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On iPhone or iPad, enable Speak Screen in Settings > Accessibility > Read & Speak, then say “Siri, speak screen” or swipe down from the top of the screen with two fingers. To hear just a passage, turn on Speak Selection, select the text and tap Speak. On Mac, enable Speak Selection and press its shortcut—Option–Esc is Apple’s documented default.
Siri is the hands-free way to start reading on iPhone and iPad; the reading itself comes from Apple’s accessibility speech features. The right choice depends on whether you want the whole screen, a passage, or a cleaner article layout.
Read the whole screen on iPhone or iPad
- Open Settings and go to Accessibility > Read & Speak.
- Turn on Speak Screen.
- Open the webpage, email, note or other screen you want read.
- Say “Siri, speak screen”, or swipe down from the top edge with two fingers.
Apple documents “Speak screen” as a Siri request. If Siri does not recognize it, the gesture is a useful fallback. These steps apply to iPad as well; on a larger screen, take care to begin at the top edge so the gesture is registered. Apple’s iPhone guide and iPad guide describe the feature.
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Read just selected text
For a paragraph, message or quotation, Speak Selection is usually more precise than reading the entire screen.
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Read & Speak and turn on Speak Selection.
- In an app, press and hold the text, then adjust the selection handles as needed.
- Tap Speak in the selection menu.
If Speak is missing, the app may not expose that content as selectable text, or the selection may not be active. Text embedded in an image, scan or unusual app interface may not be selectable. Try Speak Screen or Accessibility Reader instead. Apple explains Speak Selection and Speak Screen here.
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Use Accessibility Reader for a cleaner article view
Speak Screen is convenient, but it may read surrounding interface elements. Accessibility Reader is a better fit when you want detected text presented in a simplified, full-screen reading layout, with appearance and playback options.
On iPhone, open Settings > Accessibility > Read & Speak > Accessibility Reader and turn it on. You can enable Autoplay if you want playback to begin automatically when Reader opens. Then open an app containing text and activate Reader using the Accessibility Shortcut or Control Center; tap Play if it does not start on its own. Apple also documents Accessibility Reader as an iPad feature for customizing and listening to text.
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Reader depends on the device being able to detect usable text. It may not work with image-only scans, text inside pictures, or content an app does not expose. If it reports that no text was detected, try selecting text directly or use another source with selectable text. See Apple’s guides for Accessibility Reader on iPhone and vision accessibility features on iPad.
Make a Mac read text aloud
On Mac, use Speak Selection rather than relying on Siri to start reading a document:
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- Select text in an app.
- Choose Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Read & Speak.
- Turn on Speak selection.
- Press Option–Esc to start or stop speaking the selection.
Option–Esc is Apple’s documented default; if the shortcut has been changed, use the one shown in settings. In supported apps, another option is to select text and choose Edit > Speech > Start Speaking. That menu is app-dependent, not available everywhere. Apple’s Mac Speak Selection guide covers both methods.
Mac’s speech options, including voice and related controls, are under Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Read & Speak. Depending on the options available on your system, you can adjust the voice and rate, language detection, pronunciation and speech highlighting. The same area includes Accessibility Reader settings. See Apple’s Mac Read & Speak guide.
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Change the voice, rate or pronunciation
On iPhone and iPad, return to Settings > Accessibility > Read & Speak. Available controls include speaking rate, voice and language options, highlighting, the speech controller and custom pronunciations. On Mac, use System Settings > Accessibility > Read & Speak. If a name is repeatedly mispronounced, a custom pronunciation may help; changing the rate can make longer passages easier to follow.
Exact voices and language options vary by device, software version and region. If a setting or voice named here is not present, check for the equivalent option in Read & Speak on your installed version.
Which Apple speech feature should you use?
| Feature | Best for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Speak Screen | Reading available content across the current iPhone or iPad screen | Can include interface labels and controls, not just the main article. |
| Speak Selection | A selected paragraph, message or passage | The app must expose text you can select; the Speak action may not appear in every app. |
| Accessibility Reader | A simpler, customizable reading view for detected text | Text detection depends on the app and content; images and scans may not be readable as text. |
| VoiceOver | Audio navigation through controls, links, headings and other interface elements | It is a full screen reader, not merely a read-aloud command. Apple’s VoiceOver overview explains the feature. |
| Live Speech | Speaking words you type in conversation or supported calls | It is for vocalizing typed text, not the usual way to read a webpage. See Apple’s Live Speech guide. |
If Siri or reading does not work
- Siri says it cannot do that: Confirm Speak Screen is enabled, then try the documented phrase “Speak screen.” Siri’s spoken-response behavior is separate from the voice used to read screen content.
- The two-finger swipe does nothing: Start at the top edge and swipe down with two fingers. Check that Speak Screen is on, or use Siri to start it.
- Speak is missing from the selection menu: Check that text is actually selected. If it is in a photo, scan or inaccessible app element, try Speak Screen or Accessibility Reader instead.
- The device reads the wrong material: Use Speak Selection for a narrower passage, or Accessibility Reader for a cleaner text view.
- The voice or pronunciation is wrong: Change the voice or rate in Read & Speak, or add a pronunciation entry where available.
- Your Mac speaks interface items unexpectedly: VoiceOver may be on. Apple lists Command–F5 as a way to turn it off; on some Macs or Magic Keyboards with Touch ID, hold Command and quickly press Touch ID three times. Check Apple’s Mac accessibility speech guide for the applicable method.
Reading can also stop or skip material when an app changes screens, loads content dynamically, or does not expose text to the system. No one method is guaranteed to read every item in every app. The controls and availability can vary with operating-system version, device, language, region and app.
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