Samsung TV Narrating Everything? How to Turn Off Voice Guide
When a Samsung TV announces everything you do, Voice Guide is on. Samsung describes it as an accessibility function for people who are blind or have low vision, and says it typically gets turned on by accident when someone holds the volume button on the remote. You can switch it off from the Accessibility Shortcuts menu or under Settings → Accessibility; the path depends on the model series.
Quick answer
If your Samsung TV reads out every menu, channel and volume change, Voice Guide is turned on. Samsung says holding the volume button on the remote is typically how it gets switched on by accident. Turn it off under Settings → General & Privacy → Accessibility → Voice Guide Settings.
- 1.On a Smart Remote, press and hold the +/- (Volume) button for 2 seconds or longer to open Accessibility Shortcuts, then turn Voice Guide off.
- 2.Or go to Home → Settings (All Settings) → General (General & Privacy) → Accessibility → Voice Guide Settings → Voice Guide and set it to Off.
What it means
Voice Guide is one of Samsung's accessibility options. Samsung US says it narrates everything that appears on the TV, projector or Odyssey Ark gaming screen, such as menu options, the volume level and the channel, and that it is there to assist users who are blind or have low vision. Samsung Russia describes the same symptom: the TV voices every action, from switching channels and changing the volume to moving through the menu.
So a TV that suddenly announces everything is not showing a fault: a feature has been switched on. Samsung US notes that the accessibility menu opens when you hold the volume button on the remote, and that this is typically how Voice Guide gets turned on accidentally. Samsung Russia adds that holding the Mute button on a standard button remote does the same. Turning Voice Guide off stops the TV from announcing the name of everything highlighted on screen.
Common causes
- The volume button was held down on the remote. Holding the volume button opens the accessibility menu (Accessibility Shortcuts). Samsung US says this is typically how Voice Guide gets turned on by accident, and Samsung Russia names the volume button on the Smart Control remote.
- The Mute button was held down on a button remote. Samsung Russia says a long press of Mute on a standard button remote also brings up the Voice Guide settings window.
- Voice Guide was switched on in the Accessibility settings. The setting lives under Accessibility → Voice Guide Settings. If someone turned it on there, it stays on until it is switched off again.
- The Accessibility Shortcuts menu has its own voice guide. Samsung Caribbean notes that even if Voice Guide is set to Off or muted, the voice guide for Accessibility Shortcuts will be enabled. Hearing narration inside that menu does not mean the setting failed.
Before you start
- Listen to what the TV says. If it announces menu options, the volume level, the channel or whatever is highlighted on screen, that is Voice Guide, as Samsung US describes it.
- Check which remote you have. On a Smart Remote, the shortcut is holding the +/- (Volume) button; Samsung Russia says a button remote opens the Voice Guide settings with a long press of Mute.
- If you know your TV's series (K, M, N, R, T, A or newer), keep it in mind: Samsung gives a different settings path for each.
Fixes, from safest to last resort
Turn off Voice Guide from Accessibility Shortcuts
No data loss- 1On a Samsung Smart Remote, press and hold the +/- (Volume) button for 2 seconds or longer.
- 2In the Accessibility Shortcuts menu that opens, select Voice Guide and turn it off.
- 3On a standard button remote, press and hold Mute to bring up the Voice Guide settings window, then turn the function off.
- 4Move through a menu and check that the TV no longer announces each item.
Samsung Caribbean gives the volume shortcut for the Smart Remote; Samsung Russia gives the Mute long press for a button remote. The Accessibility Shortcuts menu keeps its own voice guide even when Voice Guide is off.
Turn off Voice Guide in Settings (newer models)
No data loss- 1Press Home on the remote and go to Menu → Settings → All Settings.
- 2Open General & Privacy → Accessibility.
- 3Select Voice Guide Settings and set Voice Guide to Off.
This is the path Samsung US and Samsung Caribbean give: Home → Settings (All Settings) → General (General & Privacy) → Accessibility → Voice Guide Settings → Voice Guide → Off. Samsung says screens and menus may vary depending on the model and software version.
