Top 10 Best Use Recommendations

  1. The #1 Must-Do: The "Answer Phone" Shortcut. This is a tried and true recommendation for handling phone calls without the stress of initial silence.

    When a call comes in, you answer, trigger this shortcut, and Talk For Me instantly opens and speaks a greeting. This lets the caller know exactly what to expect. They won't ask, "Are you still there?" because they will be envisioning you typing. Better yet, the app is already open and ready for your next response!

How to set it up:

  1. Follow the instructions in our video tutorial to create a new Siri Shortcut. Tap the TFM Video Tutorials link above.

  2. Create a shortcut with the phrase: "Hello, I am using a text-to-speech app to communicate. Please don't hang up, just give me a few seconds to type my response."

  3. Rename this shortcut to Answer Phone.

Ways to trigger it instantly:

  • The Action Button: If you have a newer iPhone (15 Pro or newer), go to your iPhone Settings > Action Button, and set it to trigger your "Answer Phone" shortcut.

  • Assistive Touch: If you don't have an Action Button, use Assistive Touch! You can set one of your top-level menu items or a "Double Tap" to trigger this shortcut.

  • Bonus Tip: Make a second, similar shortcut for friends and family with a more casual, familiar tone!

 
 

  1. Use AI to Clone Your Voice, or Borrow One

    If you are no longer able to complete Apple's live reading test, you still have two great options to get a natural-sounding voice:

    • The AI Clone: You can use a service like ElevenLabs.io to upload old videos or audio clips of yourself and generate an AI clone of your voice. You can then sit your iPhone/iPad next to a laptop, and have the laptop's AI voice read the Apple prompts out loud into your device to set up your Personal Voice!
    • Borrow a Voice: A close friend or family member can easily set up a Personal Voice on your device using their own voice. This is a beautiful way to have a familiar, comforting voice speak for you.
  2. Build a Home Screen Dashboard. Transform your iPhone into a dedicated communication device by bringing your Custom Buttons directly to your Home Screen. How to set it up: Long-press any empty space on your iPhone Home Screen until the apps wiggle. Tap the + icon in the top corner. Search for Shortcuts and swipe over to the Large or Medium widget. Tap Add Widget. Now you have a massive, easy-to-tap grid of your most important Talk For Me phrases available the second you unlock your phone.
  3. Supercharge Siri with Text Replacement. If you use 'Type to Siri' to trigger your shortcuts, you can speed things up even more! Open the Settings app > General > Keyboards > Text Replacement to create an abbreviation. For example, I have a Siri Shortcut titled "Answer Phone." I created a text replacement so all I have to type into Siri is "ans". It expands to "Answer Phone", and the shortcut runs instantly.
  4. Use Assistive Touch. Use Apple's on-screen AssistiveTouch menu to bypass physical buttons. You can set it to instantly launch Talk For Me, or use it to trigger a 'Shake' command to easily clear your text!
  5. Punctuation Matters. The expressive speech engine reads punctuation naturally! Use commas to create brief pauses, question marks for an inquiring tone, and exclamation points for urgency. You can mix and match these in a single paragraph, and the voice will handle the human-like nuances perfectly.
  6. The "Loud Room" Automation. Note: This is for in-person conversations, not phone calls! If you are in a noisy environment (like a restaurant or a store), you can tell Apple's Shortcuts app to temporarily blast your iPhone's volume just for one phrase, and then politely turn it back down. How to set it up in the Shortcuts App: Add the Set Volume action and drag it to the top. Set it to 100%. Add your Talk For Me phrase action below it. Add a Wait action and set it to 3 or 4 seconds (giving the app time to finish speaking). Add another Set Volume action at the bottom, and set it back to a normal level like 50%. When you tap this shortcut, your phone will make sure you are heard loud and clear, and then automatically return to normal!
  7. Get Prepared in Advance. Use the phrases Library to prep for conversations in advance! Before making a phone call or heading into a doctor's appointment, create the specific sentences you plan to use and save them to your "Temp" category. Add your questions, account numbers, and expected answers ahead of time. When the meeting or call is over, you can just swipe left to delete them and keep your Library clean!
  8. iCloud Sync is Your Best Friend. If you just bought a new iPad, simply open Talk For Me on your iPhone, tap "Upload to Cloud," then open the app on your new iPad and tap "Download from Cloud." Your entire setup will be transferred in seconds!
  9. Have Fun! Set some Custom Buttons in different languages you may speak or your friends speak. I mainly use the Alex voice, but have a Custom Button set up with the Samantha voice saying, "Hold on, he's typing something."

