Natural Reader

Read and listen with word highlighting, playback controls, and saved audio. Each reading remembers its selected voice and playback position.

Set up Siri Expressive Voice

  1. Open Settings → Set Up Shortcuts. You can also open setup beside Siri Expressive Voice in a reading’s voice picker.
  2. On Install Shortcut, tap Continue in Shortcuts to open the Natural Reader Audio shortcut. Choose an expressive voice under Siri when asked.
  3. Return to Natural Reader after installation to start the check automatically. The check confirms that audio reaches the app and that word timing can be prepared.
  4. When you see Setup Complete, tap Done. Use Play in your reading to prepare and listen to its audio.

To install without iCloud, tap ? → Install from File, then choose Shortcuts in the share sheet.

New expressive narration requires iOS 27 or macOS 27 and a compatible Siri configuration. Available voices depend on your device, language, and region. See Apple’s Siri voice settings. The app cannot identify the selected voice by name; choose the intended voice in the shortcut’s setup question.

The shortcut test fails

Check the message shown in setup. If no audio returns, open Shortcuts and confirm that Natural Reader Audio is installed, its requested permissions are allowed, and its audio action uses the intended Siri voice. Tap Try Again. If actions are missing, the shortcut opens an older version of the app, or it still fails, remove the old shortcut and use Reinstall Shortcut → Continue in Shortcuts. Keep one copy named Natural Reader Audio, or enter its exact name under ? → Shortcut Name.

If audio arrives but the app says on-device word timing is unavailable, reinstalling the shortcut will not provide the missing speech model. You can import a shared reading that already includes audio and highlighting. Audio and voice availability depend on Apple’s device and system support.

Create a reading

Tap +, paste or type your text, then tap the red Save button. The first line is suggested as the title; tap the title field to enter your own. The top-right … menu contains Text File and Import Audio.

Import audio or a shared reading

Open + → … → Import Audio → Choose Audio or Shared Reading. Audio import supports formats your device can play, including M4A, MP3, WAV, and AIFF. Transcription runs on device when a compatible local speech model is available. Older systems may ask for Speech Recognition permission; the app does not fall back to sending your recording to a speech server.

A .naturalreading file contains the text, audio, and word timings together. It plays without generating a new voice or transcribing the audio. This is the recommended way to transfer a prepared reading to an older phone running iOS 18 or later.

On the sending phone, open the reading’s … → Audio and Sharing, save its audio, then choose Prepare Reading to Share → Share Reading with Highlighting. Send the file with AirDrop, Files, or the share sheet. Anyone with the file can read its text and hear its audio.

Playback and voices

Playback includes pause, speed, seeking, and 10-second skips for prepared audio. Follow Spoken Text keeps the page still until the spoken line reaches the bottom, then brings the next line near the top. Siri Expressive Voice prepares narration; each reading keeps its saved recording. Switching between saved readings does not require generating their audio again.

Buy me a coffee

All features are already available in the free app. Nothing needs to be unlocked. Open Settings → Buy me a coffee to choose an optional, one-time tip. Tips are not subscriptions and do not change access to any app feature. Apple displays your local price and confirms each purchase.

Tips are consumable purchases and can be made more than once. There is no subscription to cancel or feature purchase to restore. If a purchase is awaiting approval, all app features remain available. For an accidental purchase or other billing issue, use Apple’s purchase and refund support.

Privacy and deleting readings

Your library is stored in the app’s private storage. Deleting a reading removes that reading’s local audio and word timings. Backups and files you have shared must be managed separately. Read the Privacy Policy for details about Apple services, purchases, and support.

Contact

Use for help, bug reports, or feedback. Include your device model, system version, and the message you see. Do not send passwords or private reading content.