Because Android is a fragmented platform some of the apps below may not work on specific devices. The Amazon Kindle Fire player is a modified version of Android. So it may not offer some of the following apps because users are restricted by the version of the operating system and in which app stores they have access to. For all apps that are listed there are links provided for which app store it can be obtained from. The two app stores we will reference are the Google Play Store and the Amazon App Store for Android. The Google Nexus, Google Play edition, and Google Pixel devices will always give the best results because they run a stock version of android.
Android does not have great built-in tools for reading text for people with learning disabilities. To get a clipboard reader you will need to download third party apps like @Voice Aloud Reader or EZ Text to Speech Pro. Android does however have a larger list of lower cost reading apps for ebooks than iOS.
- TalkBack
- Easy Text to Speech Pro
- @Voice Aloud Reader
- Voice Dream Reader
- PDF to Speech Pro
- MoonPlus Reader Pro
- Learning Ally Audio
- Dropbox
- Text to Speech Voices
TalkBack
To turn on TalkBack
Easy Text to Speech Pro
For a quick demo for Easy Text to Speech Pro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40JNtcgDeYQ
You can purchase EZ Text to Speech Pro for $4.00at
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.easysolutions.easytexttospeechpro
@Voice Aloud Reader
@Voice Aloud Reader is a decent reading app that has both the features for a clipboard reader and for a document reader for PDF and Word docs. You can also cut and paste any text you want to have read out loud. The program will open and extract the text from documents like PDF files before displaying them in the document view. You can also open files with @Voice Aloud that appear in your Dropbox app.
Google Play Store - Free
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hyperionics.avar&hl=en
Amazon App Store - Free
https://www.amazon.com/Voice-Aloud-Reader-read-aloud/dp/B00AR3AQ0O/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1486397867&sr=1-1&keywords=%40voice+aloud+reader
Voice Dream Reader
Voice Dream Reader is an excellent reading program that will read PDF, Word, Text, HTML, and ePub. It will also read documents for people that have a Bookshare.org subscription. Voice Dream can also display either the original llayout of the PDF or a plain text document when reading PDF files. Voice Dream highlights text as it reads through the document.
On Android it is better if files are opened with Voice Dream than if files are imported with the Add button in the app like on iOS. This seems to be the trick with most reading apps used on Android.
Google Play Store - $9.99
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=voicedream.reader&hl=en
Amazon App Store - $9.99
https://www.amazon.com/Voice-Dream-LLC-Reader/dp/B016X2HCRC/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1486398946&sr=1-1&keywords=Voice+Dream+Reader
PDF to Speech Pro
Using Dropbox with PDF to Speech Pro
You cannot open files on Dropbox directly from PDF to Speech Pro. You will need to have the Dropbox App installed to access those documents. You can Access books on Dropbox by opening its app and when you open a file you choose to open it with PDF to Speech Pro. A demonstration can be found at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCsAjlFuif4
You can find instructional YouTube videos at this link
http://www.youtube.com/user/PdfToSpeech
You can purchase PDF to Speech Pro for $2.99 from
Google Play Store
Amazon App Store for Android
Moon Plus Reader Pro
To Turn on the TTS
- Press the middle of the screen to go to Options
- Select the Speaker icon which is for TTS Options
- Divide Content can be set to period, Paragraph, page, or comma which controls what it reads before pausing
- The gear icon opens the TTS voice settings where you set your TTS Voice and language
- Stop TTS can be set for a time limit as a sleep mode. This is recommended to be unchecked
- Don’t show this again can be unchecked if you want to leave TTS on.
- Press the Start TTS button
Controls for Text to Speech
Pulling in files from Dropbox
- Go to the Moon+ Reader Pro Home screen
- Press the local files icon on the left side
- Press Dropbox
- You need to Login to Dropbox
- Press Allow to give the App permission to access all files and folders on Dropbox
- Press a file to download it to Moon+ Reader
- The file will open
This file will now appear in the apps library.
This app is available for $4.99 from
Google Play Store
Amazon App Store for Android
Dropbox
We can send your alternative textbooks to you via Dropbox. This will make them available to you faster and on any of your devices. To get files on your Android phone or tablet you will need to download the Dropbox app.
You can get the Dropbox app for free from
Google Play Store
Text to Speech Voices
Ivona
To download Ivona Text-to-Speech HQ for free at the Google Play Store
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ivona.tts
Ivona Kendra US English
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ivona.tts.voicebeta.eng.usa.kendra
eSpeak
This is a more robotic voice that can read at very high speeds. Most people will not like the quality of the voice. It is intended for people that like to read at high speeds and are more comfortable with older text to speech engines. It reads in 40 languages. It is also free.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.googlecode.eyesfree.espeak
Cereproc
These are high quality voices that can be purchased relatively cheaply. The voices are around $1.62 each. The US English voice is named Katherine. It can be found at
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cereproc.Katherine
Acapela
The Acapela Text to Speech engine has the widest range of High quality voices. You can even get an evil bad guy or a voice that sounds like yoda. The Acapela voices are more expensive per voice than other paid engines at around $4.59 each. The Acapela control panel is free but the voices are bought individually via an in app purchase. You can download the Acapela TTS engine at
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.acapelagroup.android.tts