How to Turn Off Voice Guide on Hisense TV [All Models]

Have you suddenly found your Hisense TV narrating every menu option and action you take? That unexpected voice commentary can be startling when it activates without warning. This feature—known as Voice Guide, TalkBack, or Screen Reader depending on your TV model—is designed as an accessibility tool but often gets turned on accidentally.

If you‘re frantically searching for the mute button while your TV announces every button press, you‘re in the right place. This comprehensive guide will walk you through turning off the voice guide feature on all Hisense TV models, regardless of which operating system your television runs.

What Is Voice Guide on Hisense TVs?

Before diving into the solutions, let‘s understand what this feature actually is.

Voice Guide (also called TalkBack, Screen Reader, or Audio Description) is an accessibility feature designed to help visually impaired users navigate their TV interface. When enabled, the TV verbally describes on-screen elements, menu selections, and actions taken. The feature reads aloud text that appears on screen and announces button presses on your remote.

While incredibly useful for those with visual impairments, this feature can become frustrating if activated accidentally—especially when you can‘t figure out how to turn it off.

The Technology Behind Voice Guide

Voice Guide utilizes text-to-speech (TTS) technology to convert on-screen text into spoken words. This technology has evolved significantly over the past decade, with modern implementations using neural network-based speech synthesis for more natural-sounding voices.

Hisense implements this technology differently depending on the operating system:

• Android TV versions: Uses Google‘s TTS engine
• VIDAA OS: Uses proprietary TTS technology developed by Hisense
• Roku TV models: Leverages Roku‘s accessibility engine

The voice guide processes UI elements in real-time, identifying text, buttons, and interactive elements to provide contextual audio feedback. This requires significant system integration between the visual interface and the audio subsystem.

Hisense TV Market Share and Operating Systems

Understanding your Hisense TV model helps identify the correct method to disable voice guide. Hisense has grown substantially in the global TV market, with current data showing:

This distribution affects which method you‘ll need to use to disable the voice guide feature on your specific model.

How to Identify Which Hisense TV Operating System You Have

Hisense manufactures TVs that run on several different operating systems, and the method to disable voice guidance varies by platform. Here‘s how to identify which system your TV uses:

1. Hisense Android TV: Features a clean interface with rows of content and apps. Google Play Store is available.

2. Hisense VIDAA: Has a distinctive horizontal menu bar at the bottom of the screen with colorful app icons.

3. Hisense Roku TV: Features the familiar Roku interface with a simple grid of app tiles and a sidebar menu.

4. Hisense Smart TV (older models): Typically has a basic interface with limited apps and features.

Identifying by Model Number

You can also identify your TV‘s operating system by the model number, typically found on a sticker on the back of your TV:

Now that you know which system you‘re working with, let‘s look at the specific steps for each platform.

How to Turn Off Voice Guide on Hisense Android TV

Hisense Android TVs are popular for their extensive app support and Google integration. If your TV is narrating everything, follow these steps:

1. Press the Home button on your remote control
2. Navigate to the Settings icon (gear symbol) in the top-right corner
3. Scroll down and select Accessibility
4. Find and select TalkBack or Screen Reader
5. Toggle the feature to the Off position

If you‘re having trouble navigating because the voice guide is making selection difficult:

1. Try pressing and holding the Back and Home buttons simultaneously for 3-5 seconds (this is a shortcut on many Android TVs)
2. Alternatively, try pressing the Mute button three times in quick succession

For newer Hisense Android TV models (2022 and later):

1. Press the Quick Settings button on your remote (gear icon)
2. Navigate to System Settings
3. Select Accessibility
4. Choose Screen Reader or TalkBack
5. Toggle it to Off

Android TV Model-Specific Instructions

Different Android TV generations have slightly different menu structures:

For H8G, H9G, U6G, U7G, U8G, U9G Series (2020-2021):

1. Press Settings on remote
2. Select Device Preferences
3. Choose Accessibility
4. Select TalkBack
5. Toggle to Off

For U6K, U7K, U8K Series (2022-2023):

1. Press Settings on remote
2. Select System
3. Choose Accessibility
4. Select Screen Reader
5. Toggle to Off

How to Turn Off Voice Guide on Hisense VIDAA TV

Hisense‘s proprietary VIDAA operating system has a different menu structure. Here‘s how to disable the voice guide:

1. Press the Menu or Settings button on your remote
2. Navigate to System Settings or Settings
3. Select Accessibility
4. Find Voice Guide, Narration, or Screen Reader
5. Toggle the feature to Off

For VIDAA U4/U5/U6 models:

1. Press the Home button on your remote
2. Navigate to Settings (gear icon)
3. Select System
4. Choose Accessibility
5. Find Voice Guide and turn it Off

Some older VIDAA models may require:

1. Press Menu on your remote
2. Navigate to Sound
3. Select Advanced Sound Settings
4. Find Audio Description or Narration
5. Toggle it to Off

VIDAA OS Version Differences

VIDAA has evolved through several versions, each with slightly different menu layouts:

How to Turn Off Voice Guide on Hisense Roku TV

Hisense Roku TVs have a straightforward process to disable the voice guide:

1. Press the Home button on your Roku remote
2. Scroll and select Settings
3. Choose Accessibility
4. Select Screen Reader
5. Toggle it to Off

Quick shortcut: On most Roku remotes, you can press the *Star ()** button four times quickly to toggle the Screen Reader on or off.

