VoiceForge Reader Support

Get help

Email emailtorisel@gmail.com. Include your app version, iOS version and a short description of what happened. Please do not send passwords or private reading content. Support is based in Montreal, Canada (Eastern Time).

Start reading

Paste or type text, import a PDF or text file, scan a printed page, or choose VoiceForge from another app's Share Sheet. Select a voice and tap Speak. No account or subscription is required.

Edge voices need internet and your permission to send the selected text to Microsoft; VoiceForge asks once during the first launch. Installed Apple System voices synthesize speech on your device, and choosing one later stops Edge transfer. Language resources may need downloading before offline use.

Set up the Action Button

On an iPhone with an Action Button, this lets you copy text in another app and hold the button to start reading in the background.

1. Open VoiceForge Settings → Action Button. The same guide is available in Help.
2. Tap Add the shortcut and open settings. The first time, iPhone hands the shortcut to Apple Shortcuts: choose Shortcuts in the menu, tap Add, then come back to VoiceForge. Keep the name VoiceForge Reader so the guide can find it.
3. Tap the same button again. It now opens the Action Button settings page by itself; if iOS does not open it, go to iPhone Settings → Action Button manually.
4. Swipe to Shortcut, tap Choose a Shortcut, then select VoiceForge Reader. iOS requires you to make this selection yourself.
5. Next: try it — copy the example text, switch to another app, then press and hold the Action Button. Allow the expected first-use Shortcuts permission. Reading begins without opening the reader.

VoiceForge asks for Edge data transfer permission once, during the first launch. If that step was skipped, readings started from a shortcut use an installed Apple System voice. To stop sending text to Microsoft later, choose an installed Apple System voice in Settings: there is no separate consent switch, and a background request cannot grant permission. Keep Apple Shortcuts installed; changing the shortcut name can prevent the guide from finding it. The Settings link depends on the installed iOS version, so the manual route remains available.

Choose and download voices

Choose Edge or System in the voice controls. Each source remembers its own language and voice. Use the preview button to hear the selected voice. Edge previews use Microsoft's service and require the same permission as reading.

For more Apple voices, follow the download guidance in VoiceForge Settings. Voice downloads are managed in iOS Settings under Accessibility → Read & Speak (or Spoken Content on earlier iOS versions) → Voices. Names vary by iOS language and version. Wait for the download to finish, then return to VoiceForge.

If an online voice is unavailable, a reading may fall back to a suitable installed Apple voice. VoiceForge cannot guarantee the availability of Microsoft's consumer speech endpoint. If playback fails, check the message in the reader and try a System voice.

Translate & Speak

Enable Translate & Speak and choose a destination language and voice. Apple Translation supports selected language pairs and may ask to download language resources. The translation is processed on the device. Follow the original and translation in synchronized panes, or use the view control to show only the translated reader.

Speech follows your chosen voice source: Edge sends the text to be spoken to Microsoft; installed System voices render locally. Translation availability and speech voice availability are separate.

Scan and share documents

Tap Scan, allow Camera access, photograph a page, adjust its crop and rotation, then confirm. OCR and PDF/text extraction happen locally. VoiceForge does not upload the image or PDF to recognize it; extracted text can be sent to Microsoft if you choose an Edge voice.

From Files or another app, share a PDF, text file, image or selected text to VoiceForge. The extension extracts text and attempts to hand it to the main reader. A host app or OS restriction can prevent that handoff. Password-protected, image-only or unusually large PDFs may require unlocking, scanning or a smaller selection first.

Safari can also offer VoiceForge as a Translation Provider on supported iOS versions. Other browsers control their own selection menus; Share → VoiceForge is the common alternative.

Playback and visible information

Pause, seek, restart or change speed from 0.5× to 2.0×. The reader can continue in the background. On compatible devices, a Live Activity supplies Lock Screen and Dynamic Island controls. Its title comes from the beginning of your text and can be visible to someone looking at your screen. Manage this in iOS Settings → Apps → VoiceForge → Live Activities, or end the activity.

If speech stops, check the reader's message, Edge connection and consent, or the installed System voice. VoiceForge does not need microphone access.

Privacy controls

Use System voices for local speech, or choose an installed Apple System voice in VoiceForge Settings to stop sending text to Microsoft. Control Camera and Live Activities in iOS Settings. Read the Privacy Policy for temporary shared text, backups, provider handling and deletion limits.

Removing VoiceForge does not remove its shortcut from Apple Shortcuts. Older experimental server builds may also leave a credential in iOS Keychain. Contact support for removal guidance without including the password.