Switching on just Text to Speech

[Infobleep]

Hi there.

How do I only switch on text to speech on my Android phone and have all other accessibility functions switched off? 

I'm dyslexic and would find it useful to have text read back to my that I've selected. However, this doesn't extend to menu items. I find everything else being spoken to me annoying. I'm not blind, just dyslexic and my dyslexics needs doesn't extend to everything being spoken.

On a work Moto G5, I see there is an option to switch on just Text to Speech but on my Note 9 all I can see if an option to switch on the voice assistant. 

When I switch that one it wants to turn off secure startup. That doesn't sound very secure to me. 

I did a search online for "turn off secure startup" "samsung" "voice assistant" and to my surprise only one link was returned and this was on how to downgrade android firmware without a PC!

Still at least there will be 2 links now I've posted this! 

Samsung make the phone. The option is Voice assistant and the message that comes up is Turn off secure startup. Thus I would have expected more results!

[DUMITRU79]

I will not pretend that i know Galaxy Note 9's menu , but , do you have : Settings --> Accessibility --> Talkback

[Infobleep]

Thanks for the reply. The only option I can see is voice assistant but if I switch that on I need to turn off my secure startup and the point of secure startup is to protect my phone.

I have come across some anidotal evidence from unofficial sources that once enabled I can switch on the secure startup again. This is of course isn't from Samsung themsleves. I can't find anything helpful from them, which is surprising, given how good the phone.

[DUMITRU79]

just for clarification...what exactly do you need the TTS ( text to speach) to speak ? Just text or the actions in course or menus as well ?

[Infobleep]

Just text I select. So for example I might write something on a forum and I need it to be read back to me so ensure I've not missed out any words and it all makes sense.

On my Mac computer I can press a combination of keys to have selected text read back.

On my PC I have a Windows application called ClaroRead, does the same, as well as more besides like spelling.

[DUMITRU79]

Hello again. It just hit me... Google has something similar on android : "live transcribe" Givi it a go.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.audio.hearing.visualization.accessibility.s...

[DUMITRU79]

Did it work ?

[Infobleep]

I'll try it out tomorrow. I've been busy.

[Infobleep]

Thanks for the suggestion. I've looked at it and that isn't what I am after. I'm after something that speaks what I type not type what I speak.

I don't get on with dictating my notes via speach. Maybe if I grew up now I would. I prefer to type.

So I'm still looking for a way of switching on the text to speech without everything else being spoken.

It is possible on my budget Moto G5 work phone.

[Infobleep]

I've now installed Google's TalkBack app. I now need to figure out how to get my Samsung phone to use that rather than voice assistant as TalkBack is dyslexia friendly, unlike Samsung's Voice assistant, unless of course you also happen to be blind or partially sited and dyslexic.