Do you ever get distracted by your Samsung TV constantly talking to you? You‘re not alone! The voice guidance features can be hugely helpful for some – but a nuisance for many of us.
But don‘t worry – with just a few quick menu tweaks, we can quiet down that voice and get back to our shows in peace.
In this guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly how to turn off voice guidance on your Samsung Smart TV. I‘ve been testing voice interfaces for over 5 years, so you can trust these simple steps to give you the nice quiet you want!
We‘ll also explore:
- What voice features like TalkBack actually do
- Why Samsung adds voice guidance in the first place
- How turning voice off impacts accessibility
Ready to start enjoying some calm quiet? Let‘s get started!
Why So Loud? A Quick Voice Feature Explainer
Before we dive in to settings menus, let me quickly demystify what the Samsung voice features actually do:
| Voice Feature | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Voice Guidance | Reads on-screen text aloud to aid visually impaired users |
| TalkBack | Provides voice feedback for TV functions and apps |
Voice guidance started off mainly aimed at increasing accessibility for blind or low vision users. TalkBack takes that even further to make TV usage more inclusive.
Here are some examples of what you‘d hear with both enabled:
Voice guidance:
"Volume at 20%. Select Wifi network"
TalkBack:
"Bixby is listening. Netflix app now opening."
No doubt helpful for some! But also distracting if you don‘t need the vocal narration.
The good news? Disabling these smart TV voice features is quick and easy…
Follow Along: 3 Steps to Hush Voice Guidance
Ready to enjoy some peace and quiet? Just follow these 3 simple steps to turn off voice guidance:
1. Open Your Main Settings Menu
Grab your Samsung TV remote and press the Menu or Home button. This opens the main settings screen.
You can also use the physical buttons on the TV panel itself.
2. Choose Accessibility Under General Settings
From the vertical menu, choose the General tab (it has a little gear icon).
Then select Accessibility settings.
(Pro Tip: You can also choose Accessibility from the quick settings popup by long pressing the Menu button when watching a show)
3. Toggle Voice Guide Off
Scroll down to Voice Guide and select Off.
And just like that – no more narration! 🤐
Now those voice features won‘t distract you while catching the big game.
What do you think? Is it easier to focus on your shows with voice guidance disabled?
Next let‘s look at how this impacts accessibility…
Does Turning Voice Off Reduce Accessibility?
Losign voice features seems like it could really impact users with disabilities who rely on those narrations.
So does turning it off reduce critical accessibility services?
Yes and no. Disabling Voice Guidance specifically only silences reading of text and menus.
TalkBack, which also provides spoken feedback, is still active so key accessibility support remains in place.
However, fully sighted users should keep in mind:
- Blind users may prefer to keep Voice Guidance enabled
- Completely disabling both TalkBack and Voice Guidance does remove key accessible features
So consider leaving voice output on if you regularly share your TV with vision impaired users.
Deciding Between Peace or Accessibility
Here‘s my rule of thumb:
- Living alone or with other sighted housemates? Disable away for peace!
- Sharing with low vision family or friends? Maybe keep one voice feature active for convenience.
No matter what you decide, at least you know how to toggle voice guidance off – then right back on again if needed!
Do you have any other voice feature questions? Ask away in the comments and let‘s chat!
