How Do I Turn The Infernal Voice Assistant Off?

[brianwilson3]

it was Kmk25.
thank you Kmk25.

 

[Annie Bo-Bannie]

I encountered the same problem. As long as the voice assistant is enabled, you need to tap any button once to select it (at that moment the Voice Assistant tells you what the button is for), and then twice again to execute it. So three times in total.

So to start with, to enter your password, you tap each character three times. Afterwards, tap 'Done' three times. Then, go to Settings by tapping it three times, etc: Settings->Accessibility->Vision->Voice Assistant->Off.

OMG! Thank you for this! It took a while to figure out the double tapping - thought I'd have to pay an arm and a leg and have the phone wiped as it was stuck on voice assistant and at the lock screen! I also wasn't double tapping "ok" afterwards. Finally got into my phone after almost 2 days. I can't thank you enough!

 

[Ciscoz]

I recently discovered the EASY solution to this problem. One poster above noted this but most people seem to be ignoring it. Samsung, or Android?, has created a quick toggle option of the Voice Assistant that is easy to accidentally turn on if carrying the phone in a pocket. The toggle is to press the Power button on the right side of the phone, and the Up Volume button on the left side of the phone simultaneously!!! Pressing these buttons at the same time will turn the Voice Assistant on, and off. No need to go thru all the double tap and 2-finger drag thru menu options. It doesn't seem that Samsung even knows this is an option though as no reference is made to this shortcut in any documentation or on the Samsung website regarding this issue. If you've accidentally toggled the Voice Assistant on, simply press your Power button, and the Up volume button simultaneously, and the Voice Assistant will toggle off. I have not found a way to permanently disable this feature yet though.

 

[Richard Slater1]

Ok, i have just found another way of turning the nightmare selection off. This is in relation to a S9. This is what I did. Press the power button to see the notifications locked but on your screen. One of my notifications was saying Voice Assistant turned 'on' tap to turn 'off'. Double tap this. You will then need to unlock your phone assuming its locked. I had fingerprint unlocking enabled. Once unlocked potentially via the very painful methods described in these posts, you are then presented with the option to turn off Voice Assistant as your default unlocked screen. Read the instructions shown below the Voice Assistant Off button. They basically said hold the button to highlight the Voice Assistant then double tap to turn off. Hopefully at this point your nightmare is over. Cannot write the expletives I feel about how difficult Samsumg have made this to turn off. Best of luck.

 

[diameter]

The video posted by chincilla shows exactly what you need to do. You need to use the 3 tap logon method that several have mentioned AND you need to use a TWO finger swipe (drag) to move around the screens (I was using the single finger swipe and getting nowhere). Go to Settings, then, depending on your phone, you select Accessibility or Direct Access or Vision to get to Voice Assistant. Mine showed it was off, so I turned it on and then back off again, and the nightmare was over. I got my phone back.

 

[sichuan]

I also encountered this problem. I am posting this reply because not one of the solutions, by itself, enabled me to solve the problem. If you tap each number of your password and tap it twice after the initial tap the numbers will be entered. The same applies to the OK button; one initial tap and then two additional taps. However, this will only allow me access to my phone. Nothing will work since the Voice Assistant still has control of my phone. I couldn't access Settings and couldn't navigate anywhere on the phone. The second part of the solution to this problem was alluded to by diameter. Thank you, diameter, for providing the second step of the solution. You saved me a trip to the AT&T store.

Once you gain access to your phone via the keyboard you MUST use a TWO finger swipe to access the drop down menu that includes Settings or to navigate anywhere on your phone. A one finger swipe will accomplish absolutely nothing as long as the Voice Assistant is on.

 

[dondhus]

I had the same problem and found that it would always turn on when I inadvertently press the power and volume up button. Then, it was frustrating to get to the vision app to turn it off. Then, I learned this:

To turn off: Go to "Settings --> Accessibility--> Direct Access" and then switch the "Voice Assistant" toggle to off, it shouldn't happen again! If you don't turn any of the other Direct Access buttons 'On', then turn the Direct Access 'Off' at the top. It won't happen by accident again. This is an annoying default from Samsung.

 

[AltantisAng]

After fiddling in the office, @#$!%^&!!!, for Huawei P10 is to press the volumn up and down button together.
For those who don't understand, with the voice assistant on, the way we press things are different. We cannot simply access the Setting unless your Home page has the button! I could not even pull down the status row on top of the screen!!!! Irritating... for us who accidently pressed the voice assistant button.