Android's TalkBack screen reader gets new voice commands, gesture options

Google improves on Android's accessibility features with a new update for its TalkBack screen reader. TalkBack helps users who are blind or have low vision to navigate their way through their Android devices. Now, the screen reader gets an update with "highly requested" features, such as expanded gesture and navigation options, new voice commands, more language options, and simplified menus.

According to Google, there are now a dozen "easy-to-learn and easy-to-use multi-finger gestures" for actions like selecting and editing text, controlling media, and interacting with apps. The company is also getting rid of multiple menus to get rid of any confusion users might have. Instead, TalkBack will have a single menu that adapts to the current context and provide regular access to essential functions.

Users can now add or remove options in the TalkBack menu or reading controls and reassign gestures for different settings, actions, and navigation controls.

It's also possible to read or skim by swiping, with options just to hear headlines or listen word-by-word or character-by-character. TalkBack 9.1 also gets over 25 commands, including options like "increase speech rate" to make TalkBack speaker faster and "find" to locate text on the screen.

TalkBack's braille keyboard adds support for Spanish and Arabic, too.

Some of the other new features we've written about include Schedule Send for Android Messages, Password Checkup, Google Assistant locked screen support, Android Auto updates, and broader rollout of dark mode for Google Maps.

Source: CNET