This repository contains source code for Google's TalkBack, which is a screen reader for blind and visually-impaired users of Android. For usage instructions, see TalkBack User Guide.
In a Linux environment (WSL in not recommended, it would take more than one hour to build):
Install Java 8 and Java 11
sudo apt-get install openjdk-8-jdk
sudo apt-get install openjdk-11-jdk
Download older Android NDK r20b version from here
Unzip the file.
Set up the variables in build.sh
export ANDROID_SDK='/home/erwin/Android/Sdk'
# the path to the downloaded NDK
export ANDROID_NDK='/home/erwin/Android/Sdk/ndk/android-ndk-r20b'
export JAVA_HOME='/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-amd64'
To build TalkBack, run ./build.sh, which will produce an apk file.
Install the apk onto your Android device in the usual manner using adb.
With the apk now installed on the device, the TalkBack service should now be present under Settings -> Accessibility, and will be off by default. To turn it on, toggle the switch preference to the on position.