What is Android Accessibility Suite?

What is Android Accessibility Suite?

Android Accessibility Suite is Google's collection of accessibility tools for Android, made for people who use their phone without looking at the screen, with limited vision, or with limited movement. Google's Play listing names its three parts:

• TalkBack, a screen reader that speaks what is on screen and lets you control the phone with gestures, including an on-screen braille keyboard.
• Select to Speak, which reads aloud the items you select on screen.
• Accessibility Menu, a large on-screen menu for locking the phone, adjusting volume and brightness and taking screenshots.

Each part is turned on from Settings > Accessibility. Until you switch one on, the suite does nothing; it simply sits installed so the features are ready, including during phone setup, where holding both volume keys can start TalkBack for someone who cannot see the screen.

The package name, com.google.android.marvin.talkback, dates from when the app was TalkBack alone. Settings shows the app as Android Accessibility Suite.

Can I disable it?

Yes, you can disable it if no one who uses the phone needs these tools, but treat it as an advanced choice because it removes a lifeline for blind and low-vision users. On most phones Settings > Apps > Android Accessibility Suite offers Disable. Where it does not, use ADB:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.marvin.talkback

What you lose: TalkBack, Select to Speak and the Accessibility Menu, along with the volume-key shortcut that turns TalkBack on. Other accessibility settings that are built into Android, such as font size, magnification and color correction, keep working.

Think about who else might use the phone. A phone set up for a parent or child, or one that may be handed to someone with low vision, is better left with the suite enabled. There is no cost to keeping it: when its features are off, it is idle.

Does it drain battery or data?

No, not while its features are off: an accessibility service only runs when you turn it on, so an unused suite costs nothing measurable. When TalkBack is on, it runs constantly to describe the screen and speak, and battery use rises accordingly; that is expected and is the price of the feature.

It can appear in battery lists if a feature was switched on by accident, for example if the Accessibility Menu button or Select to Speak was enabled and left running. Check Settings > Accessibility and turn off anything you do not use.

Data use is mostly its own updates through the Play Store, plus whatever online features you choose to use inside TalkBack.

Why did it just update?

It updated because Google delivers Android Accessibility Suite through the Google Play Store, separately from system updates. Google's help center publishes what is new in major TalkBack releases, which bring new gestures, braille support, voice commands and fixes. Updates install even if you never use the features, so the tools are current when someone needs them.

Which packages are behind it?

One package:

• com.google.android.marvin.talkback is Android Accessibility Suite, containing TalkBack, Select to Speak and the Accessibility Menu.

Speech output comes from a separate text-to-speech engine, usually Google's Speech Services, and phone makers may add their own accessibility apps alongside the suite.

If something goes wrong

The most common problem is TalkBack switching on by accident, which changes how touch works: one tap selects an item and a double tap opens it, and scrolling needs two fingers. To turn it off:

1. If the shortcut is set, press and hold both volume keys for about three seconds.
2. Otherwise open Settings > Accessibility > TalkBack, tap the switch once to select it, then double-tap anywhere to turn it off, and confirm the same way.

If TalkBack or Select to Speak stops speaking, check the text-to-speech settings under Settings > Accessibility, and make sure the speech engine and its voice data are up to date in the Play Store. Then update Android Accessibility Suite itself and restart.

If an accessibility feature crashes or behaves oddly after an update, open the suite's App info screen, choose Uninstall updates, restart, and let the Play Store reinstall the current version.

To restore the suite after disabling it with ADB:

adb shell pm enable com.google.android.marvin.talkback
adb shell cmd package install-existing com.google.android.marvin.talkback