How do I get my Kindle to read aloud on my Android?

ByJael Lawler

The Kindle e-reader and Kindle mobile app allow users to have text from books, documents, and other content read aloud. This text-to-speech feature converts written text into natural-sounding speech, enabling hands-free and screen-free listening. Kindle’s read aloud capability works across different platforms, including Android phones and tablets.

Getting the Kindle app set up for text-to-speech on an Android device involves just a few simple steps. This guide will provide an overview of how to turn on read aloud in the Kindle app for Android, adjust reading speed and voice, and use playback controls when listening to content.

Check Your Kindle Model

Not all Kindle models support the read aloud feature. To use text-to-speech on your Kindle, you’ll need a Kindle that has built-in speakers or audio support. According to The eBook Reader, the following Kindle models support audiobooks and read aloud:

  • Kindle (8th Generation and later)
  • Kindle Paperwhite (5th Generation and later)
  • Kindle Voyage (7th Generation)
  • Kindle Oasis (all models)

To check which Kindle model you have, go to your Kindle’s home screen and look in the top left corner. You’ll see the specific generation listed, such as “Kindle Paperwhite (10th Generation).” You can also go to Settings > Device Info to find more detailed information about your Kindle’s model number and generation.

If your Kindle does not support read aloud, you unfortunately won’t be able to use text-to-speech. You’ll need to upgrade to a newer Kindle model to access those features.

Download the Kindle App

To get started reading Kindle books aloud on your Android device, you’ll first need to download the free Kindle app from the Google Play Store. The Kindle app allows you to access the Kindle bookstore, manage your Kindle library, and read Kindle books on your Android smartphone or tablet.

To download the Kindle app, open the Play Store app on your Android device and search for “Kindle.” The app you want is published by Amazon Mobile LLC. Tap “Install” to download and install the app.

Once installed, the Kindle app will appear in your list of apps. You can open it and sign in using your Amazon account credentials to access your Kindle books. If you don’t already have an Amazon account, you can create one for free during the Kindle app setup process.

Open a Compatible Book

Not all Kindle books support read aloud due to publisher restrictions on enabling text-to-speech. You’ll want to open a compatible Kindle book to use the read aloud feature.

Here are some tips for finding compatible books that support read aloud:

  • Look for the headphones icon next to the book title – this indicates it supports text-to-speech.
  • Search for “read aloud enabled” in the Kindle Store to find compatible books.
  • Many classics in the public domain like Pride and Prejudice support read aloud.
  • Children’s books and language learning books often have read aloud enabled.

Reading a book compatible with text-to-speech is key to getting the most out of the Kindle read aloud feature. Focus your search on books marked with the headphones icon or described as “read aloud enabled.”

Turn on Read Aloud

To turn on the read aloud feature in the Kindle app, you first need to locate the read aloud button. This can be found along the top or bottom of the screen when you open a book (source: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201829850). Look for an icon that looks like a speaker or headphones.

Once you locate the read aloud button, simply tap on it to enable the text-to-speech feature. This will begin narrating your book out loud. The first time you use read aloud, you may need to enable additional accessibility permissions and turn on narration in your device settings. But once enabled, it should start reading after tapping the button (source: https://economistwritingeveryday.com/2022/05/03/how-to-read-aloud-kindle-and-other-text-on-iphone-ipad-and-android/).

Adjust Reading Speed

The Kindle reading app allows you to customize the pace of the text-to-speech narrator to suit your preferences. You can make the narrator speak faster or slower.

To adjust the reading speed on an Android device, tap the “Playback Speed” icon while a book is open in the Kindle app. This looks like a tortoise or hare icon. A slider will appear that allows you to increase or decrease the words per minute rate. Move the slider right to speed up the narrator’s reading pace, or left to have it read more slowly.

You can test different speeds to find the one you’re most comfortable with. Some users prefer between 100-150 words per minute for casual listening. Others go as high as 300+ words per minute if they want to get through content very quickly. There is no universally ideal setting – choose the pace that works for your reading comprehension and enjoyment.

According to Amazon’s Kindle support, you may need to tap the tortoise/hare icon again after changing speeds for it to take effect in some books. The maximum and minimum values will also vary based on the book’s content.

Adjusting the text-to-speech speed can make long reading sessions easier to get through and allow you to retain more information. Find the right pace for your needs.

Use Playback Controls

The Kindle app provides playback controls that allow you to pause, resume, and rewind the narration while it reads your book aloud.

To pause the narration, simply tap the pause icon in the middle of the playback controls bar. The pause icon looks like two vertical lines. Tapping it will pause the narration immediately.

To resume playback after pausing, tap the play triangle icon on the left side of the playback controls bar. This will pick up reading right where you left off.

If you need to rewind to re-listen to a portion, drag the circular progress slider to the left. This will move back to earlier parts of the book. You can then tap the play icon to have it read that section again.

Using these playback controls allows you to take breaks or replay sections as needed while listening to your Kindle book read aloud.

Change the Narrator

The Kindle app allows you to switch between male and female narrator voices for the read aloud feature. By default, the Kindle app uses a female voice, but you can change it to a male voice if preferred.

To change the narrator voice on your Android device:

  1. Open the Kindle app and begin playback of a book using read aloud.
  2. Tap the center of the screen to bring up the playback controls.
  3. Tap the “Narration Settings” icon that looks like a person with sound waves.1
  4. Under “Active Voice”, tap on “Male” or “Female” to switch between the two options.
  5. The narrator voice will change instantly. Tap outside the settings window to close it.

You can now sit back and listen to the book being read in the voice of your choice. Switch between the male and female narrators at any time to find the most enjoyable listening experience.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you’re having issues getting read aloud to work on your Kindle app for Android, here are some troubleshooting tips:

One common issue is read aloud not working after an app update. To fix this, try clearing the Kindle app cache and data. Go to Settings > Apps > Kindle and tap Clear Cache and Clear Data. Then reopen the app and re-enable read aloud. This often resolves problems caused by app updates 1.

If you get an error saying “Text to Speech Not Available for This Book,” this typically means the book does not have read aloud enabled due to publisher restrictions. You’ll need to choose a different book that supports the feature 2.

On some devices, you may need to enable Apps to install unknown apps in settings. Go to Settings > Security and enable “Install Unknown Apps” for the Kindle app. Reopen the Kindle app and try read aloud again.

As a last resort, uninstall and reinstall the latest version of the Kindle app from the Google Play Store. When you reinstall, be sure to enable read aloud and set your preferences again.

If you still can’t get read aloud working, contact Amazon Kindle customer support for further troubleshooting.

Conclusion

To summarize, getting your Kindle books to read aloud on an Android device just takes a few simple steps:

  1. Make sure you have a compatible Kindle e-reader or the Kindle app installed on your Android device.
  2. Open up a Kindle eBook that supports read aloud.
  3. Tap the screen to bring up the menu bar and tap the play button to start read aloud.
  4. Adjust the reading speed and playback controls as needed.
  5. Change the default voice by going into the Kindle app settings.

If you run into any trouble getting read aloud to work properly, here are some additional resources that may help:

With just a few taps, you can now enjoy listening to your Kindle books read aloud on Android. Happy reading!

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