How to Set Up a Personal Voice (iOS 17+)

If your device is running iOS 17 or newer, you can create a digital replica of your voice and use it directly inside Talk For Me.

  1. Open your device's Settings app.

  2. Scroll down to Accessibility and tap Personal Voice.

  3. Follow Apple's on-screen instructions to record and generate your voice.

  4. Once your device finishes processing the voice, open Talk For Me and tap the voice selector button.

  5. Choose Personal from the voice list.

  6. Tap Allow when the app prompts you for permission to use it.

How to Set Up Siri Shortcuts

Talk For Me integrates directly with Apple's Shortcuts app, allowing you to trigger your most frequently used everyday phrases completely hands-free using your voice or typing to Siri.

  1. Open Apple's native Shortcuts app on your device.

  2. Tap the + icon in the top right corner to create a new shortcut.

  3. Tap Add Action, tap in the search bar, and type Talk For Me.

  4. Select the Speak a Phrase action.

  5. Tap on the faded "Phrase" text and type the exact sentence you want the app to speak (e.g., "Can I please get a medium iced coffee?").

  6. Tap the arrow at the very top of the screen to Rename your shortcut to a simple, memorable voice command (e.g., "Coffee").

  7. Tap Done.

You can now simply say, "Hey Siri, Coffee" or Type to Siri, “Coffee” (or whatever you named your shortcut), and Talk For Me will instantly speak your full phrase without you ever needing to open the app! Watch the video above showing these exact steps.

Setup

The app is really simple. First, decide which voice you want to use. The default Samantha voice is a nice choice.

Please note that the new Expressive Speech Engine requires either the Enhanced or Premium version of the voice you choose. If you select a voice that you don’t currently have installed, the app will alert you to download it. If a voice has both an Enhanced and Premium version available, the app will automatically use the Premium version for the best quality. All the voices listed in the app are free and available directly from Apple.

For example, if you want to use the Samantha voice, follow these steps to download the enhanced version:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone/iPad.

  2. Select Accessibility

  3. Select Read & Speak

  4. Select Voices

  5. Select English

  6. Find the Samantha voice (or any other). You will see a small download icon to the right or an arrow. If you see an arrow, tap it and you’ll then see the download icon to the right of the enhanced voice. If the voice you choose has both an enhanced voice and a premium voice, download the premium voice as that will be used. Tap the download icon to start the download. It’s best to stay on that screen until the voice downloads and not allow your device to sleep.

  7. Once it has downloaded, exit the Settings app.

  8. Open Talk For Me - Text to Speech.

  9. On the initial page, tap on the voice selector and scroll to select the voice you downloaded.

Main Screen

The Main Screen is your central hub for communication, giving you instant access to the app's core features.

Quick Navigation & Settings

  • Gear Icon (Top Left): Opens the Data & Settings Center.

  • + Symbol: Opens the Add to Library module.

  • Library Button: Quickly access your saved phrases. (You can also open the Library by swiping left!)

Your Communication Tools

  • Say It! (Speaking Head): Speaks the text currently in your window.

  • Clear / Undo: Removes the spoken phrase or brings it back from temporary memory.

  • History Recall: Long-press on the Clear button to instantly view, replay, or retrieve your last 50 spoken phrases.

  • Pause & Cancel: Stop the voice engine instantly if you need to interrupt a phrase. Clear, native controls let you resume playback or immediately cancel the speech so you are ready to type your next response.

  • Voice Selection: Tap the active voice name to open the new Voice Selector view.

    • Search All Voices: Browse and choose from all available voices. Tap the star next to any voice name to add it to your Favorites list.

    • Favorite Voices: Once set up, this initial view displays your starred voices so you can swap your vocal identity in an instant.

