To disable the voice assistant on a Samsung Galaxy A tablet, press and hold the Volume up and Volume down buttons together for at least three seconds. If that shortcut does not work, you can manually turn off the screen reader by going to Settings > Accessibility > Screen reader > Voice Assistant (or Settings > Accessibility > TalkBack) and toggling the switch off.
How to disable voice assistant on a Samsung Galaxy A tablet
Samsung documents two methods to disable the built-in screen reader. The quickest way is the hardware shortcut: press and hold both the Volume up and Volume down buttons simultaneously for at least three seconds. This works for both Voice Assistant and TalkBack versions of the feature.
You can also use the Quick Settings menu: swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the Voice Talk icon to disable it.
If the shortcut does not work, or if you prefer to use the settings menu, follow these steps:
- Open Settings on your tablet.
- Tap Accessibility.
- If your tablet shows Screen reader, tap it. If it shows TalkBack instead, tap that option.
- For Voice Assistant devices: tap Voice Assistant, then tap the switch next to it, and confirm by tapping Turn off.
- For TalkBack devices: tap the switch next to TalkBack, then tap Turn off to confirm.
What if the shortcut does not work?
Samsung states that the Volume up + Volume down shortcut should be enabled by default on devices with Voice Assistant. If pressing and holding both buttons for three seconds does nothing, the shortcut may not be active on your tablet. In that case, you must use the manual path through Settings > Accessibility to turn off the screen reader.
Is it Voice Assistant or TalkBack on my tablet?
Samsung uses different names for the screen reader on different Galaxy A tablet models. Some devices label it Voice Assistant, while others use TalkBack. To identify which one your tablet has, open Settings > Accessibility. If you see a category called Screen reader, tap it to find Voice Assistant. If you see TalkBack listed directly under Accessibility, that is the name used on your device. The disable steps are the same for both, just accessed under different menu labels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will disabling the voice assistant affect other features on my tablet?
No. Disabling Voice Assistant or TalkBack only turns off the screen reader that reads your screen aloud. All other tablet features, including regular voice assistant and microphone fixes, remain unaffected.
Can I re-enable the voice assistant after disabling it?
Yes.
What is the iPhone equivalent of this feature?
Apple's equivalent screen reader is called VoiceOver. It can be turned off by going to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver and toggling the switch off. You can also disable it using the Accessibility Shortcut, Control Center, or Siri on supported iPhone models.
Why did my tablet suddenly start reading everything aloud?
This usually happens when the Volume up + Volume down shortcut is accidentally triggered, or when the feature is enabled through the Accessibility settings without the user realizing it. The shortcut is designed to be held for three seconds, which can happen if the tablet is in a bag or pocket.
Is there a way to prevent accidental activation in the future?
You can disable the shortcut itself by going to Settings > Accessibility > Advanced settings (or Settings > Accessibility > Installed apps depending on your model) and turning off the option for the Volume key shortcut. This prevents the screen reader from activating when the buttons are pressed together. You can also configure a specific gesture or shortcut in Accessibility settings for quickly disabling Voice Talk beyond the Volume key shortcut.
Related reading: How To Get Bixby On My Phone and How To Factory Reset A Samsung Galaxy A Tablet.
