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Whether you’re an individual with speech impairment or you want to be discreet during a call, Apple’s Live Speech feature lets you communicate by typing during a FaceTime or regular phone call. We’ll show you how to use it.
How to Use Live Speech on Your iPhone or iPad
Live Speech is one of themany Apple accessibility features on iPhone and iPadthat target individuals with speech impairments, allowing you to communicate by typing whatever you want to convey. Anything you type is seamlessly spoken out loud on the recipient’s end.
To use Live Speech on your iPhone or iPad, your device must be running iOS/iPadOS 17 or later. If needed, update your device by heading toSettings > General > Software Update. If you own an older device, double-check if youriPhone or iPad is compatible with iOS 17 or iPadOS 17. Once you’re all set, follow the steps below to set up Live Speech:
Once you’re all set, start a call and triple-click your iPhone’sSidebutton (or your iPad’sTopbutton) to activate Live Speech. Then, type the message you’d like to have spoken in the text box that appears. Once you hitsend, your typed message will be read aloud on the recipient’s end.
How to Use Live Speech on Your Mac
To use Live Speech on your Mac, make sure it’s running macOS Sonoma or later. Head toSystem Settings > General > Software Updateto check for the latest macOS version available if you’re not current yet. Then follow the steps below to use Live Speech:
When you’re ready, start or enter a call and click theLive Speechicon in the menu bar. Then click the text box, type your message, and press theReturnkey to send it.
Create a Personal Voice for Typing to Speak During Calls
If you’re able to’t find a voice you like or would like the speech to sound more realistic, you can create a Personal Voice instead. This is a synthesized voice that sounds similar to your own.
You can create a Personal Voice on iPhone or iPad by going toSettings > Accessibility > Personal Voice. Now, tapCreate a Personal Voice, enter your device’s passcode, and follow the on-screen instructions.
To create a Personal Voice on your Mac, go toSystem Settings > Accessibility > Personal Voice. Now, clickCreate a Personal Voice, enter your Mac’s admin password, and follow the on-screen instructions.
While using Personal Voice to create a replica of your actual voice is a fairly time-consuming process, we highly recommend taking the time to set it up for Live Speech. By doing so, anything you type will be spoken in your own voice, allowing you to better communicate with your loved ones!
Live Speech isn’t limited to FaceTime and regular phone calls. You can use it in supported third-party apps as well. For instance, I tested this feature during a WhatsApp call, and it worked perfectly.
