Speech Central is built for focused, serious reading — across PDFs, web articles, books, and documents.
Designed for productivity and accessibility, it combines powerful controls, deep customization, and seamless integration across Apple devices.
No subscription. A one-time upgrade unlocks unlimited use. Free access is available for blind users with VoiceOver and for schools deploying the app through Apple School Manager.
READING WITHOUT DISTRACTIONS
Optimized PDF & Web Reading
• Accurate reading order and navigation
• Optional cleanup to reduce distractions such as headers, footnotes, citations, and links
• RSS support and easy sharing from Safari and other apps
Broad Document Support
• PDF (including scanned PDFs with two-column layout)
• EPUB
• Word (.docx)
• PowerPoint (.pptx)
• OpenOffice formats
• HTML, TXT, RTF, Markdown, and more
VOICES: OFFLINE AND CLOUD AI
• Use high-quality Apple system voices offline
• Connect cloud AI voices (OpenAI-compatible APIs, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, xAI) using your own API keys
• Proprietary enhancement layer improves realism and streaming playback
• Optional AI summarization tools help you review content more efficiently
BUILT FOR THE APPLE ECOSYSTEM
• Sync reading position and playlists across iPhone, iPad, and Mac
• CarPlay support for listening and control in your vehicle
• Independent Apple Watch app — listen without your iPhone nearby
• Optional Health integration to track mindful listening time
ACCESSIBILITY FIRST
• Dedicated profiles for ADHD, dyslexia, and low vision
• Interface and reading behavior adapt for reduced distraction and improved comprehension
• Fully accessible with VoiceOver
STUDY & KNOWLEDGE TOOLS
• Annotate while reading
• Export annotated text to .docx
• Export text to audio files for offline listening
PRIVACY BY DESIGN
• No ads
• No tracking
• No usage analytics
WHO USES SPEECH CENTRAL
• Students and researchers
• Professionals converting reading into listening time
• Users who rely on assistive reading tools
• Anyone who prefers distraction-reduced, hands-free reading
Notes:
- Free version limited by the number of daily articles; unlimited access available with Pro upgrade.
- Some features require the latest OS version.
- License is valid only on iOS/watchOS; separate licenses required for other platforms.
- DRM-protected books (e.g. Kindle) are incompatible.
- AI features may occasionally perform unexpectedly.
Getting back to school after not being in school for a long time. There is so much reading involved and this app helps me read/listen to all the material on my way to work.It’s so nice that’s it’s not subscription based. Definitely worth the money for my use case.
A very sad day
tigafox
After this new recent update it’s completely useless and buggy.
Developer Response
We have invested whole one year to rewrite the app from scratch and provide many new features and performance boost. Ultimately it provided also reliability boost, but such big developments are always followed by short periods of some bugs that have been fixed by now, as there are no known problems anymore. Please update your review to reflect the facts.
Meh
Whatever5513
Not many features at all (no grouping of articles by topic), buggy when it comes to saving articles, overpriced
Developer Response
Everyone is free to test the feature set - it should be the most wide feature set out there among all apps. Then also everyone is free to expect any single feature he likes and to say that the app is bad because of that. Regarding the pricing, the app is cheaper almost 100x in the long run than most similar apps so I can't find that comment as valid.
Works great
Theh00ded1
Download fanfic onto the app so I can listen on the go
Instant mode supports Audio File Export
Version 17.7.2
The developer, Labsii, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
The developer indicated that this app supports the following accessibility features. Learn More