Is there a reminder app that speaks?

A reminder app is a software application designed to help users remember important tasks, appointments, and events. Reminder apps allow users to set alerts, notifications, or verbal reminders for things they need to do. The main purpose of a reminder app is to act as an external memory aid, preventing the user from forgetting important responsibilities and commitments.

With the rise in voice assistant technology, some reminder apps now offer the ability to speak reminders out loud at the appropriate date and time. This raises the question – are there any good reminder apps that will actually talk to you and tell you about your upcoming reminders and to-do items?

In this article, we will explore the landscape of speaking reminder apps. We’ll look at voice assistant integrations, dedicated voice reminder apps, calendaring apps with voice capabilities, and wearables that can speak reminders. We’ll analyze the pros and cons of using an app that speaks your reminders versus traditional notification alerts.

Accessibility Applications

There are several reminder apps designed specifically for visually impaired users that can read reminders aloud using text-to-speech technology. These apps aim to make setting reminders and staying organized more accessible for blind and low vision users.

One example is Be My Eyes ¹, an app that connects blind and low vision users with sighted volunteers who can help read text and identify objects through a live video call. Be My Eyes has a reminders feature that allows users to set reminders that will be read aloud at the scheduled time.

Another popular app is BlindSquare ², which provides audio-based navigation and local point of interest search using GPS. BlindSquare has a reminders option that can notify users about upcoming calendar events, tasks, and custom reminders through speech output.

In general, apps designed specifically for blind users often include text-to-speech and other accessible features like voice control that can enable setting and listening to reminders hands-free.

Voice Assistant Integrations

Many popular reminder apps integrate with voice assistants like Siri and Alexa to enable spoken reminders. This allows you to create and manage reminders using just your voice, without needing to open the app. For example, the Todoist app lets you create Alexa reminders directly from within the Todoist interface.

Once enabled, you can say things like “Alexa, remind me to call Mom at 6pm” and it will create a reminder in Todoist that is spoken to you at the appropriate time. Other apps with voice assistant integration include Any.do, which lets you assign reminders to Alexa for different household members, and TickTick, which has deep Siri and Alexa integration.

In summary, many reminder apps now integrate with Siri, Alexa and other voice assistants to provide a hands-free way of setting and managing reminders through speech.

Dedicated Voice Reminder Apps

There are several apps available that are solely focused on providing voice reminder functionality, as opposed to other apps that include voice reminders as just one feature among many. These dedicated voice reminder apps aim to provide a streamlined experience for quickly recording and setting reminders using your voice.

Some examples of popular dedicated voice reminder apps include:

• Remind Me Voice – Allows recording reminders and setting them to notify you at specific times/locations.
• Voice Reminders – Simple voice reminder app with customizable alerts.
• Rememindar – Records reminders and automatically sets alerts based on key phrases.

The main benefit of these types of apps is that they provide an efficient way to quickly capture thoughts and set reminders on the go using just your voice. They remove the need to manually type out reminders, making them convenient for use while driving, walking, or when your hands are full.

The tradeoff is that they lack some of the calendar integration and robust repeat options found in more full-featured reminder apps. But for simple everyday voice reminders, these dedicated apps excel in simplicity and ease of use.

Calendaring Apps with Voice Reminders

Many popular calendar and scheduling apps have begun integrating voice reminders and notifications to speak event alerts aloud. This can be helpful for accessibility, allowing users to get reminded without needing to look at their phone screen.

For example, both the Google Calendar app on Android and iOS devices can be set to speak event reminders out loud (1). The user simply needs to enable “Spoken notifications” in the app’s settings. When an event reminder goes off, Google Calendar will speak details like the event title, time, and location.

Another calendaring app that offers voice reminders is Timepage (2). In the Timepage app, users can record custom voice reminders that will play when the reminder goes off. Users can also set reminders to be spoken automatically using the built-in text-to-speech engine.

There are many advantages to having calendar reminders spoken aloud. It allows users to be notified of appointments even when they can’t look at their phone, like when driving. It is also helpful for visibility impaired users. The voice reminders can serve as an accessible alert of upcoming events.

Wearables with Voice Reminders

One popular way to access voice reminders is through smart watches and other wearable devices. Many modern smartwatches have integrated voice assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa, and Bixby. These allow you to set reminders, alarms, and timers using just your voice.

