Post #4461746

2026-08-09 00:45 UTC

I know this will sound crazy, but on my Pixel Watch 2, I could not use Talkback on a screen-lock after a fresh reboot of the watch, because it was trying to use TTS from userspace and unlike the Pixel phones, you just get Talkback sounds but no actual speech when trying to enter your pin. Thought this was very, very annoying with Pixel Watch.

Replies (1)

@Tamasg@mindly.social 2026-08-09 02:38

Why: before first unlock, Android's user storage is still encrypted (Direct Boot). Third-party TTS engines live there, so they can't load. TalkBack itself IS direct-boot aware. Google TTS is too. But TalkBack won't fall back to it — it just stays silent. This has been known since 2021: GrapheneOS filed a request for direct-boot support in RHVoice, and eSpeak NG actually added it at their request. https://github.com/RHVoice/RHVoice/issues/271 Plot twist: my new Galaxy Watch 9 gets this RIGHT. Samsung's TalkBack fork boots speaking with Samsung TTS (the direct-boot-aware system engine), then hands off to my chosen engine after unlock. I deliberately rebooted into my lock screen tonight to test. It just… spoke. This is software, not silicon — nothing stops Google's TalkBack from doing the same on any Pixel Watch. So, Google: TalkBack should fall back to a direct-boot-aware engine before first unlock. Your own TTS already supports it. Samsung already ships exactly this. A blind person locked out of their own device because their screen reader has no voice isn't an edge case — it's the lock screen.

Open ##4461758