How do I turn off text to speech in TCL?

ByJael Lawler

TCL is one of the leading manufacturers of smart TVs. Many of their TV models come equipped with an integrated text-to-speech feature that can read on-screen text aloud to provide accessibility for visually impaired users.

However, some users find the text-to-speech distracting or unnecessary for their needs. The synthetic voice reading aloud on-screen text can interfere with watching TV programming or movies. Some users simply want to disable text-to-speech entirely, while others may want more granular control to disable it for specific apps or uses.

Fortunately, it is easy to fully or partially disable text-to-speech on TCL smart TVs. This guide will walk through the steps to turn off text-to-speech completely, disable it for certain apps only, or customize text-to-speech settings to suit your needs.

Locate Text-to-Speech Settings

To locate the text-to-speech settings on a TCL TV, you first need to access the settings menu. This can be done by pressing the settings button on your TCL remote or navigating to the settings option from the home screen.

Once in the settings menu, scroll down and select “Accessibility” (for Roku TVs) or “TalkBack” (for Android TVs). This will open the accessibility settings where you can enable or disable text-to-speech capabilities.

On Roku TVs, highlight “Text to speech” and select to toggle it on or off. For Android TVs, select “TalkBack” and choose “Enable” or “Disable” to turn text-to-speech on or off.

The TCL support website provides step-by-step instructions for finding text-to-speech settings: https://support.tcl.com/rokutv-common-questions/01-how-to-enable-and-disable-text-to-speech-on-my-tcl-roku-tv

With these steps, you can easily locate and access the text-to-speech settings on your TCL TV to turn capabilities on or off.

Turn Off Text-to-Speech Completely

To fully disable the text-to-speech feature on your TCL TV, follow these steps:

  1. Press the “Settings” button on your TCL TV remote to open the main settings menu. You can also select the settings icon in the top right corner.
  2. Navigate to and select the “Accessibility” menu option. This is typically found a few menus down in the main settings.
  3. Select the “Audio Guide” or “Text-to-Speech” setting. The exact wording may vary slightly between TCL TV models.
  4. Set the Text-to-Speech option to “Off”. You should see a toggle that allows you to enable or disable this feature.
  5. Finally, exit back out to the main settings menu and you’re done! Text-to-speech should now be fully disabled.

By toggling the Text-to-Speech or Audio Guide setting to off, you can completely prevent your TCL TV from reading text aloud. This will disable text-to-speech across the entire TV interface and within all apps.

Disable Text-to-Speech for Specific Apps

You can disable text-to-speech for just certain apps on your TCL TV, rather than turning it off completely. This allows you to still take advantage of the text-to-speech feature in apps where you find it useful, while disabling it for apps where you’d rather not have it.

To disable text-to-speech for a specific app on a TCL Roku TV:

  1. From the Home screen, go to Settings.
  2. Select Accessibility.
  3. Choose Audio Guide.
  4. Find the app you want to disable text-to-speech for and set the toggle switch to Off.

For TCL Android TVs:

  1. Go to Settings from the home screen.
  2. Choose Accessibility.
  3. Select Text-to-speech output.
  4. Find the app and toggle text-to-speech to Off.

This will prevent that app from reading text aloud, while keeping the feature enabled for other apps. You can customize text-to-speech settings for each app individually this way.

Adjust Text-to-Speech Settings

TCL TVs allow you to customize the text-to-speech feature to your preferences. Here are some of the settings you can adjust:

Language

You can set the language for the text-to-speech voice. On TCL Roku TVs, go to Settings > Accessibility > Text to Speech to change the language. Options include English, Spanish, French, and more 1.

Speed

Adjust the speed at which the text is read aloud. Faster settings sound more robotic, while slower settings sound more natural. On TCL Android TVs, select Settings > Device Preferences > Text to speech to change speed 2.

Pitch

Make the voice higher or lower pitched. This helps distinguish multiple voices. On TCL Roku TVs, modify pitch under Text to Speech settings 3.

Use Text-to-Speech Selectively

While some find the text-to-speech feature helpful, others may find the voiceover distracting if it is on all the time. Here are some tips for using text-to-speech selectively on your TCL TV:

Turn on text-to-speech only for certain apps or screens where you want assistance reading text. Go to Settings > Accessibility and disable text-to-speech globally. Then go into the specific app’s settings where you want to enable text-to-speech.

