Text to speech on Oppo

Some smartphones don’t make it easy for users to read the screen, let alone go through complex articles, and emails written in tiny fonts. However, navigating a smartphone is simple with the right screen size, operating system, and software like text to speech.

This article will show how straightforward setting up text to speech can be on an Oppo phone.

Who is Oppo?

Oppo is one of the many small Chinese Android phone manufacturers taking the Western markets by storm. The Oppo Find and Reno smartphones may rival the likes of Xiaomi regarding operating system stability and build quality.

Although, the brand still isn’t on the same level as Samsung or Huawei, especially when comparing flagship products. The good news about Oppo is its focus on delivering consumer and budget-friendly devices and using an Android operating system instead of something heavily customized.

What is text to speech?

Text to speech apps or TTS readers use text to audio conversions to read aloud digital text processed or extracted from various file formats. Depending on the software capabilities, users can listen to computer-generated or AI-generated voices online, offline, in real-time, and at different playback speeds.

Text to speech output is a valuable resource in the education space. The assistive technology can help people with reading disabilities interpret text, decode language, and improve their literacy skills.

Likewise, TTS readers can help people reduce eye strain, boost their productivity by multitasking, learn from various sources, or assist someone with a visual impairment.

Naturally, TTS technology isn’t exclusive to the end user. Many businesses and professionals use text to speech output and voice typing to create marketing content, tutorials, TikTok or YouTube videos, provide customer service, etc. It’s one of the most flexible technologies on the market for desktop and mobile platforms.

TTS apps to try on your Oppo phone

Why should you care about text to speech if you have an Oppo phone? An Oppo phone is an Android device. Hence, you can use various TTS apps as easily as on a Samsung Galaxy, iPhone, or Google Pixel.

The trick is knowing what apps work best and when to use them. So, let’s start with some default accessibility services.

Google text to speech output

Android phones, except Google Pixel devices, typically have the built-in TalkBack service as the default option. It’s a standard Android TTS reader that comes with the operating system. However, not everyone likes its voices, cadence, and functionality.

Google offers a simple workaround with the Google Text to Speech app. You can install this app from the Google Play Store and run it independently from the TalkBack function. It allows you to read online articles, documents, and copy-pasted content at various speech rates and in multiple languages.

Alternatively, you can set it as the preferred engine in TalkBack. This would allow you to use the app without having to start it every time and it will respond to the same shortcuts as TalkBack.

• Go to “Additional Settings” in the “Settings” app.
• Select “Accessibility” and then access the TalkBack tab.
• Enable the service to read aloud text and on-screen elements on your phone.

If you want to add Google’s engine to TalkBack, you can do it from the “Text to speech (TTS) settings” menu under the “Accessibility” tab.

Read Aloud

Read Aloud is a popular cloud-based TTS tool. While it doesn’t have an Android app version, it does work in almost any browser.

The simple interface makes it easy to use for applications that require you to copy and paste the text. The online tool lets you control the text to speech output, pitch, and language for real-time narration and offline export. It can use the same voices and languages as Google’s engine and the Amazon Polly voice data.

Voice Aloud Reader

Voice Aloud Reader lets users convert digital text from multiple sources into audio narration. For example, you can share text from Facebook posts and any app with a share function.

In addition, it can read online articles and documents stored on your Oppo phone.

But you can’t use Voice Aloud Reader while actively browsing a website. Instead, you must share the URL with the app and let it parse the relevant text. It does a good job overall, yet it still makes the occasional mistake of allowing a menu button, link, or widget to slip through the cracks.

NaturalReader

NaturalReader supports over 20 languages, has a pronunciation editor, and can convert PDFs, docs, TXT, and ePub files into audio. Compared to other TTS readers, NaturalReader is more complex but offers greater functionality.

However, the software has an odd pricing structure and many features like natural voices and word count conversions are gated behind different price points. Still, its quality exceeds native Android TTS or Google TTS software.

Speechify

Speechify is an all-in-one solution for TTS applications. It offers real-time online narration, mp3, and WAV audio file exports, and reads digital text aloud from images. Moreover, Speechify has dedicated apps for Android devices, which every Oppo smartphone with Android 12.0 and newer should run.

You can import, paste, and listen to text in male and female voices with human-like qualities and pronunciation in over 30 languages. Furthermore, you don’t have to paste URLs into the app to read notifications, emails, and articles. Instead, Speechify’s floating widget follows your actions on the screen and reads as instructed to help you follow along, control the speed, etc.

Try Speechify for free

Look no further than Speechify for a reliable, multipurpose Android TTS reader with natural-sounding voices. You can try Speechify today on your Oppo phone, download the app from the website, and use the same account to test the app on Apple devices, macOS, and Windows platforms.

FAQ

How do I enable voice typing on my Oppo keyboard?

Voice typing should be available by default on Oppo smartphones via the Gboard keyboard. However, you can turn it on from the Gboard “Settings” menu if it isn’t already. Another option is to enable it from the “Keyboard & Input Method” menu under the “Additional Settings” tab.