Samsung Galaxy Note 5: How to Get Text Read Aloud

This guide shows you how to make your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 read text aloud from apps, web pages, and documents. You’ll use the built-in accessibility features—no extra apps required. We’ll cover the quickest method using the Assistant menu and the more powerful TalkBack screen reader, so you can choose what fits your needs.

What You’ll Need

• A Samsung Galaxy Note 5 with Android 6.0 or later (most devices are).
• The text you want read—it can be on a webpage, in an email, in a document, or in any app that shows text.
• About 5 minutes to set up the features.

Step-by-Step

Method 1: Use the Assistant Menu (Quickest for Selected Text)

1. Open Settings (the gear icon in your app drawer or notification shade).
2. Scroll down and tap Accessibility.
3. Tap Dexterity and interaction.
4. Tap Assistant menu and toggle it ON. You’ll see a small floating icon (a white circle with a person shape) appear on the edge of your screen.
5. Tap that floating icon to open the Assistant menu.
6. Tap Text-to-speech (it looks like a speech bubble or a “T”). This turns on the option to read selected text.
7. Now, go to any app with text (e.g., a web page in Chrome).
8. Tap and hold on a word to select it. Drag the blue handles to highlight the exact text you want read.
9. In the pop-up menu that appears, tap the three-dot menu (⋮) if you don’t see the option directly.
10. Tap Read aloud (or Speak). The phone will start reading the selected text.
11. To stop, tap anywhere on the screen and then tap the stop icon (a square) in the notification or the Assistant menu.

Method 2: Use TalkBack (Reads Everything on Screen)

1. Open Settings → Accessibility → Vision.
2. Tap TalkBack and toggle it ON. A warning will appear—read it and tap OK to confirm.
3. TalkBack will start speaking. It reads everything you touch, including menus, buttons, and text.
4. To read a full article or page, swipe up with one finger (or use the TalkBack menu) to find the “Read from top” option. On the Note 5, you can also use the TalkBack shortcut (hold both volume keys for 3 seconds) if enabled.
5. To control reading, use the TalkBack gestures: swipe down then right to move to the next item, or use the on-screen TalkBack menu (swipe down then up) to access playback controls.
6. To turn TalkBack off, go back to Settings → Accessibility → Vision → TalkBack and toggle it OFF. You’ll need to double-tap to confirm.

Method 3: Use Select to Speak (If Available)

1. Some Note 5 versions have Select to Speak under Accessibility → Vision. If you see it, tap it and turn it ON.
2. A small icon appears. Tap it, then tap on the text you want read. It will read that section aloud.
3. This is a middle ground—less intrusive than TalkBack but more direct than the Assistant menu.

Common Mistakes

• Not enabling the Assistant menu before selecting text. The “Read aloud” option only appears in the selection menu if the Assistant menu is on.
• Selecting too much or too little text. The phone reads exactly what you highlight. If you grab a whole page, it will read the entire page. Use the handles to fine-tune.
• Confusing TalkBack with the Assistant menu. TalkBack changes how the whole phone works (every tap speaks). The Assistant menu is just a floating button that lets you read selected text without changing the rest of the interface.
• Forgetting to turn off TalkBack. It stays on until you turn it off. If the phone suddenly speaks everything, go back to Settings and disable it.
• Using an old text-to-speech engine. If the voice sounds robotic or doesn’t work, check that Google Text-to-Speech is installed and selected in Settings → Accessibility → Text-to-speech output.

Tips

• Adjust the speech rate. In Settings → Accessibility → Text-to-speech output, you can drag the speed slider. Slower is better for learning, faster for skimming.
• Change the voice. In the same menu, tap the gear icon next to Google Text-to-Speech to download different voices (e.g., UK English, female, male).
• Use the Assistant menu for quick access. You can move the floating icon anywhere on the edge of the screen by dragging it.
• Pair with a Bluetooth keyboard. If you use a physical keyboard, you can press the shortcut key for text selection and then the “Read aloud” option appears.
• Use it for proofreading. Have the phone read your own writing back to you to catch typos and awkward phrasing.

Troubleshooting

• “Read aloud” option doesn’t appear when I select text. Make sure the Assistant menu is ON. Also, some apps (like certain PDF readers) have their own text selection menu that doesn’t include the system’s “Read aloud” option. Try copying the text and pasting it into a simple app like Notes, then select it there.
• Text is read but with no sound. Check your media volume (press the volume up button while the phone is speaking). Also, ensure the phone isn’t in silent mode—Text-to-speech uses the media channel, not the ringtone channel.
• TalkBack is on but won’t stop speaking. Press and hold both volume keys for 3 seconds to turn it off (if the shortcut is enabled). If not, go to Settings → Accessibility → Vision → TalkBack and toggle it off. You may need to double-tap to turn the switch.
• The voice sounds robotic or skips words. Go to Settings → Accessibility → Text-to-speech output and tap the gear next to Google Text-to-Speech. Clear its data (Settings → Apps → Google Text-to-Speech → Storage → Clear data), then re-download a voice.
• It reads the wrong language. In the Text-to-speech output settings, tap the language and select the correct one. Also, make sure the text itself is in that language.
• The Assistant menu icon disappears. It may be hidden. Swipe from the edge of the screen where it was to bring it back. If not, toggle the Assistant menu off and on again in Settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this work on all apps?

Most apps that allow text selection will work. Some apps with custom text views (like certain games or PDF viewers) may not show the “Read aloud” option. In those cases, copy the text and paste it into a notes app.

Can I make it read a whole webpage without selecting anything?

Yes, with TalkBack you can use the “Read from top” gesture. Alternatively, select all text on the page (tap and hold, then drag the handles to cover the whole page) and use “Read aloud”—but that’s tedious. TalkBack is better for whole-page reading.

Does it use data?

No, the text-to-speech engine works offline once you’ve downloaded the voice. The initial voice download uses data, but after that it’s free.

Can I change the reading speed?

Yes, go to Settings → Accessibility → Text-to-speech output and adjust the speed slider. You can also change the pitch there.

Will it read in my language?

It reads in the language of the text, provided you have that language’s voice downloaded. You can add multiple languages in the Text-to-speech settings.

Is there a way to read text from a photo?

Not directly. You’d need to use an OCR (optical character recognition) app to extract text from the image, then use the read-aloud feature on that text. The Note 5’s built-in features don’t do OCR.

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