from VoiceOver to TalkBack

Hello,
I used iOS for years, and am now happily on team Android. The gesture set is going to be different. Basic swipes left right up and down perform pretty much the same functions. Two finger swipes are for scrolling. Three finger swipes up and down change the reading control, basically the Talkback equivalent of the rotor. Magic tap is the same. It's really not hard to learn, but in that first few days muscle memory will get ya. If you go back and forth between the two, it's easy to forget which one your using, and you can be left wondering why in the world your gesture didn't do what you expected at all.
Having said all this, while Talkback is very good, there's another screen reader called Talk Forward, which you would have to install after you get the device set up, but once it is on and running, it has the same gesture set from Voiceover, all the goodies from Talkback, and the developer continues to make improvements and fix bugs at a much faster rate than either Apple or Google, and he is just one developer. If you want the customization and other fun geekery of Android, but don't want to mess with Talkback, Talk Forward is your best bet. I loved Talkback, never saw a need for anything else, but after using Talk Forward for over two months, if something ever happened and it was no longer available, I would be pretty sad.
One big thing that a lot of people who switch complain about is talkback lag compared to Voiceover. That has gotten a lot better over the years, can be improved even further with the right tts engine and settings, but Talk Forward reduces latency even further, so it is in my opinion just as fast as Voiceover.

Hi Alicia!
I'll try to answer your questions.
Personally, I'm currently an Android user. I fully switched to Android a little over 3 years ago, after using Apple products for quite a long time—I spent 13 years in the Apple ecosystem.
First of all, let me tell you that not all Androids devices are created equal. Obviously, if you want a better experience, you need to go for a flagship device. You also have to consider that there are many Android manufacturers, and each adds customization layers that often damage or completely ruin accessibility—Chinese brands, for example. I've used many brands, ranging from Motorola, LG, and HTC, until I finally found where I feel happiest and most comfortable: using a Google Pixel.
Any operating system requires a learning curve. There isn't a better or worse OS—both Android and iOS have their pros and cons. In reality, there is no perfect operating system. VoiceOver has a lot of issues, yes, but on the flip side, TalkBack isn't perfect either.
The main reason I switched to Android was that VoiceOver had—and still has—quite a few issues. The second reason is that Android's accessibility has improved significantly over the last few years. Today, accessibility isn't a deciding factor when choosing a phone, which is great for our visually impaired community.
And lastly, regarding gestures: you have to keep in mind that switching to a new operating system means starting a new learning process. The same applies when moving to a different screen reader; things won't be identical.
Ultimately, differences in gestures don't matter because you simply need to learn them—it's just a learning curve. Not everything should be the same, either. If it were, the exact same issues VoiceOver has would just carry over to TalkBack.

If you want a relatively smooth transition, here are my recommendations:
1. Buy a Pixel device, preferably 9 or later.
2. By the Vocalizer TTS for Android from the Google Play store.
3. Install the TalkForward screen reader, either from the Google Play store, or from the developers website.

Reasons:
From everything I have read online, the Google Pixel is considered the iPhone of the Android product lineup. This even comes from fully sighted users.
Having heard several demos online of vocalizer TTS for Android, I feel it is safe to say that iPhone users would feel right at home using this TTS on their new Android device. Samantha, for example, sounds just as good, if not better than Samantha sounds on the latest iPhones.
Finally, TF is shaping up to be an amazing screen reader. Essentially, it is a beefed up clone of VoiceOver for Android. With a few extra caveats not found in iOS.

While TalkBack has come a very long way in the past decade, using a screen reader that has VoiceOver-like gestures, along with a very familiar sounding TTS, might just be what you need to ease the transition of switching from iOS to Android.

HTH. 🙂

You are spot on with all of this. Though, if you are not willing to pay for Vocalizer, Google tts is honestly not half bad. I'm partial to Eloquence myself.

Can you get eloquence on Android these days? And the lag is what killed me. It just was so bad that I couldn't deal. You feel like it is gone? Lastly, how do you feel about the amount of accessible apps that are or are not available? Drives me crazy that there is no Android equivalent of Applevis that has a repo of apps that are available.

https://accessibleandroid.com/app/
Use the filter control to navigate by category.

While not as robust as what AppleVis has to offer, it's not bad.

HTH. 😎

Yes, you can get Eloquence, though it's on a subscription model now, so like $29 a year, or under $3 but I forget the exact amount per month.

