No time to sit & read
Listen on the commute, in the gym, while cooking. Reclaim 40+ minutes a week of dead time.
New · Now reading 11 languages
Take a picture. Hear it read to you.
Snap a page and ReadLens reads the picture aloud in a natural voice (a textbook, a menu, a sign, a PDF), with every word lit up in sync so your brain stays locked in.
- Rating
- 4.6
- Languages
- 11
- To start
- Free
iPhone · iPad · Mac · Vision Pro · Android · No account needed
Live demo
Watch the highlight follow the voice.
Reading a page should feel effortless, not exhausting.
What is ReadLens?
ReadLens is a photo-to-speech app for iPhone, iPad, Mac (M1+), Apple Vision Pro and Android that turns any printed or on-screen text into a natural-voice audio reader. You can point your camera at a page (a textbook, restaurant menu, road sign, slide, or handwritten note) or import a PDF or image straight from Files, iCloud, Drive, a download, or the share sheet and pick just the pages you want. ReadLens runs OCR on each page (including scanned, image-only PDFs), optionally translates the text into one of 11 supported languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Arabic and Hindi), and plays the result back with a synced word-by-word highlight so your eyes and ears follow the same place on the page. The whole loop (snap or import, OCR, voice) typically finishes in under fifteen seconds. ReadLens is free to download on the App Store and Google Play, with weekly free reads; an optional Premium subscription unlocks unlimited usage. Voices are generated by ElevenLabs and OpenAI. Built by Black Box Code LLC.
Read pictures
An app that reads pictures out loud.
ReadLens reads pictures aloud. Take a picture of a book page, a letter, a label, a whiteboard or a street sign, or open a photo already in your camera roll, and it reads the picture to you in a natural voice with each word lit up as it is spoken. Nothing to type, nothing to select: OCR finds the text in the picture, translation is optional across 11 languages, and playback keeps going with the screen off.
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Read a picture of a page
Books, worksheets and printouts, read aloud one snap at a time.
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Read my picture from the camera roll
Screenshots, photos of documents, and anything you saved earlier.
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Read pictures in 11 languages
Hear the picture in its own language, or translated into yours.
Made for readers who don't have time to read
40m
reclaimed per week, on average
2×
more reading finished per week
11
languages, translated & read
4.6
average App Store rating
Sound familiar?
Reading shouldn't feel like a second job.
The information you need is locked inside pages your eyes are too tired to read. Here's what ReadLens fixes, instantly.
Tired eyes, zoning out
Long texts make your eyes glaze over. Listening with words lit up keeps focus locked in.
Text in another language
Foreign menus, signs, slides? Point your camera. Hear it back in yours, across 11 languages.
Dyslexia, ADHD, low vision
Multi-sensory reading. The word-by-word highlight changes how dense text feels. Finally easy.
How does ReadLens work?
Three taps from page to playback.
No setup. No account. Just snap → process → press play.
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Snap or import
Point the camera at a book, menu, screenshot, or handwriting, or import a PDF or image from Files, iCloud, or the share sheet. No typing, no account.
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We read every word
High-accuracy OCR turns pixels into clean text. Optional translation into 11 languages, before the voice begins.
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Press play. Follow along.
A natural voice reads aloud. Every word lights up on cue. Tap any word to jump to it. Like karaoke for reading.
See it in action
A real book, read aloud in one tap.
Point ReadLens at a physical page (a library book, a menu, a printout) and it captures the page, reads it aloud, and lights up every word as it goes. No typing, no account. Watch the whole loop in a few seconds.
Watch on YouTube
Inside the app
Built for long, quiet reads.
Warm paper background. Espresso ink. Gold-leaf highlight. Designed to feel like a study lamp on a page.
Capture
Snap or import multiple pages.
Capture up to five pages at once, or import a PDF and choose the pages you want. ReadLens stitches them into a single, seamless listen.
Listen
Every word, lit up.
The gold-leaf highlight follows the voice, so your eyes never lose the line.
Offline
Yours, even offline.
Snaps save to your library and play with no signal, on the plane or the subway.
Built for real readers
Everything you need to read 2× more per week.
Designed for long reading sessions: warm paper background, gentle motion, and zero junk between you and the page.
Word-by-word highlight
Each word lights up the instant it's spoken. Perfect for focus, study and accessibility.
11 languages, translated
English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi.
Natural AI voices
Powered by ElevenLabs & OpenAI. Choose Natural (richer) or Faster (lighter) on the fly.
Your personal library
Every snap is saved: rename, revisit, listen again. No re-scanning. Works offline once loaded.
Warm paper + dark mode
Designed for long reads: low-glare oat paper light theme, OLED-friendly dark theme.
Private by default
Photos never leave your device until you snap. No accounts, no ad networks, no selling of data.
Free to start
Free download. Free snaps every week.
Premium is optional. Only when you want unlimited. Start free, see if it fits.
Who it's for
A different superpower
for everyone.
Finish the chapter walking to class.
Snap textbook pages and slides. Listen on the commute. Re-listen at 1.5×. Finals week, but easier.
