Roku is among the best streaming solutions. Similar in features to the best Fire TV streaming devices, it effortlessly connects to your TV and gives you access to the most popular streaming apps. However, like any other great service, its plethora of settings can give you a hard time, especially if you struggle to turn them off. This guide explains what Roku’s screen reader is and several ways to turn it off quickly.
What is Roku’s screen reader?
Roku’s screen reader is an accessibility feature similar to those found on most devices. In a nutshell, it’s Roku’s screen narration tool. When turned on, it narrates text on the screen to improve the experience of users with visual impairments.
As useful as the screen reader can be, it’s possible to accidentally turn the feature on, which could lead to frustration. The sections below outline multiple ways to turn it off.
Turn off Roku’s screen reader tool
There are several ways to turn off Roku’s screen reader feature.
Turn off Roku’s screen reader via the remote
The easiest way to turn off Roku’s screen reader is via the remote. Press the star (asterisk) button on your remote four times. Press it four times again to turn the voice narration back on. The specific number of button presses makes it less likely to turn the feature on by accident.
If you don’t intend to use screen narration with your Roku, turn it off in the accessibility settings.
Turn off Roku’s screen reader via accessibility settings
As mentioned previously, a more foolproof method is to turn off Roku’s screen reader feature via accessibility settings.
- Open Settings on Roku’s homepage.
- From the menu on the left, choose Accessibility.
- Select the screen reader from the menu next to it.
- Choose Off to turn off Roku’s screen reader.
Following these steps should disable Roku’s screen reader for good. If it persists, you may need to turn off voice narration for individual apps, such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.
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Take your streaming to the next level
No more screen narration
While it can be frustrating to hear your Roku narrate everything on the screen for you, it’s simple enough to turn off. Use the remote or accessibility settings to do it, and you’ll be back to enjoying your favorite shows and feature films in no time.
If you encounter other common hurdles with your Roku device, we compiled a guide to get you back up to speed.
