Text App For Mac Os X

Whether you prefer articles read to you while you do something else or trying to grasp a new foreign language or even for specially abled students, TTS (short for text-to-speech) has proved to be very useful.

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In our previous articles we saw some of the best text to speech apps for Windows and Android. And today, we take a look at some of the best TTS options available for Macs.

Text To Speech For Mac

1. macOS TTS

Before we get too ahead of ourselves and start downloading third party apps, it is very trivial to know that macOS itself comes with a built-in TTS and you can use it anywhere on your computer from the Notes app to any browser.

To get started, highlight or select the text which you want to be read and then right click, go to Speech and then to Start Speaking; and your Mac should start reading the text to you. It also supports a lot of other languages other than English and there are a lot of voices to choose from in all the languages. To change the language option simply go to Accessibility > Speech. Although some voices are very robotic, there are a few which aren’t and sound more like a human.

But the TTS is far from perfect; it is very basic and barebones and lacks options like pause/play, picking up from a selected word instantly and a lot more.

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Quick Tip: It blew my mind and might even blow yours to know that the native TTS on Mac also supports converting your text into audio files. Just select the required text, right click and go to Services > Add to iTunes as a spoken track. The text will be converted to an audio track and added to your iTunes library.

Pros:
– Built-in system wide
– Lots of voice options
– Converting text to iTunes track

Cons:
– No Pause/Play
– Have to select manually all the words to be read
– No instant pickup

Verdict:
Overall, the TTS that comes with macOS is very barebones without all the bells and whistles and should be perfect for somebody looking for a basic TTS experience without even buying or installing any third party software.

2. Invicta TTS

Invicta TTS is a very simple free Text To Speech app available on the Mac App Store.
Once you open up the app, it presents you with a text box where you can enter or paste any text which will be then converted to speech. The app is very lightweight and minimal in nature with everything being to the point.

Although the app is very basic, unlike the built in TTS of Mac OS, it does add the option of playing or pausing the audio which becomes crucial when listening to long texts or articles. The voice settings cannot be changed but the in built voice does the job pretty good enough.

Pros:
– Minimal and Light
– Play/Pause Option

Cons:
– Cannot read documents automatically
– Supports only English

Verdict:
If you need a simple and light TTS app and might be listening to long articles, Invicta TTS does the job pretty well but do remember that it can only read English.

Link: Get Invicta TTS on the App Store

Price: Free

3. Natural Reader

The next app on our list is Natural Reader which is an extremely powerful TTS software available not only on Mac OS but also on Windows, iOS, Android and even has an online reader.

The app comes in many flavours, each with its fair share of features for the price. The free version comes with basic TTS features along with the ability to read directly from file formats such as Docx, PDF, ePub and Txt. It also has a floating bar which can be used to read text while you are in other applications. The next option or the Personal version, at a steep $100, allows you to read web pages directly, converting text to audio files and syncing everything between your phone apps. There are also Professional and Ultimate versions which add OCR support and a bunch of natural voices.

Pros:
– Support for file formats
– Convert to audio files
– Cross Platform
– OCR Support

Cons:
– Pricey
– No instant pickup

Verdict:
All the features of Natural Reader definitely come at a price and you should be able to decide whether it is a suit for you with respect to your investment in TTS, but even for a casual user the free version works really well. Overall, Natural reader is not just best text to speech software with natural voices, but since it also support PDF, it’s also a good option for those who are looking for PDF Voice Reader for macOS.

Pricing Options: Pricing for Natural Reader

Link: Download Natural Reader from here

4. Read Aloud

Read Aloud is not exactly a stand alone Mac app but instead a Chrome extension which might appeal to some people. Considering how many posts and articles are read on the internet everyday, we had to include Read Aloud.

It is completely free and once you install it, its icon will appear in the extension bar which you can now use to read any webpage or any online article, just by a single click. When it is in work, you get a play/pause button along with a forward or rewind button which can be used to advance or backtrack paragraphs. Considering it is free, the voice options are really good and feel very natural and premium.

