Does VoiceRead work with VoiceOver?

Yes. Buttons and controls throughout the app have VoiceOver labels.

Can it read my mail out loud?

Yes, printed mail. Point the camera at the letter; the page is captured automatically, and the text is recognized and read aloud. It works offline.

How big can the text get?

The reader has six text sizes, from 16 to 28 points. You set it inside the reader; it doesn't follow iPhone's system text size.

Is there a white or light background option?

No. The reader uses a dark reading surface only, with the sentence being spoken highlighted.

Yes. Listening with the standard voices is free and unlimited, with no account. Pro adds premium voices and unlimited audio downloads. See pricing.

LOW VISION · LARGE TEXT · VOICEOVER

Text to speech for visually impaired readers

VoiceRead is text to speech for visually impaired readers on iPhone and iPad: it reads documents, web articles and printed pages aloud, with large text on a dark, high-contrast screen. Point the camera at a letter or a menu to hear it, or open a file and listen with the screen off.

Download on theApp Store

Text up to 28 ptVoiceOver labelsCamera scanBackground listening

HOW IT WORKS

Listen in three steps

01Bring in the textScan a printed page with the camera, open a file from the Files app, paste a link to an article, or paste text.
02Set voice, speed and sizePick a voice, set the speed anywhere from 0.5–3.5×, and choose a reader text size up to 28 points.
03Press playThe current sentence is highlighted on a dark screen. Lock the phone and keep listening; AirPods play and pause.

BUILT TO BE SEEN AND HEARD

Reading settings for low vision.

As a low vision reading app, VoiceRead gives you large type, a dark reading surface and a voice that reads the page, all on the free plan.

Large reader textSix sizes from 16 to 28 points. The size is set inside the reader, so it doesn't follow your iPhone's system text size.

Dark, high-contrast pageLight text on a dark reading surface, with the sentence being spoken highlighted. The reader is dark-themed only.

VoiceOver throughoutButtons and controls across the app have VoiceOver labels, so you can find your way around by ear.

Speed you controlFrom 0.5–3.5× in 0.05× steps. Slow it down for unfamiliar material, or speed it up as you get used to a voice.

HEAR PRINTED MAIL

Point the camera at a letter. Hear it.

The camera scanner captures the page automatically and recognizes the text, even without a connection. Then it's read aloud like any document, with the sentence being spoken highlighted in large type.

How read-along works

EVERYDAY READING

Mail, menus, labels and long reads.

Use the camera for short printed text: a letter, a restaurant menu, a product label, a notice on the fridge. For longer reading, open PDFs, EPUB books and Word files from the Files app, or paste a link to a web article. Every document keeps its place, so you can stop mid-chapter and pick up later.

Playback continues in the background with the screen locked, so you can listen without looking at the phone at all.

Camera scan works offline
Imported files play offline with the standard voices
Play and pause from the lock screen or AirPods
Next and previous skip a paragraph

GOOD TO KNOW

A few details before you start.

Reader text size is set with the text size picker in the reader. It doesn't follow iPhone's Larger Text setting.
The reader has a dark reading surface only.
Scanned PDFs without a text layer can't be read yet. Scan the paper pages with the camera instead; reading imported scanned PDFs is coming soon.
Premium voices and importing links need an internet connection.

To hear text in other apps, iPhone's built-in Speak Screen and VoiceOver work alongside VoiceRead.

FAQ

Low vision questions

Does VoiceRead work with VoiceOver?: Yes. Buttons and controls throughout the app have VoiceOver labels.
Can it read my mail out loud?: Yes, printed mail. Point the camera at the letter; the page is captured automatically, and the text is recognized and read aloud. It works offline. Scans & photos.
How big can the text get?: The reader has six text sizes, from 16 to 28 points. You set it inside the reader; it doesn't follow iPhone's system text size.
Is there a white or light background option?: No. The reader uses a dark reading surface only, with the sentence being spoken highlighted.
Is it free?: Yes. Listening with the standard voices is free and unlimited, with no account. Pro adds premium voices and unlimited audio downloads. See pricing.