Kindle Text-to-Speech Not Working? (Instant Solutions!)

Is the Kindle text-to-speech not working on your device or app? Let’s see why that is.

Kindle’s text-to-speech feature reads any book or document aloud, but sometimes, it doesn’t work properly.

The error often indicates a slow connection or insufficient storage. 

To fix the Kindle text-to-speech feature on your device, you need your books to support this feature. You want to ensure the feature is enabled on your Kindle device or the app.

Awesome, let’s dive into the different solutions!

Kindle Text-to-Speech Not Working – 10 Proven Methods to Fix

To help you fix the Kindle text-to-speech issue, we listed 10 proven solutions from easiest to most complex.

We’ll explain each of them below. 

#1: Verify That The Book Supports Text-to-Speech

The first thing you must do is ensure the book you want to read supports text-to-speech. Not all Kindle books have this feature enabled. 

To check if a book supports this feature, follow these steps:

1. Go to Amazon.com.
2. Search for the title of the book you want to read.
3. Go to the book’s Product Details page. 
4. Look for the Text-to-speech section. 
5. If the book supports the feature, you will see Enabled next to it.
6. If the book doesn’t support it, you will see Not Enabled or Unavailable.

Pro Tip: Contact the publisher or author and request them to enable this feature if you want to use text-to-speech.

If the book doesn’t support it, look for another one with the text-to-speech feature enabled. 

#2: Enable Text-to-Speech on Your Kindle Device

“My Kindle text-to-speech is not working still; what should I do?” If the book you want supports the feature but isn’t working, ensure you enable text-to-speech on your Kindle device.

Depending on your device, the steps will vary slightly. Here’s how to enable text-to-speech on your device:

Kindle Device

1. Go to the Menu.
2. Tap on Settings.
3. Select Accessibility.
4. Tap Text-to-speech.
5. Turn on the switch next to it.

Kindle App

1. Open the book you want to listen to.
2. Tap the Aa icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
3. Tap on Text-to-speech.
4. Turn on the switch next to it.

Note: Text-to-speed requires an internet connection. If you are not connected to the internet, you will not be able to use this feature. 

#3: Check the Volume Levels on Your Device

If text-to-speech isn’t functioning despite being enabled, check the volume levels on your device to hear the narration clearly.

Use your headphones or speakers for better sound quality.

To check your device’s volume levels, follow these steps:

Kindle Devices

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap Device Options.
3. Select Sound & Notifications.
4. Tap on Volume.
5. Drag the slider to adjust the volume level or tap the + or – button.

Kindle App

1. Open the Kindle app.
2. Tap More.
3. Tap on Settings.
4. Select Sound & Notifications.
5. Tap Volume.
6. Drag the slider to adjust the volume level or tap the + or – button. 

Important Tip: Regularly update your device’s software and text-to-speed app to ensure optimal performance. 

#4: Connect Your Device to a Stable Network

You need a fast and stable internet to download and stream the text-to-speech data.

If your connection is poor, you will experience interruptions or delays in the narration. 

To connect your device to a stable network, follow these steps:

Kindle Devices

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap on WiFi & Bluetooth.
3. Select WiFi Networks.
4. Tap on a network name.
5. Enter the password if prompted. 

Kindle App

1. Open the Kindle app.
2. Tap More.
3. Tap on Settings.
4. Select WiFi & Bluetooth.
5. Tap WiFi Networks.
6. Tap a network name.
7. Enter the password if required.

Note: Connect to a high-speed WiFi network whenever possible to ensure uninterrupted text-to-speech functionality.

#5: Clear Storage Space on Your Device

You need enough storage space to store your text-to-speech data and other files on your device.

If your storage space is low, you will encounter errors or failures in the narration. 

To clear some storage space on your device, follow these steps:

Kindle Device

1. Go to Menu.
2. Tap on Settings.
3. Tap Device Options.
4. Select Storage Management.
5. Once you see the list of things taking up your device’s storage space, select an item.
6. Tap Remove to delete it. 

iPhone

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap on General.
3. Tap Storage & iCloud Usage.
4. Select Manage Storage.
5. To delete an app, select it and tap Delete App.
6. To delete other items, tap on a Category.
7. Select the photos or videos you want to delete. 