Pros:
– Great natural voice
– Forward or rewind by paragraphs
– Listen to webpages

Cons:
– Works only on Chrome

Verdict:
Suggesting Read Aloud is very straight forward; if you are someone who reads a lot on the internet and are looking for a free TTS software for that, nothing beats Read Aloud.

Price: Free

Link: Download Read Aloud from the Chrome Store

5. Capti Voice

Capti Voice is probably the most polished and well rounded TTS software available for the Mac and the award are only there to justify that. Starting off, Capti Voice uses your browser for the app to function instead of a stand alone Mac application. Don’t worry, you can still use it while you are offline as it stores all its data locally and personally I have had no issues.

Capti Voice has a subscription based model and even the free version has a lot to offer from various file format supports to text search while the premium versions add features like creating playlists, OCR Support and intelligent dictionary lookup. The voices offered across all the platforms are very high quality and commendable.

Quick Tip: Don’t forget to use the Chrome extension which allows you to save articles or webpages to be read later by Capti Voice.

Pros:
– Cross platform with mobile apps
– Create Playlists
– Dictionary lookup
– Shortcuts to get around

Cons:
– No standalone app
– Syncs only when you add to cloud storage

Verdict:
Overall, Capti Voice is a really compelling app with features packed to the brim and is very similar to natural Reader but with a subscription based model. It is really the best TTS experience you can get on Mac OS.

Pricing Info: Pricing Options for Capti Voice

Link: Download Capti Voice from here

6. Honorable Mentions

CereProc has some of the most natural sounding computer speeches available on the market, which you can use to replace the default voice on your Mac (also available for other platforms). There are a lot of high quality voice packs to choose from and each costs around $35.

Zamzar is a free online service which you can use to convert your text to audio files or mp3s. Unlike the iTunes spoken track which you can use only on Apple devices, you can use it on any platform without any hassle.

Wrapping up: Best Text to Speech for Mac

So these were some of the TTS software available on the Mac and we hope we made your decision a little bit easier. If you are someone who reads mainly on the internet, Read Aloud is by far the best free option. Although a little limited, the built-in TTS feature seems to work just fine, but it can be a pain for long stretches of texts or long articles for which there is Invicta which is also free.

Natural Reader and Capti Voice both are spectacular TTS apps with a lot of plans to choose from, but I guess what it comes down to is the paying model. Natural reader is a one time purchase and should be better if you feel you will be invested in TTS for a long time whereas Capti Voice follows a subscription based model also with a one week free trial. Thanks for reading and do comment below which one is your favorite TTS app on Mac OS.

Read: Make your Devices Read Out Text, With Text to Speech

Text people from your Mac, even if they use Android

On your iPhone go to Settings > Messages.
Tap “Send and Receive”.
From the second group choose one address, which will be the source, or “caller ID” on your outgoing messages.
If you have other iOS devices that you want to receive texts on (iPads, iPod Touch) go through steps 1 to 3 on each of these devices as well.

Can I send text messages from my Mac to an android?

Android/OS X: Apple’s Messages app on a Mac is a neat way to chat with your iPhone without having to pick up your phone. However, it doesn’t work if you have an Android device. SMS Integration for iChat allows you to send and receive text messages from an Android phone via Messages.

How can I send SMS from my Mac?

How to set up Mac OS X Messages to send SMS texts

Make sure your Mac’s running OS X Yosemite (10.10 or higher) and your iPhone is running iOS 8.x.
Click on the Messages app in your Mac to open it.
Go to your iPhone.
Tap Text Message Forwarding.
You’ll see a list of all your devices linked to your Apple ID.
You’ll see a six-digit code pop up in Messages on your Mac.

Why can’t I text android from my Mac?

