Thinking of moving to Android- seeking thoughts on TalkBack accessibility

Hi there,

Kyler Golden here from The Blind Spot YT (@TBS6217). While I used to be an Android user for two years, I am also now predominantly on iOS, although I'm somewhat of a double agent because my Braille notetaker that I use also runs Android so I suppose you could say that I run on both operating systems.
I'd like to point out that while things may have changed since the last time I really used an Android phone in 2021, your Android experiences will still depend on the phone you end up getting, as different companies use different processors, components, and even different user interfaces that run different phone models, which can sometimes, at best, create a slightly different Android experience based on your phone model, or at worst, contribute to a slower or glitchier TalkBack and overall Android experience. While I can't speak on this for sure since I've returned to iOS, this seems to be the case for most anyone running Android.
I would also say that as an iOS user, some of TalkBack's gestures may not feel as fluid. For example, I've heard some users report that the double tap gesture doesn't feel quite as responsive on Android as it does on the iPhone. This could be due to a variety of factors, but you might want to consider this before moving over to Android.
Lastly, I want to touch on the question you posed about the HID standard. The last time I used an Android phone, I went through several Galaxy phones before going to a Google Pixel and eventually returning to iOS after moving to Idaho. I really only used a Braille display with my Galaxy phones, and at the time, you had to install Google's BrailleBack app for your phone to support connecting to Braille displays. I must again stress, however, that I have not used Android on a touch-screen phone interface for almost 4 years, and as of the time I'm replying to you (January 6, 2025), things may have changed on Android significantly. I have heard reports of Google combining TalkBack and BrailleBack into one streamlined app for a more convenient user interface, and have also heard discussions about HID being implemented, with mixed reports from assistive technology podcasts. I cannot be sure, however, that HID has in fact been implemented by Google even though Humanware has reportedly pushed for Google to make the move as of around 2022.
I hope this helps!
Best wishes from Eagle, Idaho, USA!

I too am considering my next "iPhone" being an Android device, most likely a Pixel 9 Pro. Below are some articles that you might find enlightening.

https://accessibleandroid.com/a-decade-with-android-highlighting-observations-and-shifts/

https://accessibleandroid.com/from-voiceover-on-ios-to-talkback-on-android-major-differences-and-anomalies-visually-impaired-users-should-expect/

https://accessibleandroid.com/gemini-live-is-now-free-review-and-impressions/

https://accessibleandroid.com/gemini-2-0-flash-a-game-changer-for-accessibility/

https://accessibleandroid.com/why-you-should-pick-android-over-ios/

Let me start this by saying that if you get a google stock android device, I'm sure it will be great and very accessible.

I just don't like the android moddle of picking from hundreds of phones and providers.

The thing is, if I was sighted, I know I'd love it.

Android can be cheeper which is great! But what's not so great is if you pick up phone one, you might have an amazing experience, but pick up phone two and it could be terrible.

That's why I always go with IOS, sure it's got bugs but at least I know it will work using voiceover each time.

Hi.
I have tried an google pixel phone with talkback and it is great"
Personally speaking the reason I love IOS is it is easy to use and voiceover is built in all Apple products.
But in saying this there has been some talkback Improovments when it comes to AI immage description and all.
That's what I've heard.

There are positives and negatives, or pros and cons, or the good with the bad, with all kinds of technology. I've heard people say that the angled gestures tend to slow down the Android interface experience with talkback. I've also heard that talkback gestures, while intuitive, are not as precise as their VoiceOver counterpart.
Regardless, I do think the current Android model has some very positive things that are enticing to anyone interested in changing operating systems.
Things like:
1. The ability to swap between at least 3 separate screen readers.
2. AI that is actually integrated into the operating system. Furthermore it can be used to replace Google Assistant.
3. Gemini Live is apparently free on Android.
4. Gemini 2.0 Flash
5. There are several applications for Android, that are the equivalent of Apple's shortcuts application. Applications that are actually accessible.