Android

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap on Storage.
3. You will see a list of apps and other items taking up your storage space.
4. To delete an app, select it and tap Uninstall.
5. To delete other items, tap on a Category.
6. Select the photos or videos you want to delete.

Pro Tip: To clear your storage space, delete books you’ve finished reading, apps you no longer use, and photos or videos you don’t need. 

#6: Remove Temporary Files on the Kindle App

To free up some space and improve the performance of your Kindle app, you need to delete temporary files. These files cause issues with the narration if they become corrupted.

To delete temporary files on your Kindle app, follow these steps:

Kindle Device

1. Go to Menu.
2. Tap on Settings.
3. Tap Device Options.
4. Select Application Management.
5. Select the apps you want to clear the cache and data for.
6. Tap Clear Cache.
7. Tap Clear Data.

Android

1. Open your device’s Settings.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Select the apps you want to clear the cache and data for.
4. Tap Storage and Cache.
5. Tap Clear Cache, then Clear Data.

iPhone

1. Go to your phone’s Settings.
2. Tap on General.
3. Select iPhone Storage.
4. Find the apps you want to offload.
5. Tap Offload App.

#7: Enable Your Device’s Accessibility Settings 

Certain devices have accessibility settings that affect your Kindle app’s text-to-speech functionality.

For instance, enabling TalkBack on Android and activating VoiceOver on iOS are necessary to use the feature.

Kindle Device

1. Go to Menu.
2. Tap on Settings.
3. Select Accessibility.
4. Turn on the switches next to the settings you want to use.

Kindle App

1. Open the Kindle app.
2. Tap the Menu icon in the upper left corner of the screen.
3. Tap on Settings. 
4. Select Accessibility.
5. Turn on the switches next to the settings you want to use. 

Note: If you’re facing issues with Kindle for PC text to speech not working, ensure your app is updated to the latest version. 

#8: Change the Voice on Your Kindle

Changing the voice on your Kindle device or app often resolves the text-to-speech issue by resetting the feature and eliminating potential software errors.

Customize it by selecting various languages, accents, and genders.

To change the voice on your Kindle, follow these steps:

Kindle Device

1. Go to Menu.
2. Tap on Settings. 
3. Select Accessibility.
4. Tap Text-to-Speech.
5. Choose Voices.
6. Select a different voice you want to use.  

Kindle App

1. Open the book you want to listen to.
2. Tap the Aa icon in the upper right corner.
3. Tap Text-to-Speech.
4. Select Voices.
5. Choose a different voice you want to use.

Note: The available voices vary depending on the language of the book and the device you’re using. Some voices even require an internet connection. 

#9: Update the Language Pack

If your device or app does not have the latest language pack installed, your Kindle text-to-speech feature will also not work.

To update the language pack on your device or app, follow these steps:

Kindle Device

1. Ensure your Kindle device is connected to the internet.
2. Go to Menu.
3. Tap on Settings.
4. Tapp Device Options.
5. Select Language & Languages.
6. Choose the language pack you want to update.
7. If an update is available, tap Download.

Kindle App

1. Open the Kindle app.
2. Tap on the Menu icon in the upper left corner.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Tap on Device Options.
5. Select Language & Languages.
6. Choose the language pack you want to update.
7. If an update is available, tap Download.

Note: The language pack update will take some time to download and install. You also need to restart your Kindle device or app for it to take effect. 

#10: Perform a Hard Reset on Your Kindle Device

Lastly, perform a hard reset on your Kindle device to fix the text-to-speech not working issue.

This will erase all your data and settings, so only do this as a last resort. 

To perform a hard reset, follow these steps:

1. Back up your data and settings to the Cloud or your computer.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Tap on Device Options.
4. Select Reset to Factory Defaults.
5. Tap Reset and confirm your choice. 
6. Wait for the process to complete.
7. Set up your device again. 
8. Download the books and documents you want to read and use text-to-speech again. 

Note: Performing a hard reset will not work for the Kindle app because it does not have a reset option. Instead, uninstall and reinstall the app.   

Quick Recap

So, if your Kindle text-to-speech is not working problem, check if the book or document you want to read has this feature enabled by the author or publisher.

Also, ensure your device is connected to a stable internet and has enough storage space.