You mean not only we need to get a phone but also pay for the voices? VO is sometimes a pain but do not need to pay for voices. How much are they anyway? $50? Long oops I almost said it.

You only have to pay for voices that are not Google branded. You would have to do the same with iOS for commercially licensed speech engines. the new Runa TTS, for example, will have a price point once it is officially launched.

I do believe Android has some speech engines that are free, outside of what comes with TalkBack. However, 3 of the more popular commercially licensed products are:
1. Acappella.
2. Vocalizer.
3. Eloquence.

HTH.

Google Accessibility Team is working on better quality voices, laters TalkBack 17 versions will implement high-quality voices and also faster voices. I can imagine that the high-quality voices will be the ones used in Gemini. They have very good expression.
Personally I use Acappella voices each voice cost about $5 for a single payment. not subscription.

"Hi Alicia, I'm getting back to you. These are the same VoiceOver issues you've had up to now; some of them have been unresolved for years.
per example one of them is:
VoiceOver focus
—a long-standing issue apple still hasn't fixed.
Another one is voiceover lost speech
"I am bilingual, but I heard it happened even when using a single voice—VoiceOver lose speech. You'd have voices downloaded and assigned, but after a while, they disappeared and were completely erased. Because of this, you were often left without Text to speak voice, or VoiceOver would sporadically revert to its default VoiceOver voice.
"Another issue was VoiceOver freezing or stop responding inside certain apps, often forcing you to restart the device. This happened to me frequently while using online banking or ride services apps.
"Another one is voice dictation.
Many times, the magic gesture—a two-finger double-tap—worked, but other times it didn't. And when it did work, VoiceOver captured the text incorrectly
"Apparently, I’m not the only one dealing with this dictation issue—it happens to quite a few people. In fact, I just heard about it in a video by Sam from The Blind Life, where he recommends specialized software to fix these problems
and many more on the list.

all these VoiceOver issues can be reported to apple with the feedback assistant app. I WENT THE OTHER WAY> THE ONLY REASON I am an iPhone user is Apple Pay. someone where i lived, used my tap on my debbet card, when I was at a rehersal for a local production of the musical Hairspray, and bought a McDonalds meal. if I knew about Google Pay, i wou8ld've more than likely never switched. I have a nexus 6, I intend to referbish, so i can root it, and flash a custom ROM, that will get me as close to android 17 as possible.

Most of these bugs have been reported to Apple feedback for the past decade. That's kind of the point. That's why people are saying some of these bugs have been around for years.
Years.
Not since the last version of iOS, or even the last two or three versions. But years and years of bugs continuously plaguing the system.

Trust me, they get reported. Apple just hasn't gotten around to them.
Yet... 🙄

Hello. You don't get anything by reporting this issues to Apple.
If VoiceOver’s issues were fixed, once you report it, I can assure you completely that VoiceOver wouldn't have any inconvenience. However, consequently, there are VoiceOver issues that have been present for more than 9 years and Apple hasn't solved them.
I personally use Google Wallet/ Google Pay and I don't have any problem.
I have to mention that I use a Google Pixel as my main phone and it's much more accessible compared to an Apple with Apple Pay. I don't have any inconvenience in paying in restaurants, convenience stores, or supermarkets. I've even ordered two white canes over the last few years from Ambutech site Paying with Google Pay

there are lots of VoiceOver bugs, which as stated, have been there for years. Apple seems to capitalize on GAAD, making the mainstream audience beleave they are advancing accessibility. while that is true, like assistive access, for example, it seems the accessibility team have too much on their plates. to their credit, the newer accessibility options seem to have fewer bugs than older ones.

Hi,
I tried to switch to Android 2 times.
The problem that I always had was TalkBack being incredibly slow when swiping with one finger to navigate or not responsive enough when dragging the finger around the screen. For example, when swiping quickly through the settings list, each time the view is scrolled automatically, TalkBack hangs for a moment and does not immediately respond to my flick. So I oversee elements there.
In Telegram, it was even worse. Every swipe took 2 seconds to respond.
I tested a Pixel 6a in 2023 and a Pixel 9a in 2025 with the latest Android and TalkBack version at that time.
Another issue was the keyboard. As TalkBack does not respond as snappy as VoiceOver does, dragging the finger on the screen to find the keys was so inefficient. I dragged a bit, then I heard m, for example, and a few milliseconds later I heard something different even though the finger has not moved (this is what I mean with the TalkBack delay and hagning).
I used the Google TTS Voices. I also tried different screen readers like Prudence at that time, or Jieshuo / CSR, and they were so much snappier than TalkBack and comparable to VoiceOver's speed on iOS.
I don't understand how people tolerate this on Android; for me, I could only switch to Android if these issues are fixed. Such basic things need to work flawlessly!

