How to Turn Off the Narrator on the Xbox Series X or S

This article explains how to turn off the Narrator screen reader feature on the Xbox Series X|S and avoid accidentally turning it on.

How to Turn Off the Xbox Series X or S Narrator From the Power Menu

The easiest way to switch off the narrator is to use the Xbox Series X or S power menu, which is accessible at any time via the Guide. This method is fast, but the problem is that it also makes it extremely easy to switch the screen reader on by accident. If you’re unsure why your Xbox Series X or S is suddenly talking to you, this is probably what happened.

Here’s how to turn off the Xbox Series X or S narrator via the power menu:

1. Turn on your Xbox Series X or S.

   When the Narrator is turned on, a blue box will always appear around the currently selected item.

2. Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the Guide.

3. Navigate to Profile & system > Settings, and select Power.

4. Press the menu button (three horizontal lines) on your controller.

5. Narrator will turn off.

How to Turn the Xbox Series X or S Narrator Off From the Settings Menu

While using the systems menu to turn off the narrator is more complicated than just using the power menu, it also provides you with more options. For example, you can choose to receive a warning when turning this feature on in the future, which can help prevent turning it on by accident.

Here’s how you can turn off the Xbox Series X or S narrator from the system settings menu:

1. Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the Guide.

2. Navigate to Profile & system > Settings.

3. Navigate to Ease of Access > Narrator.

4. Select Narrator on.

   When the checkmark next to Narrator on is gone, that means the narrator is off.

5. If you want a warning before turning on the narrator in the future, make sure the box next to Warn me when turning Narrator on is checked.

How to Turn the Xbox Series X or S Narrator Back On

If you accidentally turned the narrator off, and you need it back on, doing so may be difficult if you cannot see the screen well enough to navigate the menus. With that in mind, these are the exact buttons you need to press to turn the narrator back on.

1. Press the Xbox button on your controller.

2. Press the right bumper five times.

3. Press down on the d-pad six times, then press the A button.

4. Press the menu button (located to the left of the x button).

5. The narrator will start reading a description of itself if the warning screen is active. Press right on the d-pad, then press the A button to activate the narrator.

   If you hear "Narrator active" instead of the Narrator reading a description of itself, that means it’s already on, and you don’t need to do this step.

Ways to Turn Off the Voice Narration on Xbox Series X or S

Narrator is a screen reader feature on Xbox Series X or S and several other Microsoft platforms and products. When the narrator is turned on, it automatically reads menus, buttons, and other on-screen text aloud. If you have trouble reading things on your Xbox Series X or S, this is a useful accessibility feature. It can be annoying if turned on accidentally, so thankfully, it’s pretty easy to turn off.

If you decide that you don’t need the narrator, or you turned it on accidentally, there are two ways to shut it off:

• The power menu: This is the easier of the two methods, but it’s also the more limited. It allows you to quickly toggle the narrator any time you want, though, so it’s beneficial.
• The system settings menu: This method takes a bit more time, but it provides you with more robust options instead of just providing a simple toggle.