Brad does have a point about the different device manufacturers. However from what I have read, it seems like if you want to switch from iOS to Android, and maintain a similar user experience, Pixel is reportedly the way to go, as it is more or less the "iPhone" of the Androids.

Have fun :) I hope it works out for you.

I switched to an s24 ultra earlier this year, and it was fairly trivial swapping out google's talkback if that is your thing, but honestly, I don't see what the fuss is about really since there's very little difference in the screen reader that ships with the phone and what google has, unless you really think Gemini's somewhat dubious image descriptions are worth all the trouble. I think this AI is not really worth what people claim. It's only nice to have if you can't find a human handy, but it really doesn't tell you what you need in a lot of cases. Be my AI and Meta AI were at least as dubious, and I wouldn't say one of these is better than the other, because there are times when they're all wrong, times when one gets part of the thing you need and another gets another part, but it's overhyped largely, and I couldn't advise someone picking a phone because it comes with a certain image description thing by default, when you could also end up with inferior hardware in some cases. The build quality and hardware spec of Samsung devices is better than what you're getting from a pixel, although not by much, but still better especially if you like a more solid feeling device. A lot of this is personal preference, but if you really think Google's talkback is all that better, then there are simple methods for installing it if you don't mind 5 minutes of hacking and 5 minutes of research. And if you don't want 5 minutes of hacking, why use something that emphasizes customization like Android in the first place? But it's unfair to bash a hardware manufacturer for not shipping some software you could easily install if you wanted. Obviously they have their reasons, which you may or may not agree with, but you should just count yourself lucky that the code and your device are both open and nobody will stop you from doing what you want with it. To conclude, my only complaint with Android is that I ought to have switched sooner, but my phone experience got a lot better in every way after leaving iOS, but again, it depends what type of user you are, and what you plan to do with your device. I figure at this point, all operating systems and hardware suck for accessibility, some just suck less. Or at least they suck differently. You pick the bugs and nonsense you are willing to deal with. I personally disable all of these AI features for the most part and in fact most functions on the phone in general, and just use the few things I need when I need them. At least Android is flexible enough to let you disable the google app entirely if you want to do that. And the notifications and sync with windows make it more than worth leaving ios. At least android has more accessibility options than iOS and you can choose how you want to use your device, and that's worth a lot whichever hardware you pick.

As an AccessibleAndroid author and someone who's back on iOS after 15 months or so, I should say that:
1. Definitely avoid Samsung phones despite what people say. Samsung TalkBack is always at least one step behind Google TalkBack, and Google TalkBack won't run quite smoothly on Samsung phones, including my very own S24 Ultra. For best accessibility experience and the most timely updates, get Pixels, preferably a member of the Pixel 9 family. See my article here: https://accessibleandroid.com/google-vs-samsung-the-android-accessibility-showdown-for-2025-and-beyond/
2. While you have a lot of choice on Android (TalkBack, Jieshuo and Prudence), do keep in mind that nothing gets even close to VoiceOver's well thought-out features and refined experience when it comes to voices, language switching, operation, Braille, etc.
3. TalkBack still doesn't utilize the HID standard for Braille.

That was a really great article. Thanks for sharing with us. 😎

Check applevis with similar discussion. PS iOS 18.2.1 is out it might help your phone and also android has it issues with bugs. There is no free bug OS. Good luck.

Always a pleasure, Brian. 🌹

You might need to do a reset of phone to new again. Sad but probably nessesary.

Sorry to hear that. Hope whatever you decide is the best for you. I had issues with iOS 13 and it was no fun.

Hi! I’ve been an iOS user for ages. Over the years, I’ve also tested Android phones, and now I’m using an iPhone 16+ and a Google Pixel 9 Pro. I tried switching fully to Android without using an iOS device, but I miss some features on Android that I have on iOS—like the ability to select text when browsing the web. For 99% of people, this is probably a non-issue, but for me, it’s important because I do it all the time.

