
then there wont any speach. mean the talkback/screen reader disabled.
so my question is should i also enter on the batch file 2 to remove the samsung talkback before setting the shortcut from the advance accessibility settings?
if yes then how could a screen readers can do that qithout speach?
TalkBackService