Why don't you think that you are the problem?
Those issues that you point out in Android with TalkBack are really minor actually in the laters versions has improved or even resolved with a few changes, for example, using a different synthesizer. I recommend the ones from Acapela or from Vocalizer, Also, in the laters talkBack versions, has developed under advanced so that the keyboard latency is improved and I can assure you that today it is minimal or It is very similar to voiceOver experience when it has the appropriate settings.
On the other hand, I tell you, it seems completely silly to me that iPhone VoiceOver users tolerate many bugs that have been around for many years and apple don't fix them.
As you can see, each person has different points of view.

All,

Please remember to be kind here and treat others the way you wish to be treated. AppleVis is built on a foundation of mutual respect. When someone responds to an issue by telling the author that they are the problem, this is not helpful and can discourage people from participating. Thank you for helping us make AppleVis a welcoming place for everyone.

Just asking how old is it? As apple releases new iOS every year and they are more complicated I am curious if VO is not able to handle it much. VO needs a remade from top to bottom. Not adding new features but overhauling the VO. Most program have updates every 3 or 4 months as apps rleases and sometimes people make changes to them that affect the speech program.

VoiceOver on macOS is twenty years old, and for iOS it's sixteen.

When was the time apple did a major work on VO, not talking about fixing bugs but doing serious work on it? Like I said most speech programs get update when a major release is done, after that they get every 2 months or so.

Hi all,

Let's please get back onto the topic at hand--comparisons of TalkBack vs. VoiceOver. Please feel free to start a new topic in the Apple section of the forum for discussions specific to VoiceOver unrelated to how it compares to Android. Thanks.

I only pointed out how the experience was for me. I did not generalize things.
for me, Android was just not the right thing at that time when I tested it.
No clue why the only argument you are able to comment here is to attack me verbally.
I'm perfectly fine if people are happy with Android. I simply have different expectations from a device. For me, the expectations are that I turn on the device, set up everything and use the built-in features, voices and screen reader.
When I first have to look for paid voices to sort out issues, that's not what I expect.
Every system has its own glitches and issues, but basic functionality like writing fluently on the keyboard or navigating the system efficiently and fast have to work for me out of the box.
TalkBack is about 15 years old and Google cannot manage it to fix the basic issues. If they are now fixed, fine, I will try this out again. But it took them 15 years to fix this.
Another example: I remember an issue where double-tap has not worked correctly for a year or so on a Pixel phone. I had to control the phone with a keyboard until google finally fixed this.
These are another kind of bug than Apple's glitches. And I heard from many friends who had the same issue with their Pixel phone at that time and switched to iOS then.
So the problem that I am here is that I need a phone / device that works reliably every day. Android could not deliver that FOR ME, but that does not mean that this must be true for everyone.
The composer of this thread just looked for experiences, and that was just my one. Just one of hundreds, thousdans, millions.

Now, feel free to attack me once again and be happy when done.

I switched my phone from Iphone to Samsung in 2021 and i love my Samsung, the amount of customization i can do is awesome and the choice of screenreaders i can get is awesome, if there is something that talkback can't do for example, CSR is usually able to do it.

as far as I am aware, apple did the last sirious rewrite of VoiceOver in 2009, for the Mac. I had thought that VoiceOver would be gutted when the M 1 Macs were released, as Apple, in WWDC 20, said they rebuilt big Sur from scratch at that time. guess not. now, off to the apple forum section!

Do not recall done for the iPhone, just adding new features. Next year the iPhone will be 20 years and VO???? Every year the iOS is getting change and now with AI, makes me curious if VO will one day just not work, they do put paches and fixes bugs when the make the time but is not the same of looking at VO and do a update from start to end.

