The Android version of popular article-saving app Pocket has been updated with a new text-to-speech feature called “Listen” that will read your saved content out loud. The updated version — which is currently live in Google Play and “coming soon” to Amazon’s App Store — lets you manage both the speed and the style of the speaking voice, for those times when you’d rather not read. The feature should help to further differentiate the app from competitor Instapaper.
Pocket for Android update adds text-to-speech feature, ‘no immediate plans’ for iOS
Pocket has updated its Android app with a new text-to-speech feature, though iOS users shouldn’t expect to see the functionality anytime soon.
Pocket has updated its Android app with a new text-to-speech feature, though iOS users shouldn’t expect to see the functionality anytime soon.
is an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.
"iOS doesn't currently provide a text-to-speech API"
Unfortunately for those who use Pocket on their iPhone or iPad, the developer says that there are “no immediate plans” to bring the feature to iOS because Apple “doesn’t currently provide a text-to-speech API” for its mobile operating system. Back in 2009 Amazon attempted to add similar functionality to its Kindle ereader, but ran into legal issues when the Authors Guild claimed that the feature threatened the audiobook market. Android users can grab the update now.
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