Samsung Galaxy devices have a handy text to speech feature that can make everyday activities much more manageable. Let's explore set-up and an alternative.

How to enable text to speech on Samsung Galaxy

Samsung Galaxy devices have a handy text to speech feature that can make everyday activities much more manageable. The feature is easy to set up and just as easy to use. However, this native tool isn’t the only way to enable text to speech on Samsung Galaxy.

Let’s explore your text to speech options and determine which is best.

Many ways to enable TTS on Samsung Galaxy and Android devices

Luckily for users who depend on text to speech, there are many ways to enable this valuable feature on an Android device. For example, you can get Google Assistant to read aloud for you or download a third-party app from the Play Store. Plus, there’s a built-in text to speech Google tool for Samsung Galaxy users.

While all these ways can be helpful, two text to speech options work the best on an Android operating system: Google Text to Speech and Speechify.

Google Text to Speech

Every Android smartphone has a native TTS feature that is relatively easy to set up and use. This tool was primarily designed as an accessibility feature for visually impaired users. However, it can also come in handy when you want your Android device to read text out loud.

Here’s how to enable the Google text to speech feature on an Android device:

1. From your home screen, tap the gear icon to launch the “Settings” menu.
2. Locate the “Accessibility” tab.
3. Go to “Text to speech” options.
4. Select the “Google text to speech” option.
5. Press the gear icon next to the option to adjust the settings, such as pitch and speech rate.
6. Return to the “Accessibility settings” and enable the “Select to Speak” option.

Speechify

Speechify is a versatile text to speech software available across all devices, including iPhone and Android. Setting up the Speechify app on an Android device is a breeze. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Download the Speechify app from the Google Play store for free.
2. Answer the on-screen questions to customize your experience.
3. Select the desired voice for the text to speech output.
4. Tap “Continue” to start using the app.

How to use Google’s text to speech feature on Android

After enabling the Google TTS feature, an icon will appear in the bottom-right corner of your home screen. The icon looks like an encircled person. Here’s how to use it:

1. Navigate to the content you’re interested in reading.
2. Tap the icon and wait until it turns blue.
3. Highlight the text you want it to read aloud.

Use Google TTS to read out text messages and more

There are plenty of uses for Google TTS on an Android device. Most people use it for reading text messages and news articles aloud.

What to know

Google TTS acts similarly to Google Assistant but can do much more in terms of converting text to speech. For example, Google Assistant can only read your last five messages, while Google TTS will read whatever you select.

Unfortunately, Google TTS doesn’t have a pleasant voice. In fact, Google voice sounds robotic.

How to use Speechify’s TTS feature on Android

Using the Speechify app might be even easier than installing it. To start using the app, tap the blue plus icon in the bottom-right corner. Next, there are several options, depending on your needs:

• New Folder — for adding multiple similar files
• Scan Pages — for converting an image into an audible file
• Paste Text — for reading text messages, emails, and similar files
• Import File — for adding a file from Google Drive or internal memory
• Paste Web Link — for reading online articles and similar content

Use Speechify to read web pages and more

Thanks to the variety of options, you can use Speechify to read virtually any text format on your device. Here are some of the most popular choices:

• Audiobooks
• Learning material
• Manuals and tutorials
• Web pages
• Text messages
• Emails

What to know

Besides the diversity in reading materials, Speechify also provides many options for customizing your experience, including:

• Adjusting the reading speed
• Highlighting sentences as they’re spoken to make them easier to follow
• Changing the reading voice depending on the task

On top of that, you can use Speechify in combination with a voice typing tool to maximize accessibility. For example, use a voice to text app for dictation and then use Speechify to proofread the text.

Google Text to Speech vs. Speechify: Which is better?

Speechify is better than Google Text to Speech for TTS on Android devices like Samsung Galaxy. Although both options can come in handy, Speechify outperforms Google TTS in several aspects.

First, Speechify uses more natural-sounding voices that provide a pleasant listening experience. As a result, it will be easier to understand the text you’re hearing, and you’ll feel like you’re listening to a podcast with how realistic the AI voices sound. You can also customize the voices, choosing between male and female voices, different accents, and even the reading speed. Speechify is additionally available in over 30 different languages.

You can even sync up your Speechify account across multiple devices, including Android and desktop, and Speechify’s optical character recognition (OCR) technology allows you to take pictures of text and have the words read out loud for you.

Try Speechify for free today, and see why it’s the best text to speech option for your Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet.

FAQ

Does Samsung Galaxy have speech to text?

Like most Samsung devices, Samsung Galaxy has a built-in speech to text feature called Bixby. With Bixby, you can make voice commands like how you would for Siri on Apple devices.

How do you use Samsung text reader?

Samsung TalkBack, formerly known as Text Reader, is a feature that provides spoken feedback while you’re using the phone.

How do I install Samsung text to speech?

The Samsung TTS feature is a native feature that can be enabled in the Accessibility menu.

What is Samsung text to speech?

Samsung TTS is a system app that can transform any text into voice.

What is the difference between Samsung text to speech and Samsung text reader?

Samsung Text Reader is primarily aimed at people who need help navigating the phone. On the other hand, Samsung TTS has a broader use in converting text into audio files.

How do you turn on text to speech on Samsung Galaxy?

You can turn on the TTS feature on Samsung Galaxy using the Accessibility menu.

What is the difference between Samsung text reader and Google speech to text?

Both features help you navigate your phone. But the Google STT feature takes voice input and converts it into text, while Samsung Text Reader does the opposite.

What are the steps to turn on Samsung text to Speech?

Here’s how to turn on the Samsung TTS feature:

1. Swipe up on the screen to open the menu.
2. Select “Settings.”
3. Go to “General Management.”
4. Tap the “Text to speech” option.
5. Select “Preferred engine.”
6. Check the Samsung text to speech engine option.
7. Tap the gear icon next to the option.
8. Press the “Install voice data” tab.
9. Set the desired language.