How to make an iPhone speak what you type with Live Speech

2 min read · 5 steps · Updated 4 October 2026

Device

iPhone

Shown on

iOS 26.5 (iPhone 17)

App

Settings

Path

Settings › Accessibility

Real screenshots

5 of 5 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

1 official, linked below

Apple made Live Speech for people who are unable to speak or have lost their speech over time. You type, and the iPhone says it. It is off at first.

The screenshots show iOS 26.5 on an iPhone 17. On older versions the rows have the same names, with a slightly different look.

Step by step

1. 

   Open Settings and tap Accessibility

   Accessibility is in the first group of the main Settings list, below General.

   Done

2. 

   Scroll to Speech and tap Live Speech

   The word Off or On at the right shows the current state.

   Done

3. 

   Switch on Live Speech

   The note below explains it: Live Speech speaks aloud what you type using the speaker, and in calls. Triple-click the side button to show Live Speech.

   Done

4. 

   Save phrases you say often

   Tap Phrases to create sentences that you can speak quickly, without typing them each time.

   Done

5. 

   Choose a voice

   Tap Add Preferred Voice. According to the note, Live Speech uses this list to find the most suitable voice for a language.

   Done

Good to know

To use it: triple-click the side button, tap the Live Speech window, type what you want to say, then tap Speak. On a FaceTime call the other person hears it. Otherwise it comes from the speaker of the iPhone.

Saved phrases are spoken from the Phrases window: triple-click the side button, tap the Phrases window, choose a category and tap a phrase.

Apple notes that Live Speech is not available in all languages.

The opposite direction, the iPhone reading text on the screen to you, is under Spoken Content on the same Accessibility page.

In short: Settings, Accessibility, Live Speech on, then triple-click the side button and type.