Learn how to use text-to-speech on your Apple Watch so it will read aloud whatever you type during in-person conversations or phone calls.
Similar to the text-to-speech feature on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, Apple Watch Series 4 and later, running the latest version of watchOS, can convert typed text into spoken words using the Live Speech accessibility feature.
This feature is designed for people who cannot speak or have difficulty speaking due to health conditions. If you’re one of them, you can type what you want to say, and your Apple Watch will read it aloud, letting you communicate with someone nearby or on a phone or FaceTime audio call.
Turn on and use type to speak on Apple Watch
- Open the Settings app and tap Accessibility.
- Scroll down to the Speech section and tap Live Speech.
- Turn on Live Speech.
- Triple-click the Digital Crown to activate Live Speech.
- Enter the text you want to convert to speech and tap Send.
Your Apple Watch will speak what you type through its speaker, allowing you to have an in-person conversation even if you can’t speak. If you’re on a phone call or FaceTime audio call, triple-press the Digital Crown to activate Live Speech, and the person on the other end will hear what you typed.
Change the volume
Live Speech volume is the same as the media volume. Here’s how to increase or decrease it:
- Press the Apple Watch side button to open Control Center.
- Tap the speaker icon.
- Swipe up or down to increase or decrease the system, and by extension, the Live Speech volume.
Set up favorite phrases for Live Speech
When you activate Live Speech, you’ll see pre-made phrases like “Hi, how are you?” and “Bye bye.” These are saved phrases available for one-tap use, so you don’t need to type them. If there are specific words or phrases you use often, here’s how to add them to Live Speech favorites.
- Go to the Apple Watch Settings app, tap Accessibility, then select Live Speech.
- Tap Phrases (earlier called Favorite Phrases).
- Tap the Saved folder. You can also tap the plus button (+) here to create a custom folder.
- Hit the plus button (+) in the top right corner, enter a phrase, and hit Done. Finally, tap the check mark icon to save it.
From now on, this phrase will appear in the Saved section under the Phrase Category heading when you use Live Speech. Tap it, and your watch will speak that word or phrase.
Extra info: Your favorite Live Speech phrases sync between your iPhone and Apple Watch. So you can add or remove them from either device.
Delete Live Speech favorite phrases: Go to the Live Speech accessibility settings screen on your Apple Watch, swipe left on a favorite phrase, and tap the red delete icon.
Change Live Speech voice
Just like you can pick a Siri voice of your choice, you can select one for Live Speech. What’s even better is you can make Live Speech sound just like you using the Personal Voice feature. For this, you’ll have to create a Personal Voice on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and that voice will sync via iCloud to your Apple Watch. After that, you can select your Personal Voice like you’d select a system voice.
Here’s how to pick an Apple voice or Personal Voice for Live Speech on Apple Watch:
- Go to Apple Watch Settings > Accessibility > Live Speech.
- Tap Add Preferred Voice, select a language, then pick a voice, and tap Use Voice. If you’ve created a Personal Voice, it will appear at the top; tap to select it.
You can also tap the current voice under the Preferred Voices (formerly just Voices) heading to adjust its rate and pitch.
Do more with Digital Crown triple-press
As you know, triple-pressing the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch activates Live Speech. However, if you use two or more accessibility features frequently, you can set them all to activate quickly by triple-pressing the Digital Crown.
If you have difficulty triple-pressing
Some people may have difficulty quickly triple-pressing the Digital Crown button to activate Live Speech or the Accessibility Shortcut. Here’s how to address this.
- Open Apple Watch Settings and go to Accessibility.
- Scroll down and tap Button Click Speed.
- Select Slow or Slowest, and after this, even if you double- or triple-press the Side button and Digital Crown with some longer pauses, it will register the click successfully.
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