The voice function is an extremely useful accessibility feature on Samsung TVs, allowing visually impaired users to navigate the screen through voice guidance. However, some may find the constant voiceovers annoying and desire to disable them. Thankfully, turning off voice output is quick and straightforward.
In this comprehensive guide, you‘ll learn:
- The purpose behind Samsung‘s voice guidance features
- Step-by-step instructions to disable voice guidance with photos
- The difference between voice guidance and TalkBack
- How to fully mute Samsung TV through TalkBack settings
- FAQs on using voice controls and accessibility
Follow along as we dive into the voice settings on your Samsung TV. Disabling speech is just a few clicks away!
What is Voice Guidance on Samsung TVs?
Voice Guidance (sometimes called Text-To-Speech or TTS) is an accessibility feature that reads on-screen text and menus aloud. As you navigate through options, Voice Guidance verbalizes each selection or setting in clear speech.
This assists those with visual impairments by providing vital auditory cues. It also helps when sitting far away from the TV‘s screen.
Use Cases for Voice Guidance
Voice Guidance shines when:
- Enabling those with poor vision to understand what‘s displayed
- Using TV from a distance where text is hard to read
- Helping the elderly or tech novices navigate menus
- Serving as an audio channel when multiple viewers have different needs
As you can see, it serves some very meaningful purposes. Now let‘s see how to toggle it off if desired.
How to Turn Off Voice Guidance in 3 Simple Steps
You‘ll be pleased to know that disabling voice is quick and easy. Just follow these steps:
#1 – Open the Main Menu
- Turn on your Samsung TV using the remote or power button
- Access the main menu by pressing Menu on your remote
- You can also use buttons underneath the Samsung logo if lacking a remote
This brings up the dashboard with various settings categories.
Tip: If voice is already enabled, you may hear these steps spoken aloud via Voice Guidance!
#2 – Navigate to Accessibility Settings
- From the main menu, select the General icon (wrench shape)
- Next choose the Accessibility tab
This is where key accessibility features live.
Let‘s move onto the final step…
#3 – Disable Voice Guidance
- In Accessibility, select Voice Guide which shows ON/OFF status
- A popup appears allowing you to toggle to OFF
- Press OK and confirm to disable Voice Guidance!
That‘s all it takes! This immediately mutes spoken assistance for menus and navigation.
Some key notes:
- These steps work on 2016 and newer Samsung TV models
- Changing Voice Guidance does NOT require a TV reboot
- You can easily re-enabled it by repeating process and toggling ON
Fantastic! But before we move on, it helps understanding a different yet related feature called TalkBack…
Difference Between Voice Guidance and TalkBack
On the surface, Voice Guidance and TalkBack sound very similar. But they serve distinct purposes:
| Voice Guidance | TalkBack |
| – Reads menus/text aloud | – Enables 2-way voice controls |
| – Helps navigate with audio cues | – Allows hands-free viewing |
| – Called Text-to-Speech (TTS) | – Part of universal remote system |
In essence:
- Voice Guidance assists visually, verbalizing screen info
- TalkBack enables voice assistant features, commands, and searching
TalkBack facilitates advanced voice interaction with a Samsung TV. And even if you disable Voice Guidance above, TalkBack will keep working normally behind the scenes.
But if you want to mute TalkBack as well for complete silence, read on!
How to Fully Mute Samsung TV Voice
If having ANY voice or speech from your TV is bothersome, this section is for you.
Along with disabling Voice Guidance above, you can turn off TalkBack to prevent:
- Voice assistant responding aloud to requests
- Audio questions, prompts, or confirms from TV interface
Here is how to silently deactivate TalkBack:
- From the Accessibility menu, select TalkBack
- Toggle the TalkBack setting to OFF
- Confirm choice when prompt appears
This universally disables ANY and ALL speech/voice abilities on your Samsung TV. Perfect for keeping things ultra-quiet!
Now enjoy your TV with fully silent operation. Continue reading for extras on using voice features…
Will Voice Assistant Still Work Sans Voice?
Great question! Rest assured your TV‘s voice assistant will keep functioning even after shutting off both Voice Guidance and TalkBack.
The key difference is voice assistant won‘t SPEAK anymore. It will silently process and carry out voice commands per usual – you just won‘t get audible feedback.
Instead, look for assistant responses on your TV screen. Or enable Voice Guidance/TalkBack again for handling voice requests out loud.
In short – voice controls themselves will work fine without text/speech enabled. You simply lose the "voice" feedback part when disabled.
Video Tutorial for Disabling Voice Guidance
Sometimes visuals better demonstrate how to adjust complex TV settings. To complement steps covered already, take a look at this quick tutorial video from YouTuber Tech Tips:
As you can see, very fast and straightforward!
Now let‘s cover some frequently asked questions…
FAQs About Samsung TV Voice Features
Here are answers to common queries on getting voice guidance and TalkBack up and running:
Does Disabling Voice Guidance Impact Accessibility?
Absolutely not. Your TV retains all prior accessibility configurations. The only change is toggling spoken text assistance off/on as needed. Those relying on screen readers can leave settings unchanged.
How Do I Re-enable Voice If Accidentally Turned Off?
No panic! Just reverse the steps in this guide:
- Open accessibility menu
- Choose Voice Guidance > Toggle ON
- Also re-enable TalkBack if desired
That‘s it! Text-to-speech and voice controls will work once again.
Can I Use Buttons If I Lost My Remote?
You sure can! Navigate to menu options using hardware keys underneath the Samsung logo on TV‘s lower bezel. Voice guidance will speak options aloud if enabled.
The center button serves as "Enter" just like a remote.
Summary & Conclusion
We‘ve covered a full spectrum of details on precisely how to:
- Disable voice guidance text-to-speech features
- Differentiate it from advanced TalkBack functionality
- Fully mute Samsung TV through TalkBack settings
While spoken assistance serves wonderful accessibility purposes, it also gets distracting for some users. Thankfully Samsung makes toggling speech straightforward from the settings menu.
Revisit this guide anytime you want to adjust voice on your newer Samsung TV. We even included a handy YouTube tutorial for visual learners.
Did you find this breakdown helpful? Have more voice control questions? Let us know in the comments!
Header image credit: iStock.com/Robert Daly
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