Mac app · free beta
Reading, made easy.
Select. Click. Listen.
A calm Mac app that reads text aloud, right where it is. See and hear each word together, so you never lose your place.
Mac: free beta, macOS 14 or later. Install guide.
Windows: coming soon.
Why people like it
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Reading, made easy
Long emails, articles, homework. Hear them instead of fighting through them.
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Effortless to use
Select. Click. Listen. No account. A small bubble appears by your text. Click it.
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Calm, out of your way
Small controls that never cover your text. No ads, no nagging. It fades away when it's done.
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See and hear each word together
Each word lights up yellow as it's spoken. Seeing and hearing it at the same time links the sound to the look of the word.
How it works
Three steps. That's all.
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Select text
Highlight words in Mail, Chrome, Notes, Claude, TextEdit and most other apps.
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Click the bubble
A small round speaker appears next to your selection. Click it.
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Listen
Reading starts right away. Each word turns yellow as it is spoken.
Watch the 40‑second explainer
With a voice and captions. It only plays when you press play. 5.3 MB.
Read the transcript
Reading can feel like hard work. Reading, made easy.
Select any text. A small bubble appears beside it. Never on top.
Click it, and listen.
Each word lights up as it's spoken, right on the page. See and hear every word together.
It works in Chrome, the Claude app and PDFs. Speed it up, or slow it down. Pause, then click any word to jump there.
No account. Your text stays on your Mac.
Select. Click. Listen. The reader is free. Always.
What it does
Small and simple. Built to stay out of your way.
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Words light up in place
The yellow highlight moves over the real text on the page. Your eyes follow along. No extra window.
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Your speed
From 0.5x to 4x. Long-press the speed pill to jump between 1x, 2x and 4x.
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Pause and pick up again
Pause any time. Resume from the same word.
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Jump to any word
While paused, click a word. Reading starts from there.
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Never covers your text
The controls are small. They sit beside the text, then fade away when reading ends. No pop-ups, no nagging.
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Knows the language
It detects the language of the text by itself. You don't pick anything.
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Good voices, on your Mac
Uses Apple's Premium and Enhanced voices, like Ava. Natural voices are coming with Pro, for Apple Silicon Macs.
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A keyboard shortcut
Press Option + Shift + R to read what you selected. Press it again to pause.
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Lives in the menu bar
No Dock icon, no big window. It waits quietly until you select something.
Who it's for
Anyone who reads better with their ears.
Dyslexic readers
Long emails and reports feel lighter. Listen and follow along.
Students
Listen to your readings at your own speed. The bubble is small and quiet.
Parents
Your child can read on their own, hearing and seeing each word. No account, no data collected.
Teachers
A free tool you can suggest today. No sign-up, no student data. Group licences for Pro on request.
Low vision
Hear the text, and see a bright yellow mark on the word being read.
Older readers
One simple step: select, then click. Rest your eyes and listen.
Does reading feel harder than it should?
You're not alone. And it's not laziness.
Lots of people find that they:
- read the same line twice, or lose their place
- feel tired after a page of text
- avoid long text when they can
Many adults with dyslexia were never told at school. Others find reading hard for other reasons.
Curious why reading feels hard? Dyslexia groups have free guides and checklists.
These are a first step. Only a qualified assessor can tell you for sure. This app is not a test.
Signs of dyslexia in adults (Understood.org)
More help: British Dyslexia Association · International Dyslexia Association
You don't need a diagnosis to use this app. If listening helps, that's reason enough.
Private by design
What you read is your business.
- Everything happens on your Mac. The voices run on your Mac. Your text is never sent to a server.
- No account. No sign-up, no email, no password.
- No tracking. No analytics and no ads in the app.
- Works offline. No internet needed to read aloud.
This website sets no cookies and has no analytics. Read the full privacy policy.
The reader is free. Always.
Pro is an optional thank-you. Pay once. No subscription.
Free
Free, forever
- Reading aloud with the yellow word highlight
- All speeds, 0.5x to 4x
- Pause, resume, and click any word to jump
- Apple's voices, on your Mac
- Automatic language detection
- Private: nothing leaves your Mac
Pro
$4.99 once ₹499 in India Pay once. No subscription.
Everything in Free, plus:
- Natural voices. They sound more like a person, and run on your Mac. For Apple Silicon Macs. Coming soon
Planned for later:
- Save a reading as an audio file Planned
- Read text in PDFs and images Planned
- Your own highlight colours Planned
- A reading ruler Planned
- During the beta, everything is free. Beta testers never pay.
- Can't afford it? Ask, and we'll give you Pro free. No questions, no proof needed.
- Changed your mind? Full refund within 14 days, no questions asked. Refund policy.
- Schools and groups: licences for classes and organisations are available. Email us.
Why there's a Pro
The reader is free because reading should be easy for everyone. Pro pays for Apple's yearly developer fee and keeps the app going. It's one person making this.
Download
Free beta for Mac. Windows is coming.
Mac
Free beta
- macOS 14 Sonoma or later
- Apple Silicon or Intel
- Everything is free during the beta
ReadAloud-beta.dmg · 1.0 MB · Install guide
Windows
Coming soon
A Windows version is planned. Join the waitlist and we'll tell you first.
This opens your email app. One email when it's ready. Nothing else.
First time opening it?
Apple shows a warning, because the beta isn't signed by Apple yet. Our picture guide takes you through it in about 5 minutes.
This opens your email app. I'll only use your email to reply.
Questions
Why does it ask for the Accessibility permission?
macOS needs this permission before any app can read text you select in other apps.
The app uses it for two things: to get the text you selected, and to find each word on screen so it can highlight it.
Nothing is sent anywhere. You can turn it off any time in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
How do I get a better voice?
Apple's Premium and Enhanced voices sound much more natural. They are free.
- Open System Settings → Accessibility → Spoken Content. (On the newest macOS it is called Read & Speak.)
- Click the info button next to System voice, or choose Manage Voices.
- Find a voice marked Premium, like Ava (Premium), and download it.
Natural voices are coming with Pro, for Apple Silicon Macs. They also run on your Mac.
Which Macs does it work on?
Any Mac with macOS 14 Sonoma or newer. Both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs work.
Is it safe? Why the warning?
Why the warning: Apple shows it for apps whose maker hasn't paid Apple's $99 a year developer fee yet. It doesn't mean the app is harmful.
Why it's safe: ReadAloud has no internet code and no account. Nothing you read leaves your Mac. Read more, and see how to open it.
We'll pay Apple's fee as soon as the beta covers it. Then the warning goes away.
I installed a new beta and it stopped reading. What now?
After each beta update, macOS forgets the permission.
- Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
- Select ReadAloud and click the minus (−) button.
- Open the app again and allow it when asked.
Does it work on Windows?
Not yet. A Windows version is planned. Join the waitlist and we'll tell you first.
Does it need the internet?
No. The voices run on your Mac, so it works offline.
Is it free?
The reader is free. Always. No ads, no account.
Pro is an optional one-time payment for natural voices: $4.99, or ₹499 in India. During the beta, everything is free.
Can't afford Pro? Ask, and it's yours free. See Free vs Pro.