diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/res/layout-television/recents_on_tv.xml b/packages/SystemUI/res/layout-television/recents_on_tv.xml
index 1dbd1b39626ca..82b9f8c3c48c6 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/res/layout-television/recents_on_tv.xml
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/res/layout-television/recents_on_tv.xml
@@ -40,4 +40,16 @@
         android:focusable="true"
         android:visibility="visible" />
 
+    <!-- Placeholder to dismiss during talkback. -->
+    <ImageView
+            android:id="@+id/dismiss_placeholder"
+            android:layout_width="@dimen/recents_tv_dismiss_icon_size"
+            android:layout_height="@dimen/recents_tv_dismiss_icon_size"
+            android:layout_gravity="bottom|center_horizontal"
+            android:layout_marginBottom="50dp"
+            android:src="@drawable/ic_cancel_white_24dp"
+            android:contentDescription="@string/status_bar_accessibility_dismiss_recents"
+            android:focusable="true"
+            android:visibility="gone" />
+
 </com.android.systemui.recents.tv.views.RecentsTvView>
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/res/layout-television/recents_tv_task_card_view.xml b/packages/SystemUI/res/layout-television/recents_tv_task_card_view.xml
index 36df92454e7c7..08a1a93f05cbc 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/res/layout-television/recents_tv_task_card_view.xml
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/res/layout-television/recents_tv_task_card_view.xml
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@
             android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
             android:layout_marginTop="@dimen/recents_tv_dismiss_icon_top_margin"
             android:layout_marginBottom="@dimen/recents_tv_dismiss_icon_bottom_margin"
-            android:contentDescription="@string/status_bar_accessibility_dismiss_recents"
             android:alpha="@integer/dismiss_unselected_alpha"
             android:src="@drawable/recents_tv_dismiss_icon" />
     <TextView
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/tv/RecentsTvActivity.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/tv/RecentsTvActivity.java
index ecb64f626650a..1a559585e5c06 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/tv/RecentsTvActivity.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/tv/RecentsTvActivity.java
@@ -388,6 +388,26 @@ public class RecentsTvActivity extends Activity implements OnPreDrawListener {
             mTaskStackHorizontalGridView.setSelectedPosition(0);
         }
 
+        View dismissPlaceholder = findViewById(R.id.dismiss_placeholder);
+        if (ssp.isTouchExplorationEnabled()) {
+            dismissPlaceholder.setAccessibilityTraversalBefore(R.id.task_list);
+            dismissPlaceholder.setAccessibilityTraversalAfter(R.id.dismiss_placeholder);
+            mTaskStackHorizontalGridView.setAccessibilityTraversalAfter(R.id.dismiss_placeholder);
+            mTaskStackHorizontalGridView.setAccessibilityTraversalBefore(R.id.pip);
+            dismissPlaceholder.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
+                @Override
+                public void onClick(View v) {
+                    mTaskStackHorizontalGridView.requestFocus();
+                    mTaskStackHorizontalGridView.
+                            sendAccessibilityEvent(AccessibilityEvent.TYPE_VIEW_FOCUSED);
+                    Task focusedTask = mTaskStackHorizontalGridView.getFocusedTask();
+                    if (focusedTask != null) {
+                        mTaskStackViewAdapter.removeTask(focusedTask);
+                        EventBus.getDefault().send(new DeleteTaskDataEvent(focusedTask));
+                    }
+                }
+            });
+        }
         updatePipUI();
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/tv/views/RecentsTvView.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/tv/views/RecentsTvView.java
index b082658ecca17..06b24418a572f 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/tv/views/RecentsTvView.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/tv/views/RecentsTvView.java
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ public class RecentsTvView extends FrameLayout {
     private TaskStack mStack;
     private TaskStackHorizontalGridView mTaskStackHorizontalView;
     private View mEmptyView;
+    private View mDismissPlaceholder;
     private RecentsRowFocusAnimationHolder mEmptyViewFocusAnimationHolder;
     private boolean mAwaitingFirstLayout = true;
     private Rect mSystemInsets = new Rect();
@@ -86,6 +87,12 @@ public class RecentsTvView extends FrameLayout {
         mTransitionHelper = new RecentsTvTransitionHelper(mContext, mHandler);
     }
 
+    @Override
+    protected void onFinishInflate() {
+        super.onFinishInflate();
+        mDismissPlaceholder = findViewById(R.id.dismiss_placeholder);
+    }
+
     public void setTaskStack(TaskStack stack) {
         RecentsConfiguration config = Recents.getConfiguration();
         RecentsActivityLaunchState launchState = config.getLaunchState();
@@ -198,6 +205,9 @@ public class RecentsTvView extends FrameLayout {
     public void showEmptyView() {
         mEmptyView.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
         mTaskStackHorizontalView.setVisibility(View.GONE);
+        if (Recents.getSystemServices().isTouchExplorationEnabled()) {
+            mDismissPlaceholder.setVisibility(View.GONE);
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -206,6 +216,9 @@ public class RecentsTvView extends FrameLayout {
     public void hideEmptyView() {
         mEmptyView.setVisibility(View.GONE);
         mTaskStackHorizontalView.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
+        if (Recents.getSystemServices().isTouchExplorationEnabled()) {
+            mDismissPlaceholder.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
+        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/tv/views/TaskCardView.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/tv/views/TaskCardView.java
index bd857481e8ff0..4eca5d56fc3e1 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/tv/views/TaskCardView.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/tv/views/TaskCardView.java
@@ -88,22 +88,10 @@ public class TaskCardView extends LinearLayout {
                 R.dimen.recents_task_view_rounded_corners_radius);
         mRecentsRowFocusAnimationHolder = new RecentsRowFocusAnimationHolder(this, title);
         SystemServicesProxy ssp = Recents.getSystemServices();
-        if (ssp.isTouchExplorationEnabled()) {
-            mDismissIconView.setFocusable(true);
-            mDismissIconView.setFocusableInTouchMode(true);
-            mDismissIconView.setOnFocusChangeListener(new OnFocusChangeListener() {
-                @Override
-                public void onFocusChange(View v, boolean hasFocus) {
-                    if (hasFocus) {
-                        setDismissState(true);
-                    } else {
-                        setDismissState(false);
-                    }
-                }
-            });
+        if (!ssp.isTouchExplorationEnabled()) {
+            mDismissIconView.setVisibility(VISIBLE);
         } else {
-            mDismissIconView.setFocusable(false);
-            mDismissIconView.setFocusableInTouchMode(false);
+            mDismissIconView.setVisibility(GONE);
         }
         mViewFocusAnimator = new ViewFocusAnimator(this);
     }