  • Auto-Speak Button: Toggle this button to have the voice engine automatically speak your words or sentences out loud as you type them.

  • Edit Button: Tap the Edit icon to quickly access items on your screen with a single tap—completely eliminating the need for difficult long-press or drag gestures.

  • Up Arrow: Opens the first page of your Custom Buttons. (You can also access this by swiping up!)

  • Custom Buttons: Twelve quick-action buttons for your most common phrases in a smooth scrollable area.

  • Floating Scroll Assist Button: Tap the bottom scroll assist button to easily scroll through your quick-action buttons.

How Speaking & Clearing Works

Once you choose a voice, tap the main text window to open the keyboard, type your phrase, and tap Say It!.

You will notice the text remains in the window after being spoken. I designed it this way because I frequently find the need to repeat what I say—likely because AAC communication lacks natural gestures and mouth movements to grab attention.

  • Want it to clear automatically? Just use the Return key on your keyboard to speak instead.

  • Need to bring a phrase back? Tap Clear, and the button will change to Undo. Tapping Undo brings your last phrase back from temporary memory.

  • Need to clear the screen without saving? Shake your device or tap with two fingers inside the main text window.

The (NEW) Enhanced Speech Engine

Our massively improved, expressive speech engine is incredibly smart:

  • Natural Emphasis: Combine sentences, questions, exclamations, and ellipses (...) in one paragraph. It will speak them naturally with human-like emotion.

  • Using Punctuation for Lifelike Speech: Talk For Me dynamically reads your punctuation. Adding an ellipsis (...) into your text box will command the speech engine to take a natural, brief breath mid-phrase—perfect for separating thoughts or making an interaction sound more conversational and less robotic.

  • Smart Numbers: Paste or type a long series of numbers (e.g., “555065788”) and the engine will automatically insert human-sounding pauses. No more wasting time adding awkward commas!

  • Audio Ducking (Background Media): You never have to manually pause your music or podcasts to speak. The engine automatically lowers your background audio while your phrase is spoken, and seamlessly brings it back to full volume the second it finishes.

Hardware Keyboard Shortcuts

If you use a Magic Keyboard or any external Bluetooth keyboard, you can navigate the entire app at lightning speed without ever touching the screen:

  • Cmd + F: Instantly opens the Library and highlights the search bar.

  • Cmd + 1: Opens the Main Screen.

  • Cmd + 2: Opens Page 1 of your Custom Buttons.

  • Cmd + 3: Opens Page 2 of your Custom Buttons.

  • Cmd + 4: Opens Page 3 of your Custom Buttons.

  • Cmd + 5: Opens Page 4 of your Custom Buttons.

  • Cmd + 8: Opens Data & Settings.

  • Cmd + =: Opens Add to Library menu.

  • Cmd + U: Clear/Undo

  • Cmd + K: Privacy Wipe. Immediately clears the text of the main window, bypassing the temporary “Undo” memory.

  • Cmd + Return (Enter): Automatically speaks the text currently typed in your main window and doesn’t clear the text.

  • Return (Enter): Automatically speaks the text currently typed in your main window and clears the text.

    From Data & Settings:

  • Cmd + 1: Opens the Main Screen.

    From Add to Library or Edit Phrase menus:

  • Esc: Returns to either Main Screen or Library.

  • Cmd + S: Saves your current edit and returns you to the previous screen.

Pro-Tips for the Main Screen

  • Lower the Keyboard: Tap the empty space to the left or right of the Up Arrow to instantly drop the keyboard.

  • Speed Adjustments: Slide the speech rate slider to the right to speak faster, or left to speak slower.

Custom Buttons & Instant Replies

Custom buttons are your shortcut to fluid conversation. They allow you to trigger your most frequent phrases and instant replies with a single tap.

How to Rearrange, Clear, Edit, or Copy a Button:

  1. Long-press (tap and hold) any of the custom buttons.

  2. To Rearrange: Keep holding the button and simply drag your finger across the screen to move it to a new spot. The other buttons will automatically slide out of the way!

  3. To Edit or Clear: Lift your finger to reveal the quick-action menu. Tap Clear to instantly erase the button, or tap Edit Phrase to customize it.

