Use Read Aloud even when your device is locked

Microsoft

 

Hi, Office Insiders! My name is Sofia Thomas, and I’m a Product Manager on the Office Voice team. We’ve heard your feedback, and I’m excited to share with you that you can now continue listening to your documents on your Android phone or tablet, or on your iPad or iPhone, even while your screen is locked!

 

Read Aloud in locked-screen mode

 

Read Aloud takes advantage of the latest text-to-speech technology, enabling you to review your content out loud and catch any errors (also known as “proof-listening”). It also uses cutting-edge neural voices, developed by Azure Cognitive Services, which offer a more natural listening experience.

Using this feature on your device allows you to step away from the screen and give your eyes a break while listening to documents (even if your device screen locks). Read Aloud in locked-screen mode is the perfect way to remain productive while on the go!

 

How it works   

 

Ready to try Read Aloud in locked-screen mode?

 

1. Open a document in Word on your device.

 

2. Tap Review and then tap Read Aloud, or the Read Aloud icon on the More options menu. The app will begin reading the text at the beginning of the document.

 

NOTE: In iOS, a Read Aloud pop-up suggestion will appear if you connect headphones to the device while a Word document is open.

 

3. Lock your device screen, and notice that Word continues to read your document.

 

Read-Aloud-lock-screen-both-cropped.png

 

 

Find out the rest here in the blog post!

 

Cheers,
Nathan


Office Insider Community Manager


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2 Replies

@Nathan_Pfeifer Hi Nathan, When my phone locks (or I lock it), the Read Aloud function stops.  This is a personal phone but does have MS Authenticator installed to allow access to company email and documents.  I've tried it on both the work and personal versions for MS Word for Android with no luck.  Is Authenticator the problem or am I missing something? Thanks for any guidance, Tim.

Hey @Nathan_Pfeifer thanks for your answer.

But unfortunately, in my Samsung phone this is not working while it is locked.