Reading aloud – FBReader

How do I run automatic reading aloud in FBReader?

Does FBReader support automatic reading aloud on my device?

As for today, FBReader includes automatic reading aloud only on Android and only in the Premium version. We are working to implement the feature on iOS and in the desktop version.

Is any book file suitable for reading aloud in FBReader Premium?

Unfortunately, no. As for today, the reading aloud is only implemented for “text” formats. This means PDF, DjVu, and comic books do not suit. We plan to implement the feature soon, at least for PDFs.

Can I add/change a voice for reading aloud?

FBReader has no own speech generator. Instead, it uses text-to-speech engines installed in the system.

On Android, you can install different engines and voices. Some of them are free; some others have to be purchased. Look to the system text-to-speech settings and for engines in your software store.

The reading aloud works very poorly. The speech is interrupted regularly. What do I do?

Most probably, the voice engine selected on your device uses network resources. That requires significant traffic and might work with intermittency. Try to choose a non-network voice.

Reading aloud stops a few minutes after starting (or shortly after switching off the screen). How do I fix this?

That might be related to energy-saving settings. On many modern Android devices, the system tries to stop background processes to save the battery.

The solution depends on your device model. Some manufacturers allow to include an application to the list of “exceptions” from the power optimisation mechanism. If your device has such an option, you need to include two apps: FBReader Premium and the text-to-speech engine.