  4. To Copy / Paste: Lift your finger to reveal the menu and tap Copy to duplicate the full contents of the button (including the color and icon). Navigate to any other custom button, long-press it to reveal the menu, and tap Paste. (Note: A safety warning will pop up to confirm before overwriting the destination button). Pro Tip: Copying a button also saves its text to your device's clipboard, meaning you can easily paste the phrase anywhere else on your device that accepts text (like Messages, Safari, or Mail).

  5. To Send or Grab Text: Tap Send to Text Box to push a button's phrase up into the main text window so you can add to it before speaking. Conversely, if you have typed a great sentence in the main window, long-press any button and select Paste from Text Box to instantly save what you just typed onto that button.

  6. When Editing: Type a short label in the Title field and your full sentence in the Phrase box. You can also choose a custom Button Color, pick the perfect Icon, select your preferred Voice, and adjust the Speech Rate.

  7. Tap Save in the top right corner.

Once saved, a quick tap on that button will instantly speak your phrase!

Accessing More Button Pages:

Your main screen now features 12 primary quick buttons in a smooth, scrollable area, but you have access to four entire pages of extra buttons!

  • To open the extra pages, swipe up on the main screen (or tap the up arrow).

  • Once the custom pages are open, swipe left or tap the right arrow to easily flip through the remaining pages.

Pro Tips for Natural Communication:

  • The "Essentials": We highly recommend setting up dedicated buttons for conversational anchors like "Yes," "No," "Hold on, I'm typing," and a brief introduction explaining how you communicate.

  • Spelling Words Out: Need the app to spell out your name, address, or email? Just separate the letters with commas! For example: "My name is Darrin, d, a, r, r, i, n."

 

Shortcuts Recommendation

Phone Calls & FaceTime

When you use your iPhone for a standard phone call, or any iOS device for FaceTime, Zoom, or Google Meet, Talk For Me will automagically route your text-to-speech audio directly to the person on the other end.

(NEW) Dual Audio Output for Calls (iPhone only): You'll now hear your spoken text through your own device too, at a softer volume, so you always know exactly what the other person is hearing.

How to Handle Active Calls to Use With Talk For Me:

  1. Answer the incoming call and quickly switch it to Speaker.

  2. Swipe up to go to your Home Screen and open Talk For Me.

  3. Type and tap your custom buttons normally!

  4. For FaceTime Video: The other person will shrink down into a Picture-in-Picture window. You can easily drag this small video screen around the edges of your iPad or iPhone so it never blocks your buttons or text field.

PRO TIP: IPAD PHONE CALLS! Did you know you can use Talk For Me on your iPad to make phone calls?

  1. Start a phone call natively on your iPhone.

  2. Tap the Speaker icon on the iPhone call screen.

  3. Select your iPad to hand off the audio.

  4. Open Talk For Me on your iPad and speak right into the call!

The Phrases Library

Your Library is a personal database designed for partial sentences you use regularly, as well as temporary phrases you might only need for a single day.

The Core Phrase Pack Start communicating immediately without the daunting task of building a library from scratch! Talk For Me includes over 2,000 ready-to-use, pre-categorized phrases covering essential everyday scenarios (medical, dining, emergencies, and social greetings).

  • How to enable: Tap the Gear Icon (Top Left) to open the Data & Settings Center, then tap Enable Core Phrase Pack. (See the Data & Settings section for more details).

How to Save a Phrase:

  • Method 1: Direct Entry: Tap the + symbol in the top left corner of the main screen. Type a descriptive title and your phrase into the dialogue box, choose a category (like Personal or Temp), then tap Save.

  • Method 2: Save While Typing: If you have already typed a phrase into the main text window and want to keep it, tap the + symbol. You can edit the auto-generated title, select your category, then tap Save.

Accessing & Using Your Library:

  • Open it: Swipe left across your screen, or tap the Library link in the top right corner.

  • Speak it: Tap any entry in your list to instantly send it to the main text window, ready to be completed or spoken aloud.

  • Search it: Tap the search bar in the Library to instantly filter your list as you type.

