Text to speech without an internet connection
Offline text to speech means your device creates the spoken audio itself. It doesn't send each passage to a server or stream the narration back. Narraloud's bundled voices run locally, so saved reading can play without Wi-Fi or mobile data.
The voice you use online is still available offline once it is installed. You can change the listening speed, follow highlighted words, and move through a document without fetching a new recording.
Bring your reading along
Save something to read
Import an EPUB or PDF, or save a few web articles. Download files from cloud storage while you have a connection so they are ready when you want them.
Pick a voice
The voices come with Narraloud and work offline from the first launch, so there is nothing extra to fetch before you go.
Press play
Open a saved book or article and start listening. You can change the speed and skip ahead in airplane mode, just as you would at home.
Listen to books, PDFs, and articles offline
Bring an EPUB novel for a long flight, a PDF for the train, or a few articles for a walk. Narraloud keeps imported reading in your library and remembers where you stopped.
With EPUB books, you can navigate by chapter and listen as you would to an audiobook. The EPUB-to-audiobook guide explains how to add a book and export a chapter or the whole document.
The bundled voice languages are English, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, and Portuguese. Choose a voice that matches the language of your text. Text to speech reads the words you supply, it does not translate the document.
What still needs the internet?
Downloading the app, fetching a new web article, and downloading a file from cloud storage need a connection. Purchases also need a connection.
Offline narration also uses your device's battery and storage. For a long trip, bring a charger and leave enough room for your books and voices.
Generating speech locally also keeps your text out of a cloud narration service. Read more about private read-aloud playback and the information the app uses to operate.
Common questions
Can I use Narraloud in airplane mode?
Yes. The standard voices are included in the app. Open a document saved on your device and press play, even if you have never launched Narraloud while connected.
Do I have to convert the whole book to audio first?
No. Narraloud can read an imported book as you listen. You do not need to export an audiobook file before going offline.
Is offline text to speech free?
Yes. The standard voices read anything in the app for free, online or off, with no credits to buy. Plus adds background listening. Narraloud Plus keeps generating speech with the screen locked or another app open, including offline.