Answer: A: Answer: A: Because it’s not a phone. In order to get SMS MMS messages on a Mac or iPad, you need an iPhone and you have to enabled Text Message Forwarding in Settings>Messages on the phone and linked it to your Mac and iPad.

How can I text Non iPhone users from my Mac?

How to turn on Text Message Forwarding

Ensure that you’re logged in to the same Apple ID on both your iPhone and Mac.
Open Settings on your iPhone.
Select Messages.
Tap on Text Message Forwarding.
Toggle the ON/OFF switch on the Mac(s) you want to get text messages on.

How do I text from my MacBook with my phone number?

Open Messages or FaceTime. If asked, sign in with the Apple ID that you’re using with Messages and FaceTime on your iPhone. For Messages, choose Messages > Preferences, then click Accounts and select your iMessage account. For FaceTime, choose FaceTime > Preferences, then click Settings.

Can you text from your computer with Android?

As long as your Android smartphone is powered on, you can text from a desktop computer or even other mobile devices — including iOS products like an iPad if you just open up Safari. Using Android Messages on the web requires using Android Messages as your main texting app on your phone.

Can I text an android from my Mac?

Text people from your Mac, even if they use Android. One of the greatest functions of iMessage is that you can easily text from a device other than your iPhone. It’s great to be able to type on a regular keyboard. But unless you go through some extra steps, you can only text other Apple users from your Mac.

How do I enable text messages on my Mac?

How to get text messages on your Mac

Tap on the Settings application on your iPhone.
Swipe down and tap on Messages.
Tap on Text Message Forwarding.
Tap on the toggle next to your Mac to turn on the feature if it’s not green already.

How do I turn on SMS on my Mac?

Return to your iPhone and go to Settings > Messages > Text Message Forwarding. Here you will see a list of devices using the same Apple ID. To enable a device for SMS relay, tap the slider to ON (green position). Each time you enable a device, a four digit code will appear on that device’s screen.

Why are my messages not delivering on Mac?

5- Make sure that your Mac is connected to the Internet. 7- On your Mac, Messages > Preferences > Accounts > iMessages Account; and on your iOS device, iPhone or iPad > Settings > Messages > Send and Receive the account should be same. 8- The issue may be because of Keychain problem.

Can I use iMessage on Mac with Android?

How to Set Up and Use iMessage on a Mac. iMessage is a built-in messaging app for everyone in Apple’s ecosystem. From your Mac, you can message all your iPhone-using friends, and—if you have an iPhone as well—send and receive regular SMS messages with Android users.

Why are my apple messages not sending?

Head back to Settings -> Messages and tap to open ‘Send & Receive’. Next, tap where it says ‘Apple ID: (your Apple ID)’ and choose ‘Sign Out’. Sign back in using your Apple ID and try sending an iMessage to one of your friends with an iPhone.

Can I text from my MacBook?

Text on your laptop using iMessage. The Messages app can be used to send iMessages from a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air. As long as Messages on your Mac is set up to receive texts from both your Apple ID and phone number, you should be able to text to both iPhones and other kinds of phones via the app.

Why can’t I send messages to non iPhone users?

Go to Settings > Messages and turn iMessage off, then back on. Go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive, tap your Apple ID, then tap Sign Out. On your iPhone first, sign back in to iMessage and Facetime. Sign back in to iMessage and Facetime on your other devices.

Can you send regular text messages on Mac?

Now, as long as you have that macOS or later, you’re able to get text messages (SMS) on your Mac. Once you’ve set up iMessage on Mac, you should seamlessly receive both iMessages and text messages. By default, Messages on Mac will attempt to send an iMessage. But if it can’t, it will then send a text message.

Can I send text messages from my Mac?

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t text them. You just need to set up your Mac so it can send messages via your iPhone. Ensure you’re signed into iCloud on your Mac and iPhone using the same Apple ID. Go to Settings > Messages on your iPhone and tap on Text Messages Forwarding.

How do I add a phone number to my Macbook?

