Newer smart TVs, such as the Insignia TV, are now more user-friendly than ever. For the vision-impaired, a setup guide with voice prompts can definitely cut down the frustration of setting up a TV for the first time.
In some instances though, you might be bothered by a persistent background narration, which leads you to think, ‘why is my Insignia smart TV talking to me?’
The most common reason why a smart TV repeats everything is because Descriptive Audio is turned on. This accessibility feature can go by several other names, including Voice Guide, Narrator, Talk-Back, or Voice Narration.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to turn off narrator in your Insignia Smart TV, as well as a quick shortcut you can use on the remote to disable the feature. If you’re wondering how to turn off voice announcement on your TV, then we encourage you to read further.
Why is My Insignia Smart TV Talking to Me All of a Sudden?
Having a disembodied voice coming from your TV can be a surprising experience. You might be shocked to suddenly have another ‘person’ in the room announcing your actions on your smart TV or even reading the menu out loud.
An Insignia TV announcing everything you do is mostly due to a special accessibility feature called Voice Guide, which helps those with low vision or blindness be able to navigate through their TV.
Some smart TV models will have Voice Narration turned on by default. As soon as you’ve finished the initial setup, the TV will continue stating your remote control actions until you turn it off.
Inadvertent button presses or careless navigation can sometimes lead to Descriptive Audio turning on by accident. If you have a digital voice assistant such as Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa, then this could happen as well. Some smart TVs will even have built-in voice assist on the remote, and when it catches the wrong sentence then you may have a talking TV that won’t stop.
Thankfully, it’s a pretty easy fix. We’ll show you the steps on how to turn off TV narration in two ways – by going through the Insignia TV’s settings or by pressing a specific button sequence in the included remote.
How Do I Turn Off the Narrator on My Insignia TV?
To turn off Voice Guide on your Insignia smart TV, you will need to get into the Settings menu and search for it under the accessibility sub-menu.
Your Insignia TV should be turned on for this to work. Also, make sure that your remote is responsive and it doesn’t have dying batteries
Step 1. Press the Home Button to Go to the Main Menu
With the smart TV remote on hand, locate the ‘home’ button, which has an icon of a home on it. Press it and wait for your TV to respond – it should exit any running application and go to the default screen of your TV.
Step 2. Go to Settings, then Accessibility
Once you’re at the home screen, press the ‘menu’ button to call up the Settings section. Navigate through the options using the remote’s right arrow button until the words ‘Accessibility’ is highlighted. Press enter and you’ll enter into a sub-menu.
Step 3. Locate the Voice Guide Option and Turn It Off
Just right under Accessibility is the option ‘Voice Guide’, and beside it will be a status indicator to show if it’s on or off. Press the remote’s down arrow button once to get to it, then press enter to change it from ‘on’ to ‘off’.
Step 4. Go Back to the Home Menu and Test Your Smart TV
Once you’re satisfied with the changes, go ahead and press the home button to get back. Test the sound and see if your Insignia TV is still talking to you – open an episode or a movie, or try to navigate through channels and listen carefully for audio feedback.
How to Turn Off Insignia Smart TV Voice Guide Using a Specific Remote Model
Some Insignia Smart TVs will have a remote that can get you to the Accessibility menu right away. You can check the model number which should be printed at the bottom part of the remote. See if you have NS-RC4NA-18.
Insignia TVs with the remote model number NS-RC4NA-18 will have a dedicated accessibility button, labeled ‘ACC’. If this is the case, then all you have to do is press the button and you’ll be taken directly to the sub-menu. Use the arrow buttons to go to ‘Voice Guide’ and turn it ‘off’ to disable narrator.
Having a convenient button for accessibility is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you can easily change the things you don’t want or need without having to go back to the Home screen. However, a child or an accidental press can add more trouble for you to undo later on.
Extra Tip – How to Turn Off Narrator on Insignia Smart TV the Fast Way
Surprisingly, there’s even a shorter way to turn off Narrator mode on your Insignia smart TV, and it involves using the included remote.
This will be very useful if you want to immediately remove the annoying voice from your Insignia TV and continue watching your favorite programs. However, it requires a very specific sequence to activate.
First, you’ll need to go to the Home screen on your TV, which you can do by pressing the Home button on your remote once. Then, you must press the asterisk button (marked by an asterisk) four times in order to turn off Descriptive Audio.
It’s worth noting that the asterisk button is not available on all Insignia smart TVs – it seems that only the Roku-branded Insignia lineup has them. For all other Insignia models, you should locate and press the ‘ACC’ button and deactivate Narrator from there.
Make Sure Your Remote Has Good Batteries
Your Insignia TV’s remote is a crucial part in disabling narrator mode, so it’s best to make sure it has fresh batteries.
Most Insignia smart TV remotes will need AAA batteries, which can be located at the back of the remote. Unlatch the case cover that houses them, then remove the batteries using your fingers or a long and slim object.
Then, put the fresh batteries in and pay attention to the proper alignment (the plus and minus). Put the cover back on the remote, then try pressing a few buttons to see if your smart TV responds. Dispose of the old batteries properly afterward.
Insignia Smart TV Narrator FAQs
Why is my TV talking all of a sudden?
Somebody might have accidentally enabled or activated Voice Guide, which is an accessibility option for blind people and those who have low vision.
How do I turn off voice announcement on my TV?
If you have a remote with voice control, you can have it go to your TV’s settings, then navigate to Privacy or Accessibility and choose Voice Guide to disable it.
Why is my TV talking back to me?
If there’s an accompanying voice every time you press the volume up or volume down, then you may have enabled Voice Narration.
Why is my TV repeating everything?
You can disable the annoying voice that repeats your actions by going into your smart TV’s settings menu, then turning off Voice Guide. The ‘echo’ should stop until you turn it on again.
Final Thoughts
Once you calm down enough to try and fix the problem, you’ll find that it’s easy to do and only takes a few minutes or so. The trick is to exit what you’re watching and use the remote to go to the Insignia smart TV’s settings.