Accessibility - vision
Spoken Content
Most people call this having selected text or a whole screen read aloud.
Speak Selection reads highlighted text aloud, and Speak Screen reads an entire page after a two finger swipe down from the top.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 13 and later
- Settings
- Accessibility
- Spoken Content
What it does
Unlike VoiceOver it does not change how touch works. It simply reads, with adjustable voice and speaking rate, and can highlight words as it goes.
What changes
When it is on
A Speak option appears when you select text, and the swipe gesture reads the screen.
When it is off
Nothing is read aloud.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- Listen to articles without changing how the phone behaves.
- Helpful for dyslexia and for tired eyes.
- Highlight Content shows where the reading has reached.
Good reasons to turn it off
- The two finger swipe can trigger by accident.
- Voices vary in quality by language.
Battery
No real change
Privacy
No real change
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
Costs you something
Out of the box: Off.
Questions people actually ask
- Can my iPhone read a web page to me?
- Yes. Turn on Speak Screen, then swipe down from the top with two fingers.
If it is not working
- Speak Screen is a two finger swipe down from the very top of the screen.
- Higher quality voices are downloaded separately under Voices.