For newer Roku TV models:

1. Press Home on your remote
2. Navigate to Settings
3. Select Accessibility
4. Choose Screen Reader
5. Select Off

Roku TV Voice Guide Settings

Roku TVs offer additional customization for the voice guide before you turn it off:

How to Turn Off Voice Guide on Older Hisense Smart TVs

Older Hisense models that don‘t run Android, VIDAA, or Roku have their own menu systems:

1. Press the Menu button on your remote
2. Navigate to Settings or System Settings
3. Look for Accessibility or Audio Settings
4. Find Voice Guide, Audio Description, or Narration
5. Set it to Off

If you can‘t find the option, try:

1. Press Menu
2. Go to Sound settings
3. Look for Advanced Sound Options
4. Find Audio Description and turn it off

Legacy Model Series Guide

For specific legacy models, follow these instructions:

H3 Series (2015-2016):

1. Press Menu
2. Select Sound
3. Choose Advanced Audio Settings
4. Find Audio Description and set to Off

H4 Series (Non-Roku, 2016-2017):

1. Press Menu
2. Select Settings
3. Choose Sound
4. Select Audio Description and set to Off

Using Remote Control Shortcuts to Disable Voice Guide

Many Hisense TVs offer quick shortcuts to toggle accessibility features:

For Android TVs:

• Press and hold the Mute button for 3-5 seconds
• Or try pressing Back + Home simultaneously for 3 seconds

For VIDAA TVs:

• Press and hold the Menu button for 5 seconds
• On some models, press Mute three times quickly

For Roku TVs:

• Press the *Star ()** button four times quickly

For Universal Method:

• Try pressing and holding the Volume Down button for 3-5 seconds
• Some models respond to pressing Mute three times in succession

Remote Shortcut Success Rates

Based on user feedback and technical support data, here‘s the success rate of different shortcut methods:

Troubleshooting: Voice Guide Won‘t Turn Off

If you‘ve followed the steps above but the voice guide persists, try these troubleshooting methods:

Method 1: Power Cycle Your TV

1. Turn off your TV
2. Unplug it from the power outlet
3. Wait 60 seconds
4. Plug it back in and turn it on
5. Try disabling the voice guide again

Method 2: Factory Reset (Last Resort)

Note: This will erase all your settings and installed apps.

For Android TVs:

1. Go to Settings > Device Preferences > Reset
2. Select Factory Reset
3. Confirm your choice

For VIDAA TVs:

1. Go to Settings > System > Advanced System Settings
2. Select Factory Reset
3. Confirm your choice

For Roku TVs:

1. Go to Settings > System > Advanced System Settings
2. Select Factory Reset Everything
3. Follow the on-screen instructions

Method 3: Check for System Updates

Sometimes, voice guide issues are resolved in firmware updates:

1. Go to Settings
2. Find System Update or About
3. Check for updates and install if available

Common Error Scenarios and Solutions

Disabling Audio Description on Streaming Apps

Even after turning off your TV‘s voice guide, you might still hear descriptions during shows on streaming apps. This is because many streaming services have their own audio description settings:

Netflix

1. While playing content, press the Up arrow on your remote
2. Select Audio and Subtitles
3. Choose an audio track that doesn‘t include "Audio Description" or "[AD]"

Disney+

1. While playing content, press the Up arrow or Options button
2. Select Audio
3. Choose a language option without "Audio Description" or "[AD]"

Amazon Prime Video

1. While playing content, press the Up arrow twice
2. Select Audio & Subtitles
3. Choose an audio track without "Audio Description" or "[AD]"

HBO Max

1. While playing content, click the Settings icon
2. Select Audio
3. Choose an option without "Audio Description" or "[AD]"

Apple TV+

1. While playing content, swipe down on the remote
2. Select Audio
3. Choose a track without "Audio Description" or "[AD]"

Streaming App Audio Description Availability

Streaming services are increasingly offering audio description tracks. Here‘s the current state of audio description availability:

Voice Guide in Different Languages

If your Hisense TV‘s voice guide is speaking in a language you don‘t understand, making it even harder to navigate to turn it off:

1. Look for the Settings or gear icon
2. Find an option that resembles Language (often represented by a globe icon or "ABC" symbol)
3. Change the language to your preferred option
4. Then follow the steps above to turn off the voice guide

Common language settings locations:

• Android TV: Settings > Device Preferences > Language
• VIDAA: Settings > System > Language
• Roku: Settings > System > Language

Available Voice Guide Languages

Hisense