I’m having one huge issue with Apple at the moment, and it is actually making me want to switch to android. Apple seems to want me to change my password every single week or thereabouts. And then when I change my password, it is still wrong. Now. I have not had to change my Google password since I’ve had the account, for maybe 10 years plus. I have kept the same password, kept the same account and never had to change it or switch to a different password or anything like that, ever. With Apple, I have to switch my password at least once a week, and then get told that my new password I just changed is wrong. So then I have to go through the whole process of changing from password to password, being told that it is either wrong, does not match or has been used in the past several years and cannot be used again, or my personal favourite. This password has appeared in a data leak, fantastic! I don’t know a single user of an android device and Google that has ever reported having to change their password because Google tells them it’s wrong. For that matter, I haven’t heard of many Apple users having the same problem as I am, but I tell you I genuinely do not care. It is a huge problem, and I’m seriously considering getting an android device for my next phone because I tell you, I am done with Apple‘s crap. Locked into the same ecosystem. Have to change your password every week. It’s Apple or nothing. Seriously, I don’t want to be told anymore what device I can and can’t use, and since Apple is giving me problems I am so close to just telling them to go screw themselves and going straight to android. I seriously have had enough of their crap. The only reason I got an iPhone again was because I let a friend at the time talk me into how great Apple is for the Blind community, how I’m basically stupid for wanting to go to an android device because you can’t get most of the apps that you can with Apple, bullshit by the way, me and another friend proved that one. But they kept on and on and on at me until I went, oh fine! I guess I’ll go back to fucking Apple then! My exact words. So then I returned to Apple after using an android for two years. And in typical Apple style, it was fine for the first few months to about a year, then I began to notice little problems. The phone would slow down, the things I used to be able to do relatively quickly just don’t work properly. Okay, that might be true of a lot of devices, but I tell you when I had my Samsung phone, I had very little to almost none of those problems. That is the last time I let anybody else talk me into what phone I need to get.
Now. On the points of why I want to switch to android. For one thing, the phone appears on a computer as an external drive. Meaning, I can put music on my phone whenever I want, no proprietary bullshit required. Just plug in a USBC cable, which android had way before Apple by the way, at least in Europe, and your phone connects straight to the computer as if it was an external drive, which it is. You plug in an iPhone to a Windows computer for example, and it has an absolute heart attack asking stupid dumb questions like, should I trust this computer? Are you sure you want to trust this computer that you use every single day? I’ve been connected to this computer before, but should I trust it? So you click yes. Then it shuts up for awhile before asking the same damn question again, and again, and again, and again, you get the idea. Oh yes! How could I forget! You can use the music that you put on your android device as a custom ringtone, you cannot do that with Apple, I do not give a single shit what anyone says, you cannot do that with Apple easily. You need iTunes and a computer. With an android device, at least you can use music that you put on there yourself by a wonderful thing called USB file transfer which Apple still has not worked out how to do. Oh yes, and lest we forget, talking of transferring files, android still has Bluetooth file transfer, and they have for years! Apple has not, and has no intention of adding Bluetooth file transfer capability to their devices. We have had that around since the days of Symbian, if anyone remembers that. But Apple still refuses to recognise the fact that Bluetooth file transfer exists, and has since the first dam Nokia phone. Obviously, I will not mention infrared file transfer as that is no longer applicable.
Enclosing, I don’t like Apple any more, and I can see why one of my friends and a few other people I have spoken to says that Apple‘s business practices should be illegal. It came out in court, and Apple openly admitted to it, that they intentionally make their devices just that little bit more unstable with every update. It was huge news a few years ago, and ever since I saw that, it has taken me a few years admittedly yes, but I have been less and less thrilled by apples supposed wonderful devices, and every time they come out with a “new” iPhone or device, I die just that little bit more inside knowing that I’ll be paying $2000 plus for a phone that is just going to shit itself in two years, And also knowing that it is intentionally designed that way just makes me hate the product all that much more.
I’m sorry to all you Apple fans that might be sitting there reading this, wishing you could just reach right through the screen and strangle me, but I was one of you once and, after the shit that I have gone through with Apple, I’m out. I don’t want to play into Apple‘s bullshit game any more. You are not going to lock me into an ecosystem that I can do nothing with and that I can customise nothing.
I’ll get off my damn soapbox now, I’ve had my say and whether you agree with me or not, I honestly could care less, but take what you will from this. I’m not here to start a flame war about Apple versus android, even though I may have unintentionally done so. Ran over, have a day.

Testify my brother.