Hands-On Tech 225: Can I Have My Emails Read Out Loud From My Phone?

Summary

Podcast Summary: Hands-On Tech 225: Can I Have My Emails Read Out Loud From My Phone?

Podcast Information:

• Title: All TWiT.tv Shows (Audio)
• Host: Micah Sargent
• Episode: Hands-On Tech 225
• Release Date: July 20, 2025

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Introduction

In Hands-On Tech episode 225, Micah Sargent addresses a practical and relatable tech question submitted by a listener named Bob. The episode delves into the feasibility of having emails read aloud from an iPhone, particularly useful for those who wish to manage their emails hands-free while driving.

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Listener’s Question

Bob reaches out with the following query:

"Is there an iOS app that can read my emails to me while I'm driving? Maybe works with voice commands like next, previous, delete, etc. Surely I can't be the only one who wants this type of app. Does it already exist and I've just overlooked it?"
— Bob [01:21]

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Micah’s Initial Response

Micah begins by addressing the apparent simplicity of Bob’s question, acknowledging that while it seems straightforward, finding the right solution isn’t as obvious as one might hope.

"I have some bad news for you to kick things off because I thought too this does seem like something that should be okay and you know that should happen by default and in a way it is."
— Micah Sargent [01:21]

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Outlook Mobile’s Discontinued Feature

Micah discusses a former solution:

• Outlook Mobile previously featured a “Play my Emails” function that allowed users to listen to their emails via a play button within the app.

  "Outlook Mobile had this feature built in called Play my Emails and it would you hit the play button. It was in the main part of the app and it would read your emails out loud to you."
  — Micah Sargent [03:00]

• Unfortunately, Microsoft discontinued this feature in June of the previous year, possibly due to its reliance on Cortana for voice functions.

  "Unfortunately, Microsoft discontinued this feature in June of last year. Why I don't know."
  — Micah Sargent [04:15]

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Exploring Alternative Solutions

With Outlook’s feature removed, Micah explores other avenues:

1. Search for Alternative Email Apps:

   • Micah couldn’t find other email applications with built-in email reading features similar to the discontinued Outlook function.

     "I couldn't find another email application that had this feature built in by default... Because that's something very easy to do."
     — Micah Sargent [04:45]

2. Accessibility Applications:

   • While there are accessibility-focused apps that can read text aloud, they require manual copying and pasting of emails, which isn’t ideal for seamless use while driving.

     "But I know that that's not what you're after. You want something that's an email application first and foremost."
     — Micah Sargent [05:30]

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Siri: The Built-In Solution

Micah highlights Siri as a viable built-in option:

• Voice Commands: Users can instruct Siri to read emails, check for new ones, and perform actions like replying or deleting.

  "There is a feature that's built in. Siri can read your email to you. You can say the name of your virtual assistant and then say read my emails."
  — Micah Sargent [05:50]

• Functionality:

  • Siri reads the sender, subject line, and provides a summary of the most recent email.

  • Users can interact with Siri to navigate their emails using commands like “reply,” “archive,” or “delete.”

    "In Modern versions of iOS will also provide a summary. Afterward, Siri will ask if you'd like the full message ready."
    — Micah Sargent [06:10]

• Integration with CarPlay: Siri’s compatibility with CarPlay ensures smooth functionality while driving.

  "With it built in to your phone, it also means that if you use CarPlay, it's going to work well with that functionality as well."
  — Micah Sargent [06:30]

Pros:

• Seamless integration with the iOS ecosystem.
• Voice-controlled, minimizing the need for manual interaction.

Cons:

• Potential delays as Siri processes and responds to commands.
• Limited ability to browse emails without specific commands.

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Speak Screen: An Accessibility Feature

Another built-in option is Speak Screen, an accessibility feature:

• Activation:

  • Enabled via Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content > Speak Screen.

  • Once activated, a two-finger swipe down from the top of the screen initiates the reading of on-screen content.

    "You toggle that on and once you've enabled, automatically enables a little shortcut gesture that you do where you take two fingers and swipe down from the top of the screen."
    — Micah Sargent [07:45]

• Customization:

  • Users can adjust the reading speed to suit their preferences.

    "You can change the speed at which it reads. So where you might get tired of hearing Siri very slowly work its way through your email, this is just going to go through either, you know, at a slower speed or a faster speed."
    — Micah Sargent [08:15]

Pros:

• Adjustable reading speed.
• Can read any on-screen content, not limited to emails.

Cons:

• Requires manual activation, which can be distracting while driving.
• Does not automatically navigate through emails; users must interact with the screen to open each email.

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Custom Shortcuts: A Technical Alternative

Micah briefly touches on creating a Shortcut to automate email reading:

• Potential: A Shortcut could be programmed to fetch emails and read their contents aloud.

  "There is technically a third option which is to use a shortcut that you build to kind of check the email, pull the subject out, read the sub, or rather not pull the subject out, but pull the subject and the body of the email and read it."
  — Micah Sargent [09:30]

• Challenges:

  • Complexity in setting up.

