Speech Central is built for focused, serious reading — across PDFs, web articles, books, and documents.
Designed for productivity and accessibility, it combines powerful controls, deep customization, and seamless integration across Apple devices.
No subscription. A one-time upgrade unlocks unlimited use. Free access is available for blind users with VoiceOver and for schools deploying the app through Apple School Manager.
READING WITHOUT DISTRACTIONS
Optimized PDF & Web Reading
• Accurate reading order and navigation
• Optional cleanup to reduce distractions such as headers, footnotes, citations, and links
• RSS support and easy sharing from Safari and other apps
Broad Document Support
• PDF (including scanned PDFs)
• EPUB
• Word (.docx)
• PowerPoint (.pptx)
• OpenOffice formats
• HTML, TXT, RTF, Markdown, and more
VOICES: OFFLINE AND CLOUD AI
• Use high-quality Apple system voices offline
• Connect cloud AI voices (OpenAI-compatible APIs, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud) using your own API keys
• Proprietary enhancement layer improves realism and streaming playback
• Optional AI summarization tools help you review content more efficiently
BUILT FOR THE APPLE ECOSYSTEM
• Sync reading position and playlists across iPhone, iPad, and Mac
• CarPlay support for listening and control in your vehicle
• Independent Apple Watch app — listen without your iPhone nearby
• Optional Health integration to track mindful listening time
ACCESSIBILITY FIRST
• Dedicated profiles for ADHD, dyslexia, and low vision
• Interface and reading behavior adapt for reduced distraction and improved comprehension
• Fully accessible with VoiceOver
STUDY & KNOWLEDGE TOOLS
• Annotate while reading
• Export annotated text to .docx
• Export text to audio files for offline listening
PRIVACY BY DESIGN
• No ads
• No tracking
• No usage analytics
WHO USES SPEECH CENTRAL
• Students and researchers
• Professionals converting reading into listening time
• Users who rely on assistive reading tools
• Anyone who prefers distraction-reduced, hands-free reading
Notes:
- Free version limited by the number of daily articles; unlimited access available with Pro upgrade.
- Some features require the latest OS version.
- License is valid only on iOS/watchOS; separate licenses required for other platforms.
- DRM-protected books (e.g. Kindle) are incompatible.
- AI features may occasionally perform unexpectedly.
Getting back to school after not being in school for a long time. There is so much reading involved and this app helps me read/listen to all the material on my way to work.It’s so nice that’s it’s not subscription based. Definitely worth the money for my use case.
A very sad day
tigafox
After this new recent update it’s completely useless and buggy.
Developer Response
It is a sad day indeed to learn that people can give 1 star immediately after they noticed the problem and forget in an hour many years of receiving a great service for 100x lower price than the only app that provides similar feature set. But the problem has been fixed for some time, so please update the app and update the review to reflect the facts.
Meh
Whatever5513
Not many features at all (no grouping of articles by topic), buggy when it comes to saving articles, overpriced
Developer Response
I think that calling the app overpriced when it never costed more than a beer in a good restaurant tells more about the reviewer than about the app.
A Game Changer for Reading Comprehension!!
Parker.Louis
This is an excellent app for those that have trouble maintaining focus while reading, learning a foreign language, overcoming impairments, or if you just want to turn any text into human sounding audio. For human-like narration, I recommend configuring an API key in the app as per the developer’s documentation. If you omit this step, the app will default to iOS Accessibility voices that sound robotic.Hopefully, more users will take the time to read the directions instead of writing negative comments. It only takes 5 minutes folks! I’m grateful to the developer for creating this app and look forward to future updates!
Developer Response
This is so nicely said! Thanks!
Voice Multiselect and Random are fused to a new and more powerful Voice Shuffle control.
Version 17.3.3
The developer, Labsii, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
The developer indicated that this app supports the following accessibility features. Learn More