Another thing I prefer on iOS is the language switching. My iPhone is set to English, but I also speak Portuguese. Sometimes I need to quickly switch between English and Portuguese when texting or sending emails, and I find it easier to do this on iOS because of VoiceOver. I also really love the voices available on iOS.

Overall, I would say I don’t like Samsung phones because of Samsung’s TalkBack. If you want to test an Android phone, I’d recommend using a Google Pixel. Some features I enjoy on my Pixel include:
• Image descriptions with Gemini : Gemini is good, though sometimes a bit silly, but I still like it.
• Clipboard management : I like the ability to see and manage my clipboard while typing. It’s a great feature on Android that I miss on iOS.
• Sound quality : I really like the sound of my Pixel phone.

In general, I like both systems. However, for work and daily life, I tend to use my iPhone more because of the VoiceOver actions. TalkBack has actions too, but for some reason that I can’t explain—Google doesn’t implement TalkBack actions consistently across apps. Some apps have them, but they’re not the majority.

I do enjoy the image description on TalkBack, Google Lookout, and the guided frame on my Pixel. These are features I use for fun, like when I’m taking pictures, browsing social media, or checking out images.

One thing I want to add—though this might just be me—is that dictation on Android doesn’t work well for me. I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong, but I can’t dictate without having to correct a lot of mistakes afterward. The keyboard or dictation simply doesn’t understand what I’m saying and types something completely different.

If you use Braille, Android is really good for Braille screen input. However, if you use the QWERTY keyboard, I find it painfully slow on Android. I’m referring to the on-screen keyboard, not Braille. On iOS, I prefer the direct touch typing feature, which, as far as I know, doesn’t have an equivalent on Android. Maybe this isn’t a big deal for you, but I thought I’d point it out.

Oh, I forgot to mention—WhatsApp on Android isn’t great for work or chats. Telegram is better on Android but awful on iOS. Personally, I use WhatsApp for both, but the Android experience is messy, even though it’s accessible.

If you get the chance to test a Pixel phone, go for it! Just keep in mind that the systems are very different, and switching can be challenging. Good luck!

@Brian, great observations. Just a couple of points:
1. AI that is actually integrated into the operating system.
It's not that much integrated or, to be fair, it's integrated in areas that Apple also offers them, like removing objects from pictures, etc. What matters for us the most, with Google TalkBack not Samsung TalkBack, is Gemini-based online image descriptions, for any type of image.
2. Gemini Live is apparently free on Android.
It's also free on iOS with the Gemini app. But on iOS we lose the "OK Google" benefit. Granted, Gemini Live is riddled with accuracy issues and having used it for some months, I do prefer the Siri experience. With Gemini, for instance, you can't use voice commands when your phone is in Airplane mode to alter settings.
3. Gemini 2.0 Flash.
It hasn't been officially introduced, and is available as an Experimental form. iOS users also have it in that form, but you should be an Advanced subscriber for that.
HTH.

Hi TechAgnostic,

I almost didn't post this, since what I'm reading inbetween the lines from your post and follow-up comments is that you want to switch to Android in general beyond any issue with your current device. If that is indeed the case, carry on. ;-)

If your desire to switch is specifically related to the issue you are having with your current device, it's worth noting that the behavior you described is not normal and not how things should be. If you haven't done so already, I think it's worth a call to Apple (particularly Apple Accessibility) to ask them to perform a remote diagnostic on the device. I believe doing this would allow you to rule out a hardware issue causing the reboots (which is honestly one of the things that came to mind for me as a possibility), and perhaps it's a software issue (corrupt file, rogue process, etc.) that Apple could identify for you.

If you have already tried the above or just want to try troubleshooting it on your own, the first step would be to reset all of your settings to factory defaults without erasing your device. This would mean that you would need to reconnect Bluetooth devices (including any Apple Watch, braille display, etc.) WiFi networks, and probably your email accounts etc. But you would not have to reinstall your apps.

