Talk For Me - Text to Speech Manual and Tips
Updated for v2.5
Top 10 Best Use Recommendations
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:
Follow the instructions in our accompanying video to create a new Siri Shortcut.
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."
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!
- 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.
- 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.
- Borrow a Personal Voice. If you are unable to record your own Personal Voice, a close friend or family member can easily set up a Personal Voice on your device for you to use!
- 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!
- 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.
- 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!
- 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!
- 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!
- 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."
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:
Open the Settings app on your iPhone/iPad.
Select Accessibility
Select Read & Speak
Select Voices
Select English
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.
Once it has downloaded, exit the Settings app.
Open Talk For Me - Text to Speech.
On the initial page, tap on the voice selector and scroll to select the voice you downloaded.
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.
Open your device's Settings app.
Scroll down to Accessibility and tap Personal Voice.
Follow Apple's on-screen instructions to record and generate your voice.
Once your device finishes processing the voice, open Talk For Me and tap the voice selector button.
Choose Personal from the voice list.
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.
Open Apple's native Shortcuts app on your device.
Tap the + icon in the top right corner to create a new shortcut.
Tap Add Action, tap in the search bar, and type Talk For Me.
Select the Speak a Phrase action.
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?").
Tap the arrow at the very top of the screen to Rename your shortcut to a simple, memorable voice command (e.g., "Coffee").
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.
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.
Speech Rate Slider: Adjust how fast or slow the voice speaks.
Voice Selection: Choose your preferred voice (e.g., Samantha).
Up Arrow: Opens the first page of your Custom Buttons. (You can also access this by swiping up!)
Auto Switch & Custom Buttons: Six quick-action buttons for your most common phrases.
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, and exclamations in one paragraph, and it will speak them naturally with human-like emotion.
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 (iPad & Mac) If you use an iPad with a Magic Keyboard or an external Bluetooth keyboard, you can navigate the entire app at lightning speed without ever touching the screen:
Cmd + F: Instantly opens the Archive 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 + U: Clear/Undo
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.
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 Program a Custom Button:
Long-press (tap and hold) any of the quick buttons for a few seconds until the customization menu opens.
In the Title field, type the short label you want to see on the button itself (e.g., "Intro" or "Hold On").
In the Phrase box, type the full sentence you want the app to speak when tapped (e.g., "Please be patient, I am using a text-to-speech app to communicate.").
Choose your preferred Voice and adjust the Speech Rate slider.
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 features 6 primary quick buttons, but you have access to four entire pages of custom buttons!
To open the extra pages, swipe up on the main screen (or tap the bottom arrow bar).
Once the custom pages are open, swipe left or tap the 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 are on a standard phone call or a FaceTime call (audio or video), Talk For Me will automagically route your text-to-speech audio directly to the person on the other end.
Note: Because the audio is sent directly into the call, you will not hear the spoken text through your own device's speaker.
How to Handle Active Calls:
Answer the incoming call and quickly switch it to Speaker.
Swipe up to go to your Home Screen and open Talk For Me.
Type and tap your custom buttons normally!
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.
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.
How to Save a Phrase:
Method 1: Direct Entry (NEW): 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 (NEW): Tap the search bar in the Library to instantly filter your list as you type.
Organizing Your Phrases:
Filter by Category (NEW): 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 (NEW): 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 drag and drop your phrases into a custom order.
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 (New!)
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. 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.
2. 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).
3. Appearance
Take control of your visual experience. Choose between light mode, dark mode, or system setting.
4. 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.
5. 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.
Auto Speak (Real-Time Typing)
The Auto toggle transforms the app into a real-time communication tool by automatically speaking every single word as you type.
How It Works:
Tap the Auto switch on the main screen to turn it on.
As you type, every time you hit the Space bar, the app will instantly speak the word you just finished.
Best For: Initially intended for fast typists, this feature is perfect for maintaining a steady, continuous flow of conversation. It allows you to speak fluidly without having to pause and manually tap a "Speak" button at the end of every sentence.