To have your Mac read text aloud, install Readwalk for Mac, highlight text in any app, and press play on the Readwalk widget (or press Option-Escape). Readwalk reads it in a natural, human-sounding voice and highlights each word as it goes. It's free, and the voices run on your Mac, so what you read never leaves it.
Highlight anything, hear it
The Readwalk widget floats above your other windows, on every desktop. It's small: the Readwalk mascot, a play button, a screen button and a close button.
- Highlight text in Safari, Mail, Preview, Pages, Word, Notes or any other app.
- Press play on the widget, or press Option-Escape from anywhere.
- Listen. The widget opens up to show the line being read, with each word highlighted, plus pause, skip and stop.
You can also right-click highlighted text and choose Services › Read Aloud with Readwalk.
Read text you can't highlight
Some text can't be selected: a scanned PDF, a photo of a worksheet, a slide in a video, a shared screen in a meeting, or an app that blocks copying. Press the screen button on the widget and drag a box around it. Readwalk finds the words in the picture and reads them aloud.
Natural voices, on your Mac
Readwalk for Mac comes with eight natural voices, American and British, men and women. They run on your Mac's own chip, so they work offline and cost nothing to use. Click the mascot to pick a voice and a speed from 0.75× to 2×, including 1.1× and 1.15× for a gentle boost.
The first time you open Readwalk, it downloads its voices (about 340 MB, once).
Made for
- Students working through PDFs, readings and scanned handouts
- Anyone who finds reading on a screen hard, including people with dyslexia, ADHD, tired eyes or low vision
- Busy professionals who'd rather listen to long emails and reports than read them
- Writers who want to hear their own drafts read back
On iPhone too
Readwalk started on iPhone, built for listening on walks. Save articles, PDFs and pages during the day, then hear them with your phone in your pocket. See Readwalk for iPhone.
Frequently asked questions
Is Readwalk for Mac free?
Yes. Readwalk for Mac is free to download and use. The voices run on your Mac, so there's nothing to pay for and no account to create.
Which Macs does it work on?
Macs with Apple silicon (M1 or newer) running macOS 15 Sequoia or later. Intel Macs aren't supported, because the voices need Apple's newer chips.
Why does Readwalk ask for Accessibility permission?
To read the text you've highlighted, Readwalk copies it from the app you're using, which macOS only allows with Accessibility permission. It also asks for Screen Recording the first time you use the screen button, to read text from the area you choose. Readwalk only reads what you ask it to.
Does it send my text anywhere?
No. The voices run on your Mac. The only download is the voice files, the first time you open the app.
Can I use the widget with a keyboard shortcut?
Yes. Highlight text and press Option-Escape to start reading. Press it again to stop.
