Android Volume Button Bug Tied to Select to Speak Feature

Google has confirmed an Android bug that affects how volume buttons behave when the Select to Speak accessibility feature is enabled. The issue interferes with everyday actions like adjusting media volume and taking photos, creating a frustrating experience for affected users.

Reports suggest the problem is widespread and impacts devices using the Android Accessibility Suite.

What’s Going Wrong

When Select to Speak is turned on, Android reroutes the function of the physical volume buttons. Instead of controlling media volume or acting as a camera shutter, the buttons only adjust accessibility audio levels.

This means:

• Media playback volume cannot be changed using hardware keys
• Volume buttons no longer work for taking photos in the camera app
• Core hardware controls behave in unexpected ways

For many users, this disrupts common workflows like quickly snapping photos or managing audio during calls, videos, or music playback.

Who Is Affected and Why It Matters

Select to Speak is designed to help users with visual or reading difficulties by reading on-screen text aloud, even while other apps run in the background. However, the way it intercepts hardware button events appears to conflict with Android’s system-level volume handling.

This creates a difficult situation for users who:

• Depend on accessibility features daily
• Also rely on hardware buttons for fast and reliable control

In effect, users are forced to choose between accessibility support and basic device usability.

Google’s Android Community Team has acknowledged the issue through official support channels and confirmed that engineers are working on a fix.

Temporary Workaround

Until a permanent update is released, users can restore normal volume button behavior by:

1. Opening Settings
2. Going to Accessibility
3. Selecting Select to Speak
4. Turning the feature off

While this restores standard volume and camera functionality, it disables Select to Speak entirely.

Google is expected to release a patch that resolves how accessibility services interact with hardware controls. The fix will likely refine how key events are handled so accessibility features don’t override essential system functions.

This issue also highlights a broader challenge in Android development: ensuring accessibility improvements enhance usability without breaking core device behavior.