Post #4461758

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.