‘Assistive Reader’ (text-to-speech) comes to Kindle apps for Android and iOS/macOS

tomsem · 06-04-2024, 09:45 PM

You would not know from reading Version history, but the feature is available in the current Kindle apps for iOS/macOS and Android (in Aa|More options). (Subject to DRM restrictions of course)

It supports multiple languages (at least English, French, and Spanish, but not Russian), and the voice data seems to be part of app resources, as there is no visible way to choose or download or remove voices.

I noticed the new terminology and implementation (highlights text, and reading speed - TTS or audiobook companion - can be adjusted by 0.1x increments) on FireOS Kindle app a couple of weeks ago; for all I know it was already there also for the other platforms.

Windows seems to be left behind, again: the Android app does not have this feature, even though it is same version found on actual Android devices. And I doubt the native Windows app has it either (have yet to check that yet).

jonathan2022 · 06-12-2024, 11:03 PM

Thanks for mentioning this. It is odd how they didn't mention this in update announcement. That's a huge update. I suppose it's so as not to upset the publishers maybe. As they were the reason it was initially killed off. I'm so happy. This is way better than talkback. Plus I don't have to press power and volume control to enable it like talkback. Which I'm not so sure is good for phone. One annoying side of talkback is you have to go to beginning of page if you have to stop to do something. This you can continue where you left off. It's one reason I prefer other apps with text to speech option. Thanks for letting us know. So glad they did this and hope it stays.

jonathan2022 · 06-13-2024, 12:59 AM

the windows kindle for pc (not from store library ) one i use has tts. only difference is you cannot adjust speed compared to android version. to change the voices do a search for text speech on phone. select text to speech output. next to prefered engine their is a picture of a cogg. touch the picture of cogg . press install voice data . (note options are greyed out but you can still change voices.

tomsem · 06-13-2024, 02:31 AM

I must have missed seeing TTS when I installed Windows for PC (from amazon download site). But I've already uninstalled it, it's not a machine I use very much.

jonathan2022 · 06-13-2024, 05:53 AM

under tools -start text to speech. speed is set to minimum which is very slow. so you arent missing out. i just use calibre for tts on pc. or epubreader plugin in edge browser and use tts on that. voices are very good.

06-04-2024, 09:45 PM	#1
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,757 Karma: 26974049 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	‘Assistive Reader’ (text-to-speech) comes to Kindle apps for Android and iOS/macOS You would not know from reading Version history, but the feature is available in the current Kindle apps for iOS/macOS and Android (in Aa\|More options). (Subject to DRM restrictions of course) It supports multiple languages (at least English, French, and Spanish, but not Russian), and the voice data seems to be part of app resources, as there is no visible way to choose or download or remove voices. I noticed the new terminology and implementation (highlights text, and reading speed - TTS or audiobook companion - can be adjusted by 0.1x increments) on FireOS Kindle app a couple of weeks ago; for all I know it was already there also for the other platforms. Windows seems to be left behind, again: the Android app does not have this feature, even though it is same version found on actual Android devices. And I doubt the native Windows app has it either (have yet to check that yet). Attached Thumbnails Last edited by tomsem; 06-06-2024 at 12:20 AM.

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06-12-2024, 11:03 PM	#2
jonathan2022 Zealot Posts: 103 Karma: 213232 Join Date: Mar 2022 Device: android	Thanks for mentioning this. It is odd how they didn't mention this in update announcement. That's a huge update. I suppose it's so as not to upset the publishers maybe. As they were the reason it was initially killed off. I'm so happy. This is way better than talkback. Plus I don't have to press power and volume control to enable it like talkback. Which I'm not so sure is good for phone. One annoying side of talkback is you have to go to beginning of page if you have to stop to do something. This you can continue where you left off. It's one reason I prefer other apps with text to speech option. Thanks for letting us know. So glad they did this and hope it stays.

06-13-2024, 12:59 AM	#3
jonathan2022 Zealot Posts: 103 Karma: 213232 Join Date: Mar 2022 Device: android	the windows kindle for pc (not from store library ) one i use has tts. only difference is you cannot adjust speed compared to android version. to change the voices do a search for text speech on phone. select text to speech output. next to prefered engine their is a picture of a cogg. touch the picture of cogg . press install voice data . (note options are greyed out but you can still change voices.

06-13-2024, 02:31 AM	#4
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,757 Karma: 26974049 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	I must have missed seeing TTS when I installed Windows for PC (from amazon download site). But I've already uninstalled it, it's not a machine I use very much.

06-13-2024, 05:53 AM	#5
jonathan2022 Zealot Posts: 103 Karma: 213232 Join Date: Mar 2022 Device: android	under tools -start text to speech. speed is set to minimum which is very slow. so you arent missing out. i just use calibre for tts on pc. or epubreader plugin in edge browser and use tts on that. voices are very good.