For example, the Apple Watch supports Siri voice commands to create reminders and lists. You can say “Hey Siri, remind me to take out the trash at 8pm” and it will set the reminder. The Apple Watch will then speak the reminder to you at the scheduled time. This hands-free functionality makes reminders much easier to set and manage on-the-go.

Wear OS smartwatches like the Fossil Gen 6 also integrate Google Assistant for similar voice capabilities. Just say “Hey Google, set a reminder” to create and manage reminders by voice. Google Assistant can understand natural language commands to make setting reminders quick and convenient.

Voice reminders are extremely useful for those with accessibility needs or conditions like ADHD that make organization difficult. Having reminders spoken eliminates the need to constantly check your watch. Instead, important reminders are proactively announced at the appropriate times throughout your day.

Smart Speakers and Voice Assistants

Standalone smart speakers like the Amazon Echo and Google Home can be great options for setting voice reminders. Users can simply speak commands to Alexa or Google Assistant to create reminders hands-free. For example:

• “Alexa, remind me to take out the trash at 7pm”
• “Hey Google, set a reminder to call Mom tomorrow at 10am”

These reminders will go off at the designated time through the smart speaker. Alexa reminders can also show up in the Alexa app. Google Home reminders integrate with Google Calendar. Some key benefits of using smart speakers for reminders include:

• Hands-free setup
• Reminders can be location-based, going off when you arrive or leave a location
• Integration with other smart home devices

One downside is that reminders are tied to the device and don’t sync across multiple smart speakers. But overall, Alexa and Google Home provide a convenient hands-free way to set up voice reminders.

Pros and Cons of Voice Reminder Apps

Voice reminder apps offer some unique benefits compared to traditional visual reminders like phone alarms or calendar notifications. According to Curogram, voice reminders are more personal and easier for some users to process than reading text. The conversational style can also provide additional details and context. Additionally, 10to8 notes that voice input can be quicker than typing for setting reminders. This makes voice ideal for on-the-go reminder setting.

However, voice reminders also come with some limitations. As noted by McLean in Advantages and disadvantages of reminder systems, voice reminders may not be appropriate in all settings, like at work or in public where privacy is desired. There is also the risk of mishearing a voice reminder, especially for users with hearing difficulties. And some users simply prefer visual reminders or find them easier to process than audio. So while voice input offers benefits, traditional text and visual reminders remain useful alternatives.

In summary, voice reminder apps provide convenient hands-free input and natural conversational reminders, but lack some of the privacy and precision of visual reminders. Users should consider their own needs and preferences when deciding between voice and visual tools for reminders and notifications.

Use Cases

Voice reminders can be especially useful in certain situations where other reminder methods may not be as accessible or convenient:

Driving: Getting a voice reminder through a car’s infotainment system, Bluetooth connection, or smart speaker allows drivers to get the reminder without taking their eyes off the road or hands off the wheel to look at a phone screen (Kamezaki 2023).

Hands busy: When cooking, cleaning, exercising, or doing other activities where your hands are occupied, voice reminders allow you to get notifications without stopping to check a device (Kamezaki 2023).

Visually impaired users: Those with visual disabilities can benefit from audible reminders rather than reminders that require reading text on a screen.

However, other types of reminders may be preferable in situations like meetings or other quiet environments where an audible notification could disturb others. Visual reminders on a smartwatch or phone screen may be better suited for subtle, quiet reminders (Kamezaki 2023).

Conclusion

There are a variety of apps and voice assistants that can provide spoken reminders and alerts. Dedicated voice reminder apps like Remember the Milk and Todoist allow you to set reminders that are read aloud at the specified time. Major virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant have reminder and calendar integrations that can speak your appointments and to-do’s. Calendaring apps like Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook also offer voice reminder capabilities.

Some wearables like smartwatches and fitness trackers vibrate and speak alerts as well. Popular smart speakers like Amazon Echo and Google Home work seamlessly with voice assistants to announce reminders via voice. While they may lack advanced calendar features, they provide a quick and hands-free way to set basic voice reminders.

Overall, there are several solid options for voice reminders on mobile devices and smart speakers. The convenience of hands-free, spoken alerts makes these features very useful for people with vision impairments or situations where glancing at a screen is difficult. With voice assistants continuing to advance, speaking reminders are only getting smarter and more ubiquitous.