Sometimes, there are just days when you don’t want to read text off of your iPhone device. Thankfully, iOS provides a Speech feature that helps read out text for you—whether you’re too lazy or you’re actually doing something with your hands (like driving a car).
If you’ve recently updated to iOS 8 and you’re wondering how you can let your device read text for you, it is now much easier to set up compared to the previous software. Here is a guide on how you can set up your device to read text for you:
Setting Up:
- Open Settings > General > Accessibility
- Tap on Speech
Speak Selection
You can use Speak Selection on apps wherein you are able to edit or highlight text. Some examples of these apps include Messages, Mail, Reminders, Notes and Safari. To choose a text to read, you simply have to highlight the selected words. An option will appear to Speak so that everything that has been highlighted will be read out aloud.
The updated Speech feature also offers a list of different languages, some with their own dialects available. By simply tapping on Voices, you’ll be able to see the different options. If you want a natural sounding dialect, you can tap on Alex; which is a new addition to iOS 8. Another change on the software is Enhanced Quality voice for the specific region that you have already set your device to.
Speak Screen
Speak Screen is a new method that has been made available in iOS 8. This gives you an easier way to access your text-to-speech function, especially if you want the entire screen read out aloud. All you have to do is swipe down with your two fingers.
Once activated, a menu option will be available where you can easily adjust how fast or slow the text is read. Compared to the previous iOS software update, you can now adjust how fast or slow you want your text to be read out to you. Using the slider on the screen, you can slide to the turtle icon for a slower speaking rate or slide to the rabbit for a faster speaking rate. At the same time, the menu allows you to rewind, fast-forward, pause or close the feature.
The Speak Screen feature works with any of your book reading apps such as iBooks, Kindle and Nook. It should not be compared with VoiceOver, which is a screen reader designed for people who have low vision or are legally blind.
By activating Speak on your iOS device, you can easily tend to other things while having text read out aloud to you.
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