How to read text aloud
Select text in any app and press ⌥⌘L on macOS, or Ctrl + Alt + L on Windows and Linux. Walkie reads it in a natural voice and shows a panel that highlights each word as it is spoken. Click any word — including one further ahead — to jump playback there. Press Escape to stop.
Read a selection
- Select text in any application — a web page, a PDF, an email, a document.
- Press the Read Aloud shortcut.⌥⌘L on macOS, Ctrl + Alt + L on Windows and Linux.
- A reading panel opens and playback starts.Each word is highlighted as it is spoken, so you can follow along.
Read a document
Drag a PDF, .txt, or Markdown file onto the Walkie window. The window darkens to show it will accept the drop, Walkie extracts the text, and lands you on its reading page ready to play. Pasting a wall of text does the same thing.
PDFs are cleaned up before reading: page numbers and repeated headers and footers are skipped rather than spoken aloud, and ragged line breaks from the PDF's layout are joined back into sentences.
Controls while reading
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Click any word | Jump playback to that word, even chapters ahead |
| Back 10s | Skip back ten seconds |
| Speed | Playback speed from 1× to 2× |
| Focus Mode | Dim everything except the line being read |
| Save audio | Export the reading as an MP3 |
| Escape | Stop reading |
Where your reads are kept
Everything Walkie has read aloud is listed in the Read section, each on its own page with a player. You can reopen a read, switch its voice, change the speed, or save the audio without re-extracting the source.
Monthly limits
| Plan | Read Aloud per month |
|---|---|
| Walkie Free | 10 minutes |
| Walkie Pro | 2 hours |
| Walkie Work | 5 hours |
| Walkie Team | 5 hours |
Read Aloud requires an internet connection on every plan, because the voices are generated in the cloud.
Frequently asked questions about how to read text aloud
Does Read Aloud work offline?
No. The neural voices are generated in the cloud, so Read Aloud needs an internet connection. On-device voices are on the roadmap but have not shipped.
Can I export what Walkie reads as an audio file?
Yes. Any read can be saved as an MP3 from the reading panel or from its page in the Read section.
Why did my reading stop partway through?
The most likely cause is running out of your monthly allowance. Check Settings → Read Aloud, which shows how much you have used this month.