Tech Reference

You can use text-to-speech in the Kindle app on an iPad using an accessibility feature — here's how to turn it on

Written by Dave Johnson
ipad mini
The iPad's Kindle app will let you use text-to-speech through the iPad's Speak Screen feature. Guteksk7/Shutterstock
Read in app

The Kindle app for the iPad gives you access to a vast library of free and purchased books which you can read or have read aloud to you with text-to-speech (TTS) technology. 

The Kindle app no longer has TTS built in, but that's okay; you can use a text-to-speech feature built into iPadOS itself. 

This iPadOS feature, called , in any app, including the Kindle app.

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How to use text-to-speech on the iPad Kindle app with Speak Screen

1. Start the iPad's Settings app and then tap "Accessibility." 

2. Tap "Spoken Content."

3. On the Spoken Content page, tap "Speak Screen."

Does the Kindle iPad app have text to speech 1
Enable Speak Screen in the Accessibility settings menu.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

4. Now that Speak Screen is enabled, start the Kindle app and open a book to the page you want to read. 

5. Using two fingers, swipe downward from the top of the screen.  

6. The Speak Screen control should appear, and the Kindle page should start to be read aloud. 

Does_the_Kindle_iPad_app_have_text_to_speech 2
You can use the Speak Screen controls to change the speed at which text is read aloud.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

After a moment, the Speak Screen controls will minimize, but you can tap the minimized Speak Screen arrow at any time to change the settings (you can also drag the arrow around the screen if you need to move it). 

You can use the Speak Screen controls to skip ahead to the next page or rewind to the previous page. If you don't like the rate at which the Kindle is reading, you can also change the reading speed from half-speed to double speed. 

The Kindle app will automatically advance to the next page when Speak Screen is done on the current page, so you never need to change pages manually.

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dave june
Dave Johnson
Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.