My Roku is Talking – How to Turn It Off?

If you have a Roku TCL TV or a Roku Player, you may accidentally turn on the audio guide. Moreover, in some situations, it’s turned on by default as soon as you plug the device in.

While some enjoy this feature, the majority of users prefer to turn it off until they require it again. But, how do you turn the guide off? Simply – either by using the dedicated remote buttons or via the “Settings” menu. Let’s jump right in.

Turn Off Audio Assistant Using Remote Buttons

All Roku Players and TCL Roku smart TVs have a designated shortcut that enables or disables audio narration. You may have accidentally turned it on while using your remote. If you did, you don’t have to worry, as you can just as easily turn it off.

To make your Roku stop talking, you should quickly hit the “*” button (star/options button) on your remote four times. Your Roku may need some time to respond to this command, so don’t worry if you keep hearing the narration for a few more seconds.

However, audio narration can be helpful at times. If you grew to like it, you can always enable it again using the same method. Wait for a few seconds and try to navigate your Roku – it should start talking again.

Turn Off Audio Assistant from the Settings Menu

If your Roku doesn’t respond to the remote shortcut button, you can always take the longer route. There’s a way to disable the audio assistant from the Roku’s settings menu, but it takes a few more steps.

Here’s what you should do:

1. Tap the “Home” button on your Roku remote to access the Home screen.
2. Select “Settings” from the list to the left of the screen.
   
3. Go to the “Accessibility” menu from the following screen.
   
4. Navigate to the “Audio Guide” under the section with the same name. It should appear on the right.
5. Select “Off” to disable the option.
   

The audio guide will stop until you decide to turn it back on again. You can use both the remote buttons option, or repeat the same steps and turn it on from the Settings menu.

How to Disable the Remote Button Shortcuts

You may get tired of accidentally switching the audio guide on and off via the remote buttons. On top of that, if you have a child, it can unknowingly enable it while playing with the remote. Therefore, it might be better to completely disable the shortcut option.

To do this, you should navigate to the “Accessibility” menu again. Do the following:

1. Go to the “Home” screen of your Roku by hitting the “Home” button on your remote.
2. Navigate to “Settings” to the left.
3. Go to “Accessibility.”
4. Navigate to “Shortcut.”
5. Select “Disabled.”
   

When you disable the shortcut, you can try to turn on the audio assistant by rapidly pressing the Star button on your remote four times. If everything went well, your Roku shouldn’t respond.

If you want to enable the shortcut option once again for some reason, you can always follow the same steps and select “Enabled” from the assistant section.

Are There Other Audio Options?

You can customize your audio assistant with two other options – speech rate and volume. Just go to the “Accessibility” menu (by following steps 1-3 from the previous section) and you’ll find them under the “Audio Guide” section.

In the “Speech Rate” menu, you can choose between four different talking options – slow, normal, fast, and very fast. This will determine the speaking speed of your audio assistant. Those who want or require it may prefer slower narration.

The “Volume” menu sets the loudness of the guide. You can choose three different volume levels – Low, Medium, and High. Since the volume is adjusted to the standard volume of your TV, you should set it accordingly.

Therefore, if you don’t require a loud volume, you should keep it on a reasonable level. For example, if both your TV and the guide have a high volume setting, accidentally turning on the narration can make you jump out of your chair.

The Benefits of Audio Guide

Although some may not require Audio Guide, others find it essential. With the correct settings, it can make your navigation through Roku menus much easier and enjoyable. For example, after it reads out a certain actionable menu item, pressing the remote button will activate it.

So, even if you decide to turn off the audio guide, it’s beneficial to know how to turn it back on. You might need it sometime in the future.

Do you find Roku’s Audio Guide feature useful or annoying? Would you keep it on? Why? Leave a comment in the comments section below and let us know.