Turn off Voice Guide on K, M, N, R, T and A series TVs
No data loss- 1On an M, N, R, T or A series TV, open Settings → General → Accessibility → Voice Guide Settings and turn the function off.
- 2On a K series TV, open Settings → System → Accessibility → Voice Guide and turn the function off.
- 3Check that the TV has stopped narrating.
Samsung Russia publishes these paths by series. The menu names here are the English equivalents of the Russian labels on Samsung's page.
Check for a software update
Re-setup needed- 1Look for a software update in your TV's settings or in its user manual.
- 2Install any available update, let the TV restart and check whether Voice Guide stays off.
- 3If the update does not install, see our guide on a Samsung TV that won't update.
Samsung Caribbean says that if you are having trouble with your Samsung Smart TV, you should always check for software updates, as these may contain a fix.
If a menu doesn't match your TV
- If you cannot find General & Privacy, look for General: Samsung US writes the path as General (General & Privacy). On K series TVs the Accessibility menu sits under System, according to Samsung Russia.
- Samsung US says that if these steps do not match what your TV or projector shows, check the user manual for your model. Samsung Caribbean adds that screens and menus may vary depending on the device model and software version.
- Samsung's pages on Voice Guide do not include a factory reset, so it is not part of this guide.
When to contact support
Contact Samsung if Voice Guide keeps narrating after you have turned it off both from Accessibility Shortcuts and in Settings. Samsung US says that if you are unable to disable the voice guide, you should contact Samsung.
- Samsung US offers online chat and support through the Samsung Members app; Samsung Caribbean lists LiveChat and service centers.
- Have your TV model number ready and say which path you used (Accessibility Shortcuts, or Settings → Accessibility → Voice Guide Settings).
- Mention whether the narration only happens inside the Accessibility Shortcuts menu. Samsung says that menu keeps its own voice guide even with Voice Guide off.
- If the remote itself is misbehaving, see our guide on a Samsung remote that is not working.
Sources
- Official source: Samsung US Support: Voice on Samsung TV or projector announces everything I do · www.samsung.com
- Official source: Samsung Russia Support: What to do if a Samsung TV starts voicing all actions (in Russian) · www.samsung.com
- Official source: Samsung Caribbean Support: How to disable the Voice Guide function on your Samsung TV · www.samsung.com
Frequently asked questions
Samsung TV keeps narrating everything: how do I stop it?+
Turn off Voice Guide. Go to Home → Settings (All Settings) → General (General & Privacy) → Accessibility → Voice Guide Settings → Voice Guide and set it to Off. On a Smart Remote you can also hold the +/- (Volume) button for 2 seconds or longer to open Accessibility Shortcuts and turn Voice Guide off there.
Why did my Samsung TV start talking by itself?+
Samsung US says holding the volume button opens the accessibility menu and is typically how Voice Guide gets turned on accidentally. Samsung Russia says a long press of Mute on a button remote opens the Voice Guide settings too.
Is my TV broken if it keeps narrating?+
The narration comes from Voice Guide, an accessibility function Samsung designed to assist users who are blind or have low vision. It reads out menu options, the volume level, the channel and whatever is highlighted. Switching it off in the Accessibility settings stops it.
I turned Voice Guide off, so why does the TV still talk in the Accessibility Shortcuts menu?+
Samsung says that even if Voice Guide is set to Off or muted, the voice guide for Accessibility Shortcuts stays enabled. Close that menu and check a normal menu: if items are no longer announced there, Voice Guide is off.
How do I turn off Voice Guide on an older Samsung TV?+
Samsung Russia gives paths by series. On M, N, R, T and A series TVs, open Settings → General → Accessibility → Voice Guide Settings. On K series TVs, open Settings → System → Accessibility → Voice Guide. Then turn the function off.
What if I can't find the Voice Guide setting on my Samsung TV?+
Menus vary depending on the model and software version. Samsung US suggests checking your TV's user manual if the steps do not match, and contacting Samsung if you still cannot disable the voice guide.
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