Talk Forward Screen Reader

It had split tap functionality. I use that so much on my iPhone, and I was happy to hear that it came to Android awhile back.
Still, I guess they're still Prudence, and I don't know about CSR... was there a reason that was taken off of the Google play store?

I think this one has potential. I like that you can use the rotor, or you can use the normal Talkback way of doing things. It's a bit faster than regular Talkback too. And the dev is pretty active on the Blind Android Users telegram group and has been quick to make changes based on user feedback.

I 101% trust @kaillewaille with anything he comes up with so :) cool!!

We are stuck with one screen reader on iOS and MacOS.

I don't know whether to laugh or repeatedly slam my head against the nearest available surface.

Awesome. So happy to hear that it's on TalkForward. So I have a question, do the angle gestures exist with TalkForward?

No, they don't. Dev might bring them back, but one of the ways he was able to improve latency involved zapping those. As far as I'm concerned, good riddens. With Talk Forward, you get edge gestures, so you go home, to recents, quick settings or notifications with one finger drag from either the bottom or top of the screen. Still slightly buggy but when it works, it's really cool.

Dear all,

First, thanks to all of you who expressed support and encouragements for this new project. A few notes before going away to finish shaping the next Talk Forward release:

• It will definitely end on the play store at some point: the process towards play store distribution progresses very well, and as soon as the next release is published, it will be my top priority.
• Although it's for Android, keep an eye on this thread , as the next Talk Forward version may bring something very cool for Apple users.

Thanks again!

Thank you very much for your project.
As an Apple user, you made me want to buy an Android phone just to try it with VoiceOver sounds and gestures.
I use Agram for iOS, and you really made a masterpiece.
Your passion and your attention to users are admirable, and I am sure that Talk Forward will also go very far!

This project makes me want Android.. now. 🤯

I'm off to pull out my Google tablet to check it out, this is exciting!!! I got so frustrated with the Talkback lag that I kind of gave up on Android temporarily.

Since you mentioned removing the angle gestures to reduce lag, how responsive is TalkForward on your Pixel?

It's kinda hard to say. I notice the difference, but after a year on Android I don't notice regular talkback lag much anymore. I can say Talk Forward is faster, but hard to quantify. Until a few more bugs are fixed I can't commit to using it full time, but it is very promising and I look forward to seeing what else this dev can do. I also brought up in the Blind Android Users telegram the need for a good NVDA remote app, as the one on the play store that was first released on iOS then Android just force closes whenever you try connecting. Whether he releases it as a standalone app or bakes it in to Talk Forward, he did say he might be doing something for NVDA remote access, which will be amazing.

The only major issue I'm having is with the Google keyboard. It's a little jumpy; after I type a letter, Talk Forward repeats that letter over and over, even if I'm not touching the screen.
But a huge positive is that I can now easily moderate Facebook groups again! The join requests and pending posts, which have been a nightmare to handle on iOS for weeks, are completely accessible on Android.
I'm really looking forward to future Talk Forward updates!

does talk forward work with samsung edge display features? this sounds amazing, and if image descriptions work it will be incredible

Title says it all. I'm going to try this on my tablet and see how it goes. I really approve of this project. TalkForward. Has a nice ring to it.

I still like TalkBack and the other screenreaders with angle gestures but it's a good screenreader

Hi everyone,

A big update — here's what's new:

A sound of our own. Thanks to our supporters, Talk Forward now has its very own sonic identity — a custom Talk Forward sound pack, on by default. Prefer the familiar? You can switch back to the classic TalkBack sounds any time. And this is only the beginning: more sound packs and app scripts are on the way, downloadable right from the in-app catalog.

Voices, your way. A new "Voice" screen (under Audio) lets you set up several voices — engine, voice, rate, pitch, volume — and switch between them on the fly with the rotor. Voice names are finally readable — you'll see "Graham" (UK) or "Samantha" (US) instead of cryptic IDs like "en-us-x-iol-local" — and when you pick a voice we now list only the ones actually installed on your device, so no more scrolling past 200 Google voices.

Smarter dictation. A two-finger double-tap in any text field starts Talk Forward's own dictation (no more hunting for the keyboard mic). Every dictation option now lives on its own screen, and the start/stop sound plays on the accessibility volume — so you hear it even on silent or vibrate — with an optional quick double-buzz.

