GitHub - studioetc/read-please-app: Select text in any MacOS app and have it read out loud · GitHub
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studioetc
read-please-app
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Read Please
Read Please is a small Mac app that reads selected text aloud. Highlight text in any app — a webpage, an email, a PDF, a document — press a keyboard shortcut, and your Mac speaks it.
It lives in the menu bar, not the Dock, and stays out of the way until you need it.
This is a public beta. It works and is used daily, but you may run into rough edges. Bug reports and suggestions are welcome — please open an issue.
Download
Download the latest release →
Open the download and drag Read Please to your Applications folder.
Opening it the first time
Because this is a beta, macOS will block it on first launch. To allow it (just once):
Open Read Please from Applications. When the warning appears, click Done .
Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and scroll to the Security section.
Next to "Read Please was blocked…", click Open Anyway , then enter your Mac password.
After that, it opens normally.
Setup
When you first open the app it runs a quick setup:
Permission. Read Please needs macOS Accessibility permission to see the text you've selected in other apps. The setup links you straight to the right place in System Settings.
Shortcut. Pick keys for play/pause and stop, or keep the defaults (Control + ` and Control + 1 ).
Voice. Read Please uses the voices already built into your Mac. For more natural-sounding speech, you can download Apple's Enhanced or Premium voices from System Settings — the app shows you where.
You can revisit any of this later from Settings .
Advanced Features
Add more shortcuts. Want more than the two defaults? A JSON file lets you map any number of extra shortcuts. Personally, I use F15 and F16, plus keys mapped to a spare mouse button in Karabiner-Elements — so I never have to reach for the keyboard.
Custom pronunciation. macOS voices usually pronounce words well, but some need a little help. Eg The voice I use sounds out the "th" in "github." You can fix quirks like these by editing the pronunciations JSON file.
Tip: Not comfortable editing JSON? Paste it into your AI assistant of choice and tell it what you want changed — it'll make light work of it.
Privacy
Read Please works entirely on your Mac . It only reads the text you've selected, speech is generated on-device, and nothing is sent anywhere.
Requirements
macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later
Accessibility permission (granted during setup)
Feedback
If something doesn't work or you have an idea, please open an issue.
Build from source
Read Please is built with Swift 6 and SwiftUI using Swift Package Manager (no Xcode project required).
swift build && swift test # dev build + tests<br>./build_app_staging.sh && open ReadPlease-Staging.app # isolated test build<br>./build_app.sh && open ReadPlease.app # production build
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Select text in any MacOS app and have it read out loud
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