The second option is to set your device up as brand new without restoring from a backup. This would mean that you would have to reinstall your apps, reconfigure your email account(s), WiFi networks, Bluetooth devices, etc. You can keep Messages and a lot of other things in iCloud, so if you go this route, be sure all of those features are turned on and that the content is backed up to iCloud before you restore your device. I would use a computer to download a fresh version of iOS 18.2.1 and restore the phone that way, as I have read that using a computer will download a fresh copy whereas using just the reset option resets the copy you already have. (I unfortunately did not take note of the source of this information at the time.)

Hope this helps,

Michael

I didn't know about text selection and I might stay on iOS currently, these are the little things that users just need to know and thanks a lot for dropping that here. I too find that selection on iOS is very very smooth unlike mac hence my desire to have an iPad just for that.
As for samsung, I have an old s20 ultra I casually tinker with and I am not sure to like my experience with the screen reader so far, I haven't tried the thing with ADB yet just cause I am lazy. The actions... I think that it's a philosophy problem, do you prefer acting like sighted user with a hold? Or the ease of the sr actions. It's literally the mac mouse vs keyboard for sighted problem but for Android.
PS: I too don't find this reboot problem normal, best of luck!

To reset settings on an iPhone, go to settings, general, and scroll toward the bottom and tap on "transfer or reset".
You will have two options here, reset, or erase entire phone. If you want to set the phone up as brand new, essentially erasing absolutely everything, choose the second option. If you just want to erase settings, restoring them to factory default, but keeping all of your documents/messages/applications/etc., choose reset, and then choose one of the reset options that will pop up in the dialogue box afterwards.

Regarding tech selection,
I do believe this can be done with talkback on AndroidOS. It's just done a little differently.

Regarding text selection on the web, with TalkBack, you can’t do that on Android. As for other screen readers, I’m not sure because I’m only using TalkBack on my Google Pixel, and unfortunately, it’s not possible. I would love to be able to select parts of text on a webpage. However, I’m sure there are more experienced users than me, and they’ll be able to provide more accurate information on this topic. 😉

Yeah, text selection would be great on Android. That feature is a big deal for me because it makes things a lot easier.

Regarding Samsung, yeah, I have mixed feelings about it. I think the phones are really good, and I’d love to be able to use Google TalkBack on a Samsung phone more easily. I know it’s possible, but it’s not straightforward, and I don’t think I have enough experience to try without messing something up.

I don’t like Samsung’s TalkBack at all.

I see where you’re coming from regarding VoiceOver/TalkBack actions—it’s really a matter of preference. What annoys me, though, is that if Google TalkBack supports actions, why doesn’t Google implement TalkBack actions in its apps like Messages, Meet, Phone, Maps, etc.? If TalkBack actions were present, we users would have the choice between double-tapping and holding or using actions, and that would be great!

But yeah, I see where you’re coming from, and I agree.

Apologies for my ignorance regarding talkback gestures, but what is selection mode? By default, it is supposed to be a two finger double tap and hold gesture. What does this do exactly?
I thought this was how One would select text, but apparently I was mistaken. 🥸

You’re correct,If you double tap and hold with two fingers using Google talkback you can select text, the thing is, it only works if you’re writing something like messages, emails notes, documents, etc. If you’re browsing the web or if you’re reading something and you want to select text, it doesn’t work. That gesture only works if you’re typing. I hope I made sense.

At this time, Voice view from Amazon and Jieshuo/Commentary, are the only screen readers that have true text selection anywhere throughout the operating system.

As for TalkBack, you can copy selected blocks of text using the "Copy Last Spopen Phrase" option, and use your keyboard's clipboard manager for pasting said text.

You can try double-tap and hold then drag to what you think is the text block you wish to copy, but what you drag over does not speak, as in most places.

