The new talking bible features in Touch Bible for Android requires a third party text-to-speech engine to work. Many android devices come with this feature out of the box, but if your device still needs it then this guide is for you.
Having a Text-to-Speech (TTS) engine is not only good for Touch Bible, but other apps can also benefit from it. They can even read other websites or ebooks out loud. There are many engines you can purchase that are compatible with Touch Bible, but this guide doesn’t make any recommendations. Instead the goal is to get the stock, Google Text-to-speech engine working on your phone. This engine is distributed for free and you can see it’s project page here.
Disclaimer
Keep in mind this is only a general guide by a non-expert. The steps found herein are very general, so take these concepts to an expert on your device and heed his or her advice over this guide. Text-to-speech is not guaranteed to work on your device, is third-party software, and it may not work with Touch Bible. The software can be free, but it requires an SD-Card – which is not free. Having a newer version of Android might improve results. Some sites suggest the steps in this guide may pose a security risk as it allows non-Google Play apps to run on your device. Assess the risks with an expert on your device.
By following the steps on this guide you agree to take on the full responsibility for the results. These steps were not written by an Android expert, so please refer to another source for help if you do not agree.
How to Install TTS if you have Google Play
To save space, some devices do not include TTS out of the box. You can get it through Google Play. Try downloading it here. After it downloads, restart your device and try pressing the play button found in Dial-a-Verse. If it doesn’t work, ask your manufacturer for help getting TTS to work on your particular device. You may also consider following the steps below.
How to Install TTS if you Do NOT have Google Play
Many devices have SD Cards built-in (e.g. Kindle Fire). If your device does not have an SD-Card, insert one now. It will need about 10MB of space free to download and install TTS and a voice for TTS.
- Enable 3rd party apps to run on your device. General directions to do so are found here.
Nook Users may find this link useful.
Kindle Fire users may refer to this site for details. - Download and install the TTS engine. The official download is linked here.
Note you can also download this through Google Play. - Once TTS is downloaded and you completed the install process, it will try to install an english voice. If that fails, you can try to manually download and install it. Links to the voice installer is archived here. The official download is found here.
- Restart your device to ensure your apps can see the new TTS engine.
- When you load Touch Bible, Android may ask which TTS engine to use. It is recommended you pick Pico TTS and tap the option to remember/use that choice as default.
- Open Dial-a-Verse and try to press the triangle Play button to hear the Bible read out loud. If it worked, congratulations on getting TTS installed on your device. If it didn’t work, please contact the manufacturer of your device for additional help.
TIPS
If you do not hear TTS speaking, make sure your volume is all the way up. Make sure you do not have any bluetooth audio devices or headsets that are stealing the audio. Also make sure that you restarted the device.
The archived copies of TTS software is distributed under the this License. It is unmodified, and there is no support for installing or using it. Please refer all TTS questions to your favorite Android expert or a device manufacturer.
