Issue:  If the TalkBack feature is enabled under the Accessibility menu then it becomes impossible to navigate back to the Android settings menu using the Remote buttons. This means the Talkback function cannot be turned off in a simple way.

I post this in case others have randomly or purposefully activated this TalkBack and cannot turn it off.

Sky Pod/ My Hub/ Android Settings/ Device Preferences/ Accessibility/ TalkBack

Talkback is an accessibility feature intended to recite information displayed on the screen.

This feature implementation on Sky Pod is practically useless; it does not recite screen information in a useful or meaningful way.

More importantly, when activated it causes the Sky Pod remote control selection functions to act in a random and strange way. Menus and items on the screen cannot be selected normally. Critically it means the Android Settings on the My Hub menu cannot be activated using the Remote buttons to allow the Accessibility feature to be disabled.

Fix: Use the Android Assistant to gain access to Android settings.

Important - first navigate away from the home menu, I used the TV Guide button.

Using Android Assistant speak “go to home menu”.

You want the following message to be displayed and recited. If it’s not, keep trying with the Assistant; until it is:

“First I’ll need your permission to give Personal Results. You can make this change in Google Assistant Settings on your phone“

Select/Ok and the Android settings menu will be displayed. From there navigate to the Talkback option and disable it. Android Settings/ Device Preferences/ Accessibility/ TalkBack

This issue caused my elderly parent a lot of hassle. Their Sky Pod somehow randomly entered this “TalkBack on” mode after a Power Off/On. I was able to replicate the problem on my own Sky Pod and then figure out how to turn it off.

I would be interested to know if there is another way to navigate to Android settings in this circumstance when the remote navigation is not working.

Also whether there is a way to reset the Sky Pod settings to back to the defaults.