Thanks to both of you for explaining. I am still learning about Android gestures and interactions, so thank you for all of the feedback and responses.

Thank you so much for this info—I had no idea that VoiceView from Amazon has this feature, and that’s amazing! Silly question: is there any way I could use VoiceView on my Google Pixel? I know it’s designed for Amazon devices, but I’m curious if there’s a workaround or trick to make it work.

As for Commentary, I’d love to try it, but I’m not allowed to install APK files on my Pixel because of company restrictions—so frustrating! Still, it’s great to know these two screen readers have this feature.

It’s definitely a shame that TalkBack doesn’t offer true text selection throughout the OS. I appreciate the tip, though! That’s exactly what I do when I need to select text on Android, but yeah, it’s so time-consuming.

Thanks again for sharing this—it’s super helpful!

You’re welcome! I’m still learning too, so we’re figuring it out together! 😉

First I will answer a question and also at the end I will give my comment on what I have observed from many people who have responded.
Here is the answer how to select and copy text using TalkBack on a website.
First, we'll start by understanding ourselves, we want to select, a line, a word, a single character, or a whole paragraph, just like iOS, you basically have a kind of voiceOver rotor know for android as TalkBack and reading controls Menu that you basically select how you want to navigate, I give a clear example from my part, if I want to read a whole paragraph, I select the paragraph from the menu and I do swipe down, and will read the entire paragraph, then I assign a TalkBack gesture, where I can copy the last action that I execute and just paste it wherever you want in my case I have a talkBack assigned with 3 fingers place and hold on the screen.
Now this is the comment from what I have observed from many members of the group who have responded
With all due respect to each member, I believe that some have never had the chance to use an Android in their life, others have tried something, but trying is not the same as living day to day with an Android device, therefore a valid answer on my part could be that Accessibility is present in the operating system, it is up to you to decide, the question that you yourself have to answer internally is what are the needs for which you are going to use that device and are they worth it.
Nowadays, anyone who is dedicated to assistant technology , I am not talking in general, just for many of them have or use both operating systems and I can assure you that most of them use an Android as their main phone and an iPhone only as a secondary device because most of the new users continue buying Apple devices.

Hi,
Thanks for clarifying how to select text on the web. However, I’m testing this on my Pixel right now, and something isn’t working for me. So, you’re saying that I should choose whether I want to navigate by character, word, line, or paragraph. I selected paragraph. I chose the two paragraphs I wanted to copy and then copied the last spoken expression by TalkBack. Is that correct?

What’s happening for me is that TalkBack is only copying the last paragraph I selected. Another thing I tested was selecting a paragraph and then a line after that paragraph. What happens is that TalkBack only copies the last line I selected, not the previous paragraph. In other words, I’m navigating by paragraphs, lines, etc., but I’m not actually selecting the text; I’m just navigating. If I copy the last spoken expression by TalkBack, only the last line, paragraph, etc., is copied.

Correct me if I’m wrong—what am I doing wrong here?

As for the rest of your comment, I think we agree… everyone uses the system(s) they identify with the most. Speaking for myself, I use both daily, and my opinion is the one I’ve shared in other comments. I’m always open to learning, whether it’s iOS or Android.

@MarkSarch It's more of a hack rather than a proper text selection mechanism for TalkBack. With all respect, TalkBack doesn't have such a feature for HTML or non-editable text.

You are correct Sara.
its one at the time.
TalkBack will copy the last spoken item
For example, you navigate by a single paragraph and copy, this will saved in the clipboard. Next, you continue navigating by the line and copy then both are saved in the clipboard feature.
Lets put this into practice, you create a new blank document.
,You are only interested in the first paragraph, copy it with the steps mentioned above and paste into the blank document, next you are interested in the last line of a website, you copy it with the same procedure mentioned above and paste it in the same document and finally you are interested in the phone number that appears in the middle of the website, well you do the same procedure of copying, and you take it to that document that you just created or what do you think is better open everything from the clipboard and from there just paste in the new blank document.

