I no longer believe Google Disability support is manned by humans at all. Here is my latest response from them re: the inability to use explore by touch and needing to reboot.
Hi Aaron,
Thank you for providing these additional details about the touch exploration issue affecting Backtalk and TalkBack. I understand that the issue occurs across multiple screen reader and Android versions, affects touch exploration across screens and apps, and can only be resolved by rebooting the device. I also appreciate the troubleshooting you have already performed as both a Backtalk developer and a user.
To help further investigate whether refreshing the accessibility service or updating Android Accessibility Suite makes a difference, please try the following steps if you have not already done so.
Turn TalkBack Off and Back On
Important: Only perform this step if you have a TalkBack shortcut enabled or someone sighted available to assist you if needed.
Open Settings.
Swipe right or left until you hear Accessibility, then double-tap.
Swipe right or left until you hear TalkBack, then double-tap.
Swipe right or left until you hear Use TalkBack or TalkBack switch, then double-tap to turn it off.
Wait about 10 seconds.
Double-tap the switch again to turn TalkBack back on.
This refreshes the TalkBack service and may resolve temporary issues.
Check for Android Accessibility Suite Updates
Open the Google Play Store.
Tap the search field and type Android Accessibility Suite.
Select Android Accessibility Suite from the search results.
If an update is available, tap Update.
Clear the Android Accessibility Suite Cache
Note: Clearing the cache removes temporary files and does not affect personal settings. Clearing app data, however, resets the app to its default state and may erase saved settings. Please clear only the cache for this step.
Open Settings.
Swipe right or left until you hear Apps, then double-tap.
Swipe right or left until you hear See all apps, then double-tap.
Locate and double-tap Android Accessibility Suite.
Double-tap Storage & cache.
Double-tap Clear cache.
Test touch exploration again.
Restart the Device
After completing the steps above, restart your device to refresh system services and clear temporary memory. Once it has restarted, check whether touch exploration continues to work normally.
If the issue continues, please let us know the results of these steps, so we can forward this to our internal team for further review. In addition, could you also provide the following details?
How does the touch exploration issue affect your ability to navigate your device and use apps?
Are there any specific tasks or activities that you are unable to complete when touch exploration stops working?
Are there any other details about this issue that you would like to share with us?
I hope this helps. If you have questions about Google accessibility or assistive technology, just reach out and we’ll be glad to support you.