Read numbers digit by digit. A new verbosity option reads "1 2 3" instead of "one hundred twenty-three" whenever you prefer.

Speak the hint, on demand. A new assignable gesture reads just the usage hint of the focused item — even if you keep automatic hints switched off.

Live translation, per app. Read foreign text in your own language as you go. Turn auto-translation on for the apps you choose, pick a source language (or let it auto-detect) and the target language you want — it runs entirely on your device, free and offline.

Volume and ringer, from the rotor. Adjust the accessibility, media and ring volumes straight from the rotor — and switch the ringer mode between normal, vibrate and silent — without ever leaving the app you're in.

A tidier settings menu. We've reorganized Talk Forward's settings so everything's where you'd expect it: the Audio section now gathers Voice, Dictation and image descriptions together, each on its own clear screen.

Settings, one tap away. Talk Forward now has its own icon in the app drawer that opens its settings directly.

A couple more: an assignable two-finger rotation rotor, and a "Move to picture-in-picture" action.

Thank you. Huge thanks, again, to everyone sending bug reports and feedback — it genuinely shapes every release and makes Talk Forward better for all of us. Keep it coming!

Thank you so much for all you're doing! My Pixel tablet is so much more pleasant to use now.

...and yet I am super excited about this update!!!
I do have one question. As I understand it, the angle gestures are disabled with TalkForward. I am absolutely fine with that, but I was wondering have you, or will you, consider adding the Voice Command option to TalkForward, like the angle gesture For TalkBack? I think it would be a nice addition to the rotor, and the last time I played around with a Pixel 8 Pro, I found Voice Command to be incredibly useful.

Thanks, I honestly did not even think of that. We will have to see how things go, but I may be getting a new device as soon as next month. My carrier, whom I have been with for about a decade now, literally, has merged/been bought out by another cell phone giant, and Now I am not very impressed with their service. Not to mention my monthly bill has gone up by about $30. So, I am looking to switch carriers, and thus get a new device.
So, we shall see...

As Trenton already said, the new sound pack is fantastic. Looking forward to seeing some of the bugs I've reported resolved. Seriously, super happy with this screen reader.

Is there an easy, safe way to have TalkBack and Talk Forward on the phone and toggle between them? I'm interested in this new Talk Forward but I don't need to be locking myself out of my phone.
Also what about Braille support? I have to use my display with the Google voices as sometimes I can't quite understand the voice.
Thanks for advice. For context I'm 99% iOS user but trying to stay current on Android, and maybe some day become fluent.

This is actually better than voiceover. One thing I do wish it had, like voice over, is a four finger tap at either top or bottom to move to either top or bottom of the window. I think it currently brings up a practice mode. Aside from that, it's really excellent and has made me consider getting an android phone... Or a better one than the Moto G84 I've got.

You can get one of these on eBay right now for a little over $300. Flossy Carter does an amazing review of this device, and for a "budget model" it is phenomenal. Will likely be what I end up going with, unless the 26 FE makes it's debut before I finally make my switch. 😇

Man, I haven't checked that review, but just based on my knowledge of Android, both Samsung and Google, and this new screen reader, I know you're gunna enjoy the experience. I'm amazed by all this dev has pulled off in a relatively short time. Come on in, the waters fine!

"Hi all, I've been testing Talk Forward on Android and loving the iOS-style navigation. However, I'm having trouble figuring out how to type or insert emojis while using the on-screen Braille Keyboard. Does anyone know how to access emojis from this mode, or if there is a specific command for it? Any help would be appreciated!"

I remember seeing something about that being a feature in the release notes a few versions back, but never figured out how to access it.

Hi,

I have a few questions about accessibility and typing on the device.

1. Does it have a text selection feature similar to VoiceOver? For example, if I’m browsing a website in Google Chrome and want to copy an address or some other text, can I use text selection with the rotor (or an equivalent feature) to navigate and select by characters, words, lines, etc.? Does this work on webpages as well as in other apps?
2. How accurate is the dictation feature? Does it use Google Voice Typing/Google Dictation, or does it use a different speech-to-text engine?
3. What is the typing experience like with Gboard (Google Keyboard) and the Samsung Keyboard? Is there any noticeable lag when typing, especially with accessibility features enabled? Android devices are sometimes known for keyboard lag, so I’m curious whether that’s still an issue on this screen reader

Thank you.