Thanks!
This is what I usually do when I want to select text on Android. But, with all due respect, it’s not the same as the text selection feature on iOS. It’s like if, on iOS, I navigated by letters, words, lines, or paragraphs and then used four taps with three fingers to copy the last spoken expression. It’s just a hack, but it’s not the same as directly selecting and copying the text.

As a few people already mentioned, including in the comment above yours, TalkBack doesn’t work like that. You can only select text with TalkBack if the text is editable.

Thank you for clarifying this—I was getting confused. It’s important to make this information clear so people can make informed decisions. I use both systems, and that’s what I do on Android, but it’s tricky and not actually selecting text. Thanks again for clarifying!

Sadly, VoiceVieew is excllusivvee to fire devices only. Tablets, TVS, etc..

Thanks so much! 😔

Agreed! it's not the same, but it allows to do the same thing. The tools already exist it's up to each individual how they use it.

It allows us to navigate through text and then copy the last expression spoken. Since we have a clipboard manager on Android, you can paste what you previously copied. That’s it. I wouldn’t say it allows us to do the same; I would say it maybe allows us to do something similar, but it’s much more difficult because it is not as smooth as selecting text, copying it, and pasting it somewhere else. More steps are required.

Well at least you guys do have an actual clipboard manager out there! Something I appreciate even more on Windows as it's native, and SR are awesome there with webview which I always liked. I'll try this on my s20ultra if it's there? The talkback feature of copying the last spoken thing I mean.

I’m not sure if I can call it a native clipboard manager. you have the option to copy the last expression spoken by TalkBack, and it stays in the clipboard so you can paste it wherever you want. You can even copy multiple items and then choose which one to paste. In other words, handling blocks of text is possible, but it’s not as straightforward as selecting, copying, and pasting on the iPhone or iPad. The good thing is that you get a clipboard manager that’s almost like the one on Windows. I just don’t know if this feature is available in every part of the system or if it’s specific to keyboards.

Does Android have a 3rd party clipboard app? That, would be handy! 😀

@Brian, Jieshuo offers such a capability. Take a look at the following.
Exploring the Clipboard History Feature in Jieshuo Screen Reader: https://accessibleandroid.com/exploring-the-clipboard-history-feature-in-jieshuo-screen-reader/

The more I read about Commentary, or Jieshuo, as is the more widely used moniker, the more I want my Pixel so I can play around with it. It will likely be some time before I make my next smart phone purchase, however.

Who knows, maybe by then Pixel 10 Pro will be out. 😊

I have the s20 ultra. With the latest android it can run, what are the luck to have a decent experience/overview of 3rd party screen readers with it?

Hello!
The native Google Keyboard or G-Gboard offer clipboard feature even without using any screen reading is part of android OS.
In any text input look for the clipboard option.
the clipboard feature can hold information until for 60 minutes
To Sara
You mention the android More steps are required in order to copy text!
Yes and no, it all depends on the amount of text you want to copy, you are seeing it from the most basic because voiceOver only allows to select continue text but not from different areas or sections, now if you look at for the second part where the clipboard allows to saved the copy history, in the end you will do More steps using voiceOver.
the clipboard will definitely save time and steps.

I completely agree with Amir. I'm on iOS and while they make take a while to catch up it usually just works. More over actions are supported on iOS they aren't even in Google's own apps. So if Google can't properly support talk back actions how can you expect third party devs to support them? Accessibility is an after thought on android on iOS its built in from the ground up.

Absolutely! The clipboard manager is super useful. However, selecting and copying text is easier on iOS because of the selection process. You can’t select and copy on Android—that’s what I’ve been trying to say from the beginning.

Possibly many never use this gesture but does any one remember long time ago when voiceOver used the pinch gesture to select text? lol
It was almost impossible to select text using this gesture, still remember when I did a podcast demo for appleVis and the following year apple introduced the text selection that we all know today.