About VoiceView for Fire TV

VoiceView is a screen reader for Fire TV devices. It speaks on-screen text out loud as you navigate menu options and settings. You can also use VoiceView to help you set up your device.

To access the VoiceView User's Guide, go to: Amazon Fire TV VoiceView User's Guide

Table of contents

Note: For an accessibility-friendly video overview of this topic, visit our Amazon Fire TV Accessibility Help Videos page.

Use VoiceView During First-Time Setup

To get started with VoiceView on your Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote:

  1. First, connect your Fire TV Stick to an HDMI port on your TV, and plug in the power adapter.
  2. Then, insert the batteries included with your Alexa Voice Remote. You hear a single tone sound when your remote is ready to pair to your Fire TV stick.
  3. Press the Home button on your remote for up to 10 seconds to pair it to your device.
  4. When the pairing process is complete, you hear a different, two-tone sound. This indicates that you can now turn on VoiceView.
  5. Hold the Back and Menu buttons for 2 seconds to start VoiceView.

Note: The Fire TV App is not supported during first-time setup.

Turn on VoiceView in Fire TV Settings

Note: For an accessibility-friendly video of this feature, visit our Amazon Fire TV Accessibility Help Videos page.

To turn on VoiceView:

  1. Go to Settings on your Fire TV.
  2. Select Accessibility .
  3. Select VoiceView.
  4. Select VoiceView again to turn it on.

You hear "VoiceView Ready" when the feature is activated and ready to use. When you turn the feature off, you hear "VoiceView Exiting."

The first time you turn VoiceView on, a tutorial automatically opens with tips on how to use the feature and locate buttons on your Fire TV remote.

The first screen of the tutorial asks you to confirm that you intended to turn VoiceView on. To confirm, press the Play/Pause button on your remote. You can also skip the tutorial by pressing the Skip/Fast-Forward button .

You can find some additional tips and examples of how you can use VoiceView on your Fire TV device.

VoiceView Controls

The following table outlines the buttons available on your Alexa Voice Remote to control VoiceView.

Buttons Action

Hold Back and Menu for two seconds

Turn VoiceView on or off

Single press Menu

Hear usage tips and orientation descriptions to help you understand the layout of certain user screens, and learn more about using VoiceView
Double press Menu

Access more options available for your current selection
Press Play/Pause

Stop speech
Hold Play/Pause and press Select or OK

Open the Explore Your Remote activity. Explore Your Remote reads the options of all remote buttons and their descriptions
Hold Play/Pause and press Left or Right

Cycle through Speech Rate or Speech Volume settings
Press Play/Pause and Up or Down

Increase/decrease speech volume or speed
Press Rewind or Fast Forward while VoiceView is speaking

Skip backward or forward through the spoken elements on your Fire TV

VoiceView Navigation

Note: For an accessibility-friendly video of this feature, visit our Amazon Fire TV Accessibility Help Videos page.

While you navigate your Fire TV device, a green box highlights your current on-screen selection or location. VoiceView automatically speaks and/or describes what you've selected.

The following table outlines the buttons available on your Alexa Voice Remote to navigate your Fire TV device with VoiceView.

Button Action

Down

Focus and have VoiceView speak the item below the current selection

Up

Focus and have VoiceView speak the item above the current selection

Left

Focus and have VoiceView speak the item to the left of the current selection

Right

Focus and have VoiceView speak the item to the right of the current selection

Home

Return to the Fire TV Home screen

Select or OK

Select the currently focused element on your Fire TV

Review Mode

In addition to describing selectable navigation options and controls, VoiceView features an enhanced navigation mode, called Review Mode, that you can use to hear descriptions of all on-screen text.

The following table outlines the buttons available on your Alexa Voice Remote to turn on and control Review Mode.

Button Action

Press Home

Go to the VoiceView Settings

Hold Menu for 3 seconds

Turn Review Mode on or off

Press Menu

Have VoiceView spell out words

Press Up or Down

Highlight other on-screen text, including video details like plot or cast information, customer ratings, headings, lists, and more

Press Left or Right

Move between selectable navigation options

Playback Controls

When VoiceView is speaking, you can still control video playback using the buttons on your Alexa Voice Remote.

The following table outlines the buttons available on your Alexa Voice Remote to control video playback.

Button Action

Double press Menu

Access more playback options in Prime video, including Watch from Beginning, Subtitles and Captions, and Next Episode (for TV shows)

Play/Pause

Starts and stops media playback

Skip Back/Rewind

Skip back in a movie, TV show, or music

Skip/Fast-Forward

Skip forward in a movie, TV show, or music

Button Descriptions

The following table outlines where to find the Alexa Voice Remote buttons that you can use to control VoiceView.

Button Description and Location

Back

Left button in the top row of three small buttons

Home

Middle button located on the top row of three small buttons

Left, Right , Up, or Down

The large round ring toward the top of your remote is the directional keypad, which you can use to navigate by pressing the Left, Right, Up and Down keys

Menu

Right button in the top row of three small buttons

Play/Pause

Middle button located on the bottom row of three small buttons

Select or OK

Large round button near the top, inside the directional keypad ring

Skip Back/Rewind

Left button located on the bottom row of three small buttons

Skip/Fast-Forward

Right button located on the bottom row of three small buttons

On-screen keyboard

When the Fire TV on-screen keyboard is open, VoiceView speaks out each character as you select it. Press the Select or OK button on your remote to enter a character.

If you have a Fire TV remote with an Alexa Voice button , you can use your voice to search for content. You can also use your voice to interact with Alexa. Press and hold the Alexa Voice button and say what you're looking for.

To learn more about what Alexa can do, you can ask "Tell me what you can do" or go to Learn to Use Alexa with Fire TV.

VoiceView Settings

To access and manage VoiceView preferences:

  1. Go to Settings on your Fire TV.
  2. Select Accessibility .
  3. Select VoiceView.

You can manage the following options:

  • VoiceView - Turn VoiceView on or off.
  • Reading Speed - Adjust the rate of speech speed for the VoiceView voice.
  • Speech Volume - Set a volume level for the VoiceView voice. Speech Volume defaults to 40% of device volume.
  • Sounds Volume - Set the volume level for the feedback sounds that VoiceView uses. Sounds Volume defaults to 40% of device volume.
  • Key Echo - Determine how text characters are echoed back to you while you enter them with the on-screen keyboard. By default, characters are echoed as they are typed to confirm entry. You can change this setting to None, Characters, Words, or both Characters and Words.
  • Punctuation Level - Control which punctuation marks VoiceView reads aloud.

For more help, try our Amazon Fire TV forum.