Read every menu, sign, ticket.
Point your camera at a French menu, hear it in English. Confident orders, no more guessing. Try the camera menu translator →
Dyslexia & ADHD friendly.
Multi-sensory reading reduces cognitive load. The lit-up word locks attention where it belongs.
Inbox PDFs, finally read.
Import a PDF from Files or the share sheet, pick the pages, and listen. Long memos, contracts, and reports, done on the drive home.
See every way people use ReadLens, from studying to low vision and language learning →
What makes ReadLens different?
Not just text-to-speech.
Most TTS apps read at you. ReadLens reads with you, so your eyes stay on the page.
Feature
Other apps
ReadLens
Word-by-word highlight
Rare
Built in
Translate before reading
Usually no
11 languages
Real human-sounding voice
Robotic
ElevenLabs & OpenAI
Tap any word to jump
No
Yes
Free to start
Subscription only
Always
4.6 on the App Store
What early readers are saying.
"It helps me translate simple things like menus, but also more complex content like book pages and study materials into any language I need."
"I'm really busy to finish my favorite books. Since I found this app I've been able to snap and listen them on my way home! It's simply awesome 🚀"
"This app was what I didn't know I needed until I downloaded it. It makes my reading time so much easier and I can catch up on the news I had queued up much faster!"
Real reviews from the App Store. See ReadLens on the App Store
Guides
What will you listen to first?
Practical, step-by-step guides for everything people use ReadLens for: studying, travel, accessibility, and getting through the reading pile.
Basics
How to turn a photo into speech
The fastest way to convert any picture of text into natural audio.
Read the guide StudentsListen to textbooks instead of reading them
Turn any chapter into an audiobook and study on the go.
Read the guide AccessibilityA dyslexia reading app that highlights every word
Why hearing and seeing words together changes everything.
Read the guide TravelCamera menu translator
Snap a foreign menu and hear it in your language, and how to pronounce it.
Read the guide NotesConvert handwritten notes to audio
Yes, OCR can read clear handwriting. Listen to your notes.
Read the guide CommutersRead hands-free on your commute
Get through your reading pile in the car, on the train, or on foot.
Read the guide LanguagesHear pronunciation while you read
Connect written words to real pronunciation in 11 languages.
Read the guide FocusStay focused while reading with ADHD
Use audio plus word highlighting to anchor your attention.
Read the guide BasicsHow to read a PDF out loud on iPhone
Import a PDF, pick your pages, and listen. Even scanned, image-only files.
Read the guide CompareReadLens vs Speechify
Camera-first OCR or import-and-listen? An honest side-by-side.
See the comparison CompareReadLens vs Google Lens
Google Lens scans text. ReadLens reads it aloud, and saves it to replay.
See the comparisonQuestions
Frequently asked
Can I take a picture of a book and have it read to me?
Yes. Take a picture of the page with ReadLens and it reads the book to you out loud in a natural voice, lighting up each word as it is spoken. Snap one page or several in a row and listen to them back to back, so a chapter turns into an audiobook in about fifteen seconds per page. It works the same way on a menu, a sign, a worksheet, a slide, a screenshot, or a photo already in your camera roll. You can also import a PDF and pick just the pages you want. Turn translation on and the book is read in any of 11 languages. Choose from natural voices, adjust the speed, and keep listening with the screen locked. ReadLens is free to download on iPhone, iPad and Android with free reads every week, no account required. Learn how photo to speech works →
Which languages does it support?
11 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, and Hindi. Snap text in one language, hear it in another, or turn translation off to stay in the source language. Learn how to hear pronunciation while you read →
Is there a free app that reads pictures to you?
Yes. ReadLens is a free app that reads pictures to you on iPhone, iPad and Android. Take a picture of anything with text on it, or pick a photo from your camera roll, and it reads the picture aloud in a natural voice with every word highlighted as you listen. The free plan includes a set number of free reads every week, with no account required, no selling of your data, and no time limit on how long you keep using it. Premium is optional. It removes the weekly cap, unlocks unlimited translation across 11 languages, and takes out the ads. Current prices are listed in the App Store, on Google Play, and inside the app. Start on the free plan, read a menu or a textbook page, and upgrade only if you find yourself listening every day.
Does it read handwriting and menus?
Yes. ReadLens works on books, slides, handouts, menus, signs, screenshots, PDFs, and clear handwriting. The OCR engine is tuned for printed text first and tolerates moderate handwriting. Learn how to convert handwritten notes to audio →
Which devices does it work on?
iPhone, iPad, Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 or later) and Apple Vision Pro (iOS 15.1 or later), plus Android phones and tablets via Google Play.
Is my data private?
Your photos never leave your device until you tap the shutter. The image is sent only to perform OCR and voice generation. No accounts, no ad networks, no selling data.
Read the full ReadLens FAQ, including offline use, voices, and canceling →
Your next page
is waiting.
Snap it. Hear it. Get back to your life. ReadLens is free on the App Store and Google Play. Most people are reading more by the end of the week.
Free · iOS & Android · No account needed