  • Potential for reading extraneous or formatted information, leading to a cluttered listening experience.

    "But that can get so complicated and so messy because email bodies may contain extra information and so suddenly you're getting weird XM and stuff that's involved in that."
    — Micah Sargent [10:00]

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Final Recommendation

After evaluating the options, Micah advises:

"Bob, my official and final and true advice for you is just use Siri to read your email out loud to you while you're in the car. I think that that's the simplest, most interactive and most full featured way of making your way through your email."
— Micah Sargent [11:30]

He expresses regret over Outlook discontinuing its email reading feature, noting it was the ideal solution for such needs.

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Additional Promotions and Closing

While wrapping up, Micah promotes Club Twit, highlighting benefits like ad-free content, exclusive feeds, bonus shows, and access to a dedicated Discord community. However, as per the summary guidelines, promotional content is skipped.

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Conclusion

Hands-On Tech episode 225 provides a comprehensive exploration of the options available for having emails read aloud on an iPhone. While the discontinuation of Outlook's built-in feature leaves a gap, Micah effectively guides listeners through alternative solutions, ultimately recommending Siri for its seamless integration and functionality. Additionally, accessibility features like Speak Screen offer supplementary options, albeit with certain limitations. This episode serves as a valuable resource for anyone seeking hands-free email management on their mobile devices.

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Notable Quotes:

• "I think the problem that you might struggle with there is how long it takes for Siri to read through and the sort of the way that everything's kind of locked into place." — Micah Sargent [05:50]

• "The real great choice would have been Outlook back whenever it had that feature, and I'm really sad that that's gone now." — Micah Sargent [13:00]

• "Use Siri to read your email out loud to you while you're in the car. I think that that's the simplest, most interactive and most full featured way of making your way through your email." — Micah Sargent [11:30]

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This detailed summary encapsulates the essential discussions, insights, and conclusions presented in the episode, offering listeners a clear understanding of the available solutions for having emails read aloud on an iPhone.

Transcript

[Micah Sargent]

Coming up on Hands On Tech, let's take a look at how to get our phone to read our emails out loud. If that's something you want to do, Stay tuned for this episode of Hands On Tech. This is Twit.

[Leo Laporte]

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[Micah Sargent]

Hello and welcome to Hands On Tech, the show where I, Micah Sargent, take your tech questions and do my best to answer them. I think I do a pretty good job. I hope I do. If you have tech questions that you would like, answ Hotwit TV is how you get in touch with me. I love that. That rhymes. And we are looking at an interesting question today that comes in from Bob. So Bob writes in and says the following. This seems so obvious and simple that I wonder if I'm overlooking something but I can't figure it out. Is there an iOS app that can read my emails to me while I'm driving? Maybe works with voice commands like next previous, delete, etc. Surely I can't be the only one who wants this type of app. Does it already exist and I've just overlooked it? Thank you Bob, I have some bad news for you to kick things off because I thought too this does seem like something that should be okay and you know that should happen by default and in a way it is. But it used to be the case that it was a built in feature of a certain third party app. Outlook Mobile had this feature built in called Play my Emails and it would you hit the play button. It was in the main part of the app and it would read your emails out loud to you. Unfortunately, Microsoft discontinued this feature in June of last year. Why I don't know. Part of it may have been because it was Cortana that was the voice for the, for the email reading. But for whatever reason, Microsoft removed this feature from Outlook Mobile. So without that feature available via Outlook Mobile, let's talk about some other ways to go about getting your phone to read your email to you. I couldn't find outside of Outlook and I think that that's part of the problem is that Outlook's once ability to do so has sort of clouded the field when you're trying to find other apps to do so. I couldn't find another email application that had this feature built in by default, or an app that would give you the functionality that you're looking for, which it sounds like is something that's actually going to get at your email and then read it to you, not something where you would have to like copy and paste your email into it before you. Because that's something very easy to do. You could copy and paste your email into one of many great applications that are sort of accessibility minded for reading text out loud, but I know that that's not what you're after. You want something that's an email application first and foremost. So here's the good news. There is a feature that's built in. Siri can read your email to you. You can say the name of your virtual assistant and then say read my emails. You can also say check my email from and then name a specific person or a specific contact name. And then you can also ask do I have any new email? When you do, Siri is going to read the sender, is going to read the subject line and it's going to tell you the date and time of that most recent email. And in Modern versions of iOS will also provide a summary. Afterward, Siri will ask if you'd like the full message ready. If you say yes, then Siri will go through and read the full message afterwards. Siri prompts you with follow up. You can say reply, which then it will ask you what you want to say back. You can say archive, you can say mark as read or you can say delete. And with it built in to your phone, it also means that if you use CarPlay, it's going to work well with that functionality as well. So in that way, yeah, it's kind of what you want. I think the problem that you might struggle with there is how long it takes for Siri to read through and the sort of the way that everything's kind of locked into place. But that's the only way that you're going to get full access to to all of the text that's in the email because the other option is a more umbrella option, I guess, and that is with accessibility.

