How to Use Siri to Read Texts on iOS and macOS?

Key Takeaways

• Siri’s text-to-speech helps users consume content hands-free, making it useful during commuting, workouts, or multitasking. It also supports accessibility needs by assisting users with ADHD, dyslexia, and reading fatigue.
• Enabling Siri TTS is simple across iOS and macOS, using the Accessibility > Spoken Content settings. Siri can read on-screen text through voice commands like “Hey Siri, speak screen” or via gesture controls.
• Despite its convenience, Siri’s TTS has notable limitations, including limited emotional range, inconsistent pronunciation, and minimal customization. The assistant's output quality varies across languages and is not suited for professional or high-fidelity audio production.
• Murf is a better alternative with realistic voices, advanced customization, voice cloning, multilingual support, and scalable workflows.

‍

Siri is a built-in voice assistant available in Apple devices, such as iPhones, MacBooks, and iMacs. The virtual assistant leverages speech recognition and AI to complete tasks, such as setting a timer, sending a message, and drafting an email.

Users can also use the cutting-edge technology to read on-screen text. This has several benefits.

First, you can consume content, such as reading e-books and web pages, when performing routine tasks, such as commuting and working out. Second, it is quite handy for users who experience learning challenges, such as ADHD and dyslexia.

Additionally, the human-like voice reduces eye strain and fatigue, leading to overall well-being. The best part is that users will get a consistent experience across all Apple devices.

In this article, let's learn how to enable Siri text-to-speech in your Apple ecosystem and analyze some of the limitations you may encounter, along with solutions.

Step-by-Step Guide to Make Siri Read Text Out Loud

For iPhone and iPad:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad
2. In the Settings menu, look for and tap on ‘Accessibility.’
3. Under Accessibility, you’ll find an option called ‘Spoken Content.’ Tap on it.
4. You’ll see an option called ‘Speak Screen.’ Swipe the button to the right to turn it on. And you are done!

For iMac and Macbooks

1. Click on the Apple menu located at the top left of your desktop.
2. From the drop-down menu, click on ‘System Preference.’
3. In the System Preferences window, find and click on ‘Accessibility.’
4. In the navigation bar on the left, click on ‘Spoken Content.’
5. Look for the checkbox that says ‘Speak selection’ and click on it to enable screen speaking.

How to Use Siri Voice Text-to-Speech to Read Text Aloud

1. Open any App: Open any app where you want Siri to read the text. It could be a news app, a book, or even your messages!
2. Say the Magic Words: Simply say, “Hey Siri, speak screen.” If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also swipe down from the top of the screen with two fingers.
3. Listen and Control: Siri reads the text on the screen. A pop-up control will appear, which you can use to pause, play, change the speed, or skip sentences. If it disappears after a few moments, don’t worry! Just tap on the side of the screen to bring it back.

And there you have it. You’ve now turned your iPhone or iPad into a personal narrator. Enjoy! 

Limitations of Siri Voices' Text-to-Speech

Despite steady improvements, the Siri voice generator still presents several constraints that impact output quality and usability:

• Limited emotional range: Siri delivers a consistent tone over entire words but struggles with expressive nuance that enhances natural speech.
• Inconsistent pronunciation: Complex names, acronyms, and domain terms often produce inaccurate or robotic outputs.
• Restricted customization: Users cannot fine-tune pacing, emphasis, or speaking style to match specific brand or content needs.
• Variable performance across languages: Some languages sound polished, while others lag due to incomplete phonetic modeling.
• Context handling issues: Siri sometimes misinterprets intent, leading to flat or awkward phrasing during longer narrations when reading content off the entire screen.
• Limited scalability for creators: Siri voices are not designed for converting written text into a high-fidelity audio file for professional use.

‍

These limitations create friction for Apple users who need precise, adaptable, and scalable TTS for content, apps, or customer experiences.

Murf: Perfect Alternative to Siri Text-to-Speech

Murf is a cloud-based AI voice platform that converts text into lifelike voiceovers. It leverages advanced neural-TTS technology to produce audio that often surpasses typical built-in voice systems, such as Apple's Siri, in naturalness and control.

Here are key capabilities Murf offers — Siri’s TTS doesn't:

• Extensive voice library: Murf supports over 200 ultra-realistic human-like voices across 33+ languages and multiple accents.
• Voice customization and cloning: Users can adjust pitch, speed, emphasis, pauses, and pronunciation — including word-level emphasis and prosody or digitize their own voice.
• Multiple speaking styles and emotional tone: Murf offers styles like conversational, documentary, promotional, or narrative, enabling tone matching for different content types.
• Multilingual and cross-accent support: You can create content in many languages and dialects — ideal for global audiences or multilingual applications.
• Scalable production workflow: Whether for podcasts, training, marketing videos, or e-learning, Murf streamlines voiceover creation — no studio, mic, or voice actor needed.

‍

Ready to get started?

Sign up today and get free ten voice generation minutes.