Steps

Open the Settings app. It’s a gray icon containing gears.
Tap Messages.
Tap Send & Receive. Enter your Apple ID and password if you’re not automatically logged in.
Tap Add Another Email.
Enter your phone number. You’ve now added your phone number to Messages.

Why won’t my text messages send?

First off, make sure “Send as SMS” is enabled in Settings > Messages. This makes it so a message will be send as a regular text message if iMessage doesn’t work. If it still won’t send, try turning iMessage off and on again.

How can I text from my computer to Android?

How to text from PC and Mac using Android Messages — available to all now

On your computer, go to messages.android.com.
Then on your phone, open the Android Messages app.
In Messages, tap the More options menu (the one with three dots) and select Messages for web.
Use your phone to scan the QR code on your computer.

How can I text a phone from my computer?

Send a text message

On your computer, go to voice.google.com.
Open the tab for Messages .
At the top, click Send a message.
Enter a contact’s name or phone number. To create a group text message, add up to 30 names or phone numbers.
At the bottom, enter your message, and click Send .

How do you flirt over text?

Text Flirting Dos and Don’ts

Don’t hide your sexuality. Lots of times a guy will avoid any kind of sexual comments when texting girls.
Do take chances.
Don’t dwell in the past.
Do move the conversation forward.
Don’t be needy.
Do keep an abundance mentality.
Don’t fall into her traps.
Do act like you’ve been there before.

How do I get my messages to update on my Mac?

To do this on your iOS devices, go to Settings > Messages and toggle iMessage off on all of these devices. On Mac, you’ll open up Messages and then click on Messages > Preferences > Accounts. From there, uncheck Enable this account and close out of Messages and then open it back up.

Can I send and receive texts from my computer?

mysms – Text from Computer, Messaging. With mysms you can send/receive text messages on your Windows 8 / 10 PC or tablet using your current phone number. Your SMS inbox is synced with your phone and always up to date, no matter from which device you send your messages.

Where is the Messages app on Mac?

How to set up Messages on the Mac

Launch Messages from your desktop, dock, or Applications folder.
Enter your Apple ID email address and password.
Click on Messages in the Menu bar and select Preferences.
Select the Accounts tab.
Select the phone number and email addresses at which you would like to be reached.

Can Android use iMessage?

While iMessage can’t work on Android devices, iMessage does work on both iOS and macOS. It’s the Mac compatibility that matters most here. This means all of your texts are sent to weMessage, then passed on to iMessage for sending to and from macOS, iOS, and Android devices, while still using Apple’s encryption.

Can you send an iMessage to an android?

This app is capable of sending both iMessage and SMS messages. iMessages are in blue and text messages are green. iMessages only work between iPhones (and other Apple devices such as iPads). If you are using an iPhone and you send a message to a friend on Android, it will be sent as a SMS message and will be green.

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Is there an Android version of iMessage?

iMessage is so good that many smartphone users would love to see an Android version come out, although it’s something Apple will probably never do. Android Messages, not to be confused with Hangouts or Allo, is Google’s texting app, and a new version of the app will soon be available on your Android device.

Why are my messages not delivering?

Actually, iMessage not saying “Delivered” simply means the messages has not yet been successfully delivered to the recipient’s device due to some reasons. Reasons could be: their phone not having available Wi-Fi or cellular data networks, they have their iPhone off or on Do Not Disturb mode, etc.

Why won’t my messages send android?

Check the Android phone’s network connection if you can’t send or receiving MMS messages. Open the phone’s Settings and tap “Wireless and Network Settings.” Tap “Mobile Networks” to confirm it is enabled. If not, enable it and attempt to send a MMS message.

What does it mean when you get a message send failure?

You need to enable that feature specifically for when your device tries to send out iMessage but the receipient is unable to receive the message. The message send failed means that for one of many possible reasons you can’t iMessage that particular contact. Their phone can be turned off, no signal, etc.

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