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[Micah Sargent]

If you don't want to have Siri read your email to you and sort of have that back and forth situation where you're attempting to get it to respond to you and you have to wait for it to say, okay, what do you want to do next? And you're having that struggle. There's also built in functionality for iOS via accessibility controls called Speak Screen. And you access that by launching settings, tapping on Accessibility, tapping on spoken content and then going to Speak Screen. When you get there, you toggle that on and once you've enabled, automatically enables a little shortcut gesture that you do where you take two fingers and swipe down from the top of the screen. Now, to be clear, it's as if you're accessing your notifications, your control center, whatever you think of as that, swipe down, but with two fingers. And when it does that, it will read whatever is on your screen. So in that way you are able to then have it read your email. If you have your email up on screen. And what's good about the accessibility features is you can change the speed at which it reads. So where you might get tired of hearing Siri very slowly work its way through your email, adding proper emphasis and sort of trying to sound like a human being, this is just going to go through either, you know, at a slower speed or a faster speed, depending on what you're wanting. And I find that to be what I want because I get a little impatient waiting for it to respond. However, it's just reading what's on your screen. So if you are driving and tapping on your phone to open up the next email and then tapping to open up the next email, that's not, and that's not necessarily a safe practice. And it also means that it's not going to work through your email automatically. It also means that by default it's not. It's only going to read the, you know, name and subject, whatever that main mail list does. So really Siri is the better choice because of the fact that it's able to access the full email, get in there and read it back to you. The real great choice would have been Outlook back whenever it had that feature, and I'm really sad that that's gone now because it sounds like it's exactly what you were hoping for and what provided you know the best way to kind of read your emails out loud while you're driving. There is technically a third option which is to use a shortcut that you build to kind of check the email, pull the subject out, read the sub, or rather not pull the subject out, but pull the subject and the body of the email and read it. But that can get so complicated and so messy because email bodies may contain extra information and so suddenly you're getting weird XM and stuff that's involved in that. So I think, Bob, my official and final and true advice for you is just use Siri to read your email out loud to you while you're in the car. I think that that's the simplest, most interactive and most full featured way of making your way through your email. So thank you Bob for writing in with that question. Please be safe on the road and I hope that one of those solutions works well for you. Again, rip the old version of Outlook that offered this feature. I don't know why, don't know why they got rid of it. I want to remind you all about our wonderful offering that comes as part of Club Twit at Twitter tv. Club Twit. When you subscribe monthly or yearly, you gain access to some awesome benefits. With Club Twit, you first and foremost get every single one of our shows ad free. It's just the content, none of the ads. In fact, we make some special little feeds that are unique to you. Your specific feeds with your name on them. And those feeds just have the content of the show. I think it's kind of cool to have this exclusive little direct connection between us to you with those exclusive feeds. As well as access to our special Club Twit shows. We've got the Club Twit feeds which include bonus content you won't find anywhere else behind the scenes, before the show, after the show, as well as access to our special Club Twit news events where we do live coverage of different news events that are taking place. Recently, Leo and I did WWDC together and access to our. I'm forgetting what? Oh, our. Our shows. Our special Club Twitch shows. So for example, we have Micah's Crafting Corner where I and many people gather together and work on some different crafts that we do. We've got coffee time, we've got Chris Marquardt doing his camera thing. So much more. All of that comes as part of your Club Twit package. And that is, I think we're coming up on like two full weeks of programming that you gain access to the moment you join Club Twit, which is awesome. And then last but not least, you get access to the Club Twit discord. That's a fun place to go to chat with your fellow Club Twit members and also those of us here at twit. If that sounds awesome to you as much as it does to me, you know, get to hang out with us, well, be sure to join the Club Twit tv. Club Twit, we'd love to see you, love to have you and can't wait to celebrate with you. Thanks so much. Now back to the show, folks. If you have questions for me, you can send an email. Hot tv. That's how you get in touch. Make sure to include all the information you might think is necessary and maybe even some you don't think is necessary, but I might find necessary. It's always great to overload me with info rather than underload with info where we're missing details, so I'd love to hear from you. Hot at TWiT TV. That brings us to the end of this episode of Hands On Tech. I'll be back next week for another episode. Thanks. Bye bye.

[Leo Laporte]

No matter how much spare time you have, TWiT TV has the perfect tech news format for your schedule. Stay up to date with everything happening and get tech news your way with TWiT TV. Start your week with this Week in Tech for an in depth, comprehensive dive into the top stories every week. And for a midweek boost, Tech News Weekly brings you concise, quick updates with the journalists breaking the news. Whether you need just the nuts and bolts or want the full analysis, stay informed. With TWiT TV's perfect pairing of tech news programs.

[Micah Sargent]

It.