Use the voice assistant button on your TCL remote to activate text-to-speech only when needed. Push the button and say “enable text-to-speech” to turn it on temporarily. Say “disable text-to-speech” when you are finished.

Adjust the text-to-speech settings for speaking rate and pitch to make the voice more pleasant and natural sounding. This can make selective use of text-to-speech less jarring. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Text to Speech Output to customize.

Use your TCL TV’s voice assistant capabilities to have text read aloud only for certain words or phrases. Say “Read this” or “What does this say?” while highlighting text to avoid enabling text-to-speech globally.

Consider enabling text-to-speech only for limited period of time where it would be most useful, such as when initially setting up the TV or learning a new app. Disable it globally once you are past the on-boarding phase.

Troubleshooting

If you are having issues with text-to-speech on your TCL TV, here are some solutions for common problems:

If text-to-speech is not working at all, check that the feature is enabled in your Accessibility settings. Go to Settings > Accessibility and make sure Text-to-Speech is switched on. You may also need to adjust the speed and volume to suit your preferences.

If text-to-speech is reading out unintended text like menus and buttons, go to Accessibility settings and disable “Speak Items Under Focus.” This will prevent non-text elements from being read out.

If the voice sounds robotic or unclear, try changing the default voice in Accessibility settings. There are a few voice options to choose from to find one that sounds more natural.

If text-to-speech works in some apps but not others, this is likely due to app-specific permissions. Make sure the app has permission to use text-to-speech by going to Settings > Apps > [App Name] > Permissions.

If the text-to-speech volume is too low even at max volume, connect external speakers or a soundbar via digital optical, HDMI ARC, or Bluetooth. The internal TV speakers may not be able to produce sufficient volume.

For additional troubleshooting tips, refer to TCL’s support page on enabling and disabling text-to-speech.

Accessibility Uses

Text-to-speech can be very helpful for people with visual impairments that make it difficult to read text on a screen. Here are some of the key ways TCL’s text-to-speech feature assists visually impaired users:

Helps blind or low vision users navigate the TV interface and settings. The text-to-speech narration reads out menu options, settings, content details, program information, etc. so users can fully utilize the TV without seeing the screen.

Allows visually impaired users to hear text-based content read aloud. This includes things like program subtitles and descriptions, app menus and buttons, search results, and any on-screen text.

Provides an alternative to braille devices when accessing the TV’s interface and programs. The built-in text-to-speech acts as a screen reader.

Makes it possible to use the TV independently. Visually impaired users don’t have to rely on sighted assistance.

Gives access to entertainment options like TV shows, movies, streaming content, and more. The text narration opens up the full experience.

Helps visually impaired users fully enjoy the TV as a social experience with family or friends. Everyone can participate together.

Conclusion

In summary, there are a few key steps to turn off text-to-speech on a TCL TV:

  • Go to Settings > Accessibility and select Text to Speech
  • Toggle Text to Speech to Off to completely disable the feature
  • You can also disable text-to-speech for specific apps only
  • Adjust speech rate and volume in Text to Speech settings

While text-to-speech can be helpful for accessibility, you may want to turn it off if the voice is distracting or disruptive. Carefully test the settings to find the right balance for your needs.

For more help with customizing text-to-speech on your TCL TV, check out TCL’s support site[1] or the Roku TV support community[2]. You can also find video tutorials and reviews on sites like Rtings[3] and YouTube[4]. With the right settings, you can optimize your TCL TV experience.

[1] https://support.tcl.com/roku-tv/how-to-enable-and-disable-text-to-speech-on-my-tcl-roku-tv
[2] https://community.roku.com/
[3] https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/tcl
[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-d7JyX8OY8

References

TCL Support, “Accessibility Features,” TCL, https://www.tclusa.com/about-tcl/accessibility-features.

TCL Support, “How to Turn Off Text-to-Speech,” TCL, https://www.tclusa.com/support/how-to/how-to-turn-off-text-to-speech.

Android Central, “How to Use Text-to-Speech on Your Android Phone,” Android Central, https://www.androidcentral.com/how-use-text-speech-your-android-phone.

Google Support, “Use Select-to-Speak on Your Android Device,” Google, https://support.google.com/accessibility/android/answer/6006972?hl=en.

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