While this is not necessarily intended as an AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) app, it's actually the best one I found for my situation after evaluating about a dozen different AAC apps.
My wife had brain surgery and lost speech (hopefully temporarily). She still has full comprehension and can come up with the words and type on her phone fine. I needed an app that did two basic things: display what she typed in big text and full screen, and speak for her. 90% of the time she types what she wants to say and just shows people her phone. In a group where maybe she doesn't want to show everyone her phone individually, then she has the app speak for her. While some of the AAC apps have features for a broader range of disabilities, with things like pictures, advanced predictive text, AI/natural voices, etc, I didn't need any of that. Most were expensive monthly subscriptions and this app was a very small one time purchase to get the speech feature. Because it uses the iOS voices available in accessibility (there are a LOT now), that works just fine for "natural enough" speech. We found we like the "Zoe" voice.
Being able to quickly adjust the size of the text displayed, and the shake to speak are great features. If I had any suggestions it would be two, and the first is simple: put a speak link/button on the main screen. It's three taps currently to tap done, then the "send to" button, then "read aloud." Shake to speak is great but just tapping a button right when she's done typing would be great. The one line options at the bottom could just have this added so it's "clear / speak / done" instead of just "clear" and "done". The second might be a bit more work, but iOS 17 lets apps request to use "personal voice" now. You can train iOS with your own voice, and then apps can use that for text to speech, but the app has to be programmed for that. I think it would be a game changer for people in a situation like my wife's to have an app "speak" with their own voice (assuming you trained it prior to losing speech or used recordings/AI to train personal voice in iOS).
Thanks for keeping this simple, for not using a subscription model, and for an app that has made a significant difference in my wife's quality of life.
Developer Response
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed review and for including the details of yours and your wife’s circumstances that have brought you to Big Text App. I am always pleased to read how this app is helping people and I also very much appreciate your suggestions to improve the app and will take this on board for the next update, though I hope your wife will not be needing to use the app for much longer.
Many thanks again
DaveThe app worked well on my wife’s iPhone but it didn’t work on mine. I realized the only difference between them is that she had Siri setup and I didn’t. Once I started Siri, the app worked on my phone too.
Developer Response
Thank you for the review and for sharing this really helpful tip, I’ll be sure to make users aware of this in the next update.
Thanks again
DaveI can't seem to get anything from my iPhone 12 mini (iOS v16.6)'s mic even though it was listening and enabled. What's wrong? :(
Developer Response
Hi, apologies that I haven’t managed to resolve this issue for you yet, I will continue to investigate. ThanksThis app has been so helpful. I can’t even begin to phrase it enough. I started caring for my 97-year-old mother for weeks ago. I was literally at wits end because she has a serious hearing deficit and she somehow destroyed her last set of hearing aids I’m used to living alone I’m 73 and in order to speak with her I repeated myself at least three or four times usually by the last time, almost screaming for her to hear me, which was making our relationship extremely difficult.
I finally went to the App Store and found this download it, and it turned everything around. I don’t have to raise my voice. She doesn’t think I’m getting angry at her. It hasn’t improved her hearing, but it certainly has greatly improved our relationship.
Developer Response
Thank you so much for this wonderful review.
I am so pleased that Big Text is helping you communicate with your mother and I really appreciate your taking the time to write this review and share your experience.
Thank you again
DaveThis app is fun and you can use it for movies reports
Developer Response
So glad you’re enjoying the app, Thank you for the great review!Wonderful improvements. Especially like the text update. Terrific, terrific, terrific, all the changes I wanted in this updated version. Just love this app. Thanks
Developer Response
Thank you so much for this amazing review!
I really appreciate your comments and I’m so pleased you’re enjoying the new features!
Many thanks
Dave
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