Organizing Your Phrases:

  • Filter by Category: Tap the chips at the top of the Library (Default: All, General, Personal, Phone Calls, Smart Home, Temp) to instantly filter your list. Bonus: The app remembers your last used category, so you can easily jump back and forth between the main screen and your "Phone Calls" list without losing your place!

  • Pin to Top: Swipe right on any entry to pin it to the very top of your list for immediate access.

  • Delete: Swipe left on an entry to remove it permanently.

  • Rearrange: Tap the Edit button to effortlessly drag and drop your phrases into a custom order (no long-press required!).

  • Edit a Phrase: Tap the blue (i) info icon on the right side of any row. This opens the Edit screen where you can easily update the title, tweak the spoken phrase, or reassign it to a completely different category.

The Data Control Center & Settings

The Data Control Center is your central hub for personalizing your app and keeping your phrases safe.

How to Access: Tap the Gear icon on the main screen to open the Data & Settings menu.

1. Speech Rate

Fine-tune how fast or slow the app speaks to match your personal preference or the conversational setting.

  • Tap and slide to adjust the speed to your liking.

2. Local Data Management (Snapshots)

We highly encourage you to experiment with your button layouts! Local backups let you save a "snapshot" of your current setup directly to your device so you can experiment without fear of losing your phrases.

  • Backup Data: Tap this before making major changes. It instantly saves your exact current setup, including all buttons, phrases, and settings.

  • Restore Data: Did you make a mistake or decide you don't like your new layout? Tap this, select a previous backup file, and your app will instantly revert to how it was when you saved that snapshot.

  • Delete Backup: Use this to clear out old snapshots and free up space on your device.

3. Cloud Backup (iCloud Sync)

Keep your iPhone and iPad perfectly in sync. iCloud Sync allows you to transfer your entire Talk For Me setup across all the iOS devices connected to your Apple ID.

  • Tap the iCloud Sync button to reveal two options:

    • Upload to Cloud: Takes the setup currently on your screen and saves it securely to your iCloud account.

    • Download from Cloud: Grabs the backup you previously uploaded and applies it to the device you are currently holding. (Note: Downloading will overwrite the data currently on the device).

4. Appearance

Take control of your visual experience. Choose between light mode, dark mode, or system setting.

5. Library Categories

Customize the tabs inside your Library to perfectly match your daily routine (e.g., changing the default "Smart Home" category to "Restaurants" or "Medical").

  • To rename a category: Tap into any of the text fields and type your new title. Your changes are saved automatically when you leave the screen.

  • What happens to your saved phrases? Think of these categories like folders on your computer. If you rename the "Smart Home" folder to "Restaurants", any phrases you previously saved in that slot will simply stay put and be re-labeled under your new title.

  • To remove a title: Tap the small (x) inside the text box to clear your custom text. The category will instantly revert to its default name.

6. Custom Button Page Titles

You can now rename your custom button pages to better organize your phrases (e.g., "Medical," "Restaurant," or "Phone Calls").

  • To rename a page: Tap into any of the text fields (Custom 1, Custom 2, etc.) and type your new title. Your changes are saved automatically when you leave the screen.

  • To remove a title: Tap the small (x) inside the text box to clear your custom text. The page will instantly revert to its default "Custom" name.

7. Library Expansion

Supercharge your app's built-in vocabulary with ready-to-use content.

  • Enable Core Phrase Pack: Tap this to instantly load over 2,000 pre-categorized phrases into your Library. This massive pack covers essential everyday scenarios like medical needs, emergencies, dining, and social greetings, allowing you to start communicating immediately without building a library from scratch!

Using the "Designed for iPad" Version on macOS

Voice Availability on Mac To ensure a highly reliable and consistent experience, the available system voices on macOS have been specifically curated.

  • Supported System Voices: Alex and Samantha.

  • Coming in Version 3.4: You will be able to seamlessly use your own custom Personal Voices created on your iOS devices.

How to "Long Press" on a Mac Because Mac screens are not touch-enabled, you can easily replicate an iPad "long press" (used to open custom menus or edit buttons) using your mouse or trackpad:

  • Hold the Control key and click your mouse or trackpad.

  • Or: Perform a two-finger tap on your trackpad.

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