# CastReader: Read Aloud Books — Audiobook from PDF, EPUB, Web > AI-powered text-to-speech with synced highlighting and explanations. (iPhone/iPad app by ohsame Inc.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castreader-read-aloud-books/id6757636395 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [ohsame Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/944872977) - Category: Education, Productivity - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.80/5 from 25 App Store ratings · 21 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 17.6 · 54 MB - Languages: American English, French (France), German (Germany), Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese (Simplified, China), European Spanish - Released: 2026-01-15 - Data updated: 2026-09-08 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castreader-read-aloud-books/id6757636395/reviews.md ## What is CastReader? CastReader turns any text into something you can hear and understand. LISTEN TO YOUTUBE — HEAR PUBLIC TRANSCRIPTS Paste or share a public YouTube video link. When a public transcript is available, CastReader reads the caption text aloud with its own voices, synchronized highlighting, and automatic scrolling. CastReader does not play, download, save, or convert the original video or audio. Availability depends on the video’s public captions and your region. READ ALOUD — STAY FOCUSED Turn photos, web pages, PDFs, EPUBs, documents, and books into natural speech. Synchronized highlighting and automatic scrolling keep your eyes and ears on the same sentence while you study, commute, exercise, or rest your eyes. AI EXPLAIN — GO BEYOND THE WORDS CastReader creates and reads a clear explanation while handwritten-style annotations appear on the original: highlights for key points, circles around important terms, and numbered steps. BRING YOUR OWN CONTENT • Camera or photo: recognize text on-device • Web: open a URL and start listening • Files: PDF, EPUB, TXT, DOCX, and images • Paste: turn copied text into speech instantly CONNECT YOUR READING SERVICES • Kindle and WeRead: connect your library and continue reading • Google Play Books and Kobo: sync eligible shelf items, then read aloud or explain them page by page • O’Reilly Learning: use a supported personal account or eligible institution/library access, sync eligible books from reading history, and listen to or explain long chapters You use your own accounts and content access. Availability varies by provider, region, account, and institution. CastReader does not provide or sell book content. BUILT FOR • Readers who prefer to finish articles, documents, and ebooks by listening • Language learners who want synchronized visual guidance • Students and professionals working through dense material • Anyone who needs eye relief or accessibility support 9 LANGUAGES The interface and text-to-speech support English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, and Hindi. Voice availability varies by language. CASTREADER PRO Use CastReader free every day. Upgrade to Pro for unlimited read-aloud time, unlimited AI explanations, all premium voices, and playback speeds up to 3x. Eligible new subscribers can try Pro free for 7 days. Dark mode and background playback are supported. Photo text recognition happens on-device and photos are not uploaded. CastReader’s local reading history stays on your device. Connected services retain their own account and reading data under their respective policies. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ ## Key features - Listen to Kindle books, PDFs, EPUBs - AI explanations for complex text - Synced highlighting with read-aloud - Auto-scroll and resume progress - Background and lock-screen playback - Supports web pages, photos, and pasted text ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **Subscriptions** | Subscription | Price | Period | | --- | --- | --- | | CastReader Pro (Monthly) | $9.99 | per month | | CastReader Pro (Yearly) | $59.99 | per year | | CastReader Pro (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month | | CastReader Pro (Yearly) | $34.99 | per year | ## Recent user reviews (10 of 21) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castreader-read-aloud-books/id6757636395/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Needs offline listening *2026-09-03, version 1.2.33* Very good when I have a connection, not useful on a flight. Downloadable audio would make this an easy five stars for me. ### 5/5 — Surprisingly Polished *2026-09-03, version 1.2.32* A surprisingly polished reader. The interface also feels thoughtfully designed. ### 5/5 — Listen and Follow Along *2026-09-02, version 1.2.32* I can listen and still follow the page. It helps me to stay engaged with the content ### 5/5 — Easy-to-use software *2026-09-01, version 1.2.31* This software is very easy to use. It is very easy to read and explain. I highly recommend you to use it. ### 5/5 — 新一代阅读器 *2026-08-30, version 1.2.30* 非常好用，非常智能，是目前最先进的文字网页阅读器 ### 5/5 — Helps Me Stay Focused *2026-08-25, version 1.2.28* The highlighting keeps me focused! It is especially useful with dense material. ### 5/5 — Smart Read & Explain *2026-08-25, version 1.2.28* Read & Explain is such a smart feature! It is especially useful when a passage gets difficult. ### 5/5 — Helpful for Studying *2026-08-24, version 1.2.28* Really helpful for study sessions. I can listen and review at the same time. ### 5/5 — Great for Long PDFs *2026-08-24, version 1.2.27* Great for long PDFs on the train. The playback stays easy to control throughout. ### 5/5 — 這是一款很棒的 App，只有一個小小的請求 *2026-08-22, version 1.2.27* 對於這款 Kindle 閱讀應用，以及相較於其他大型 TTS（文字轉語音）App 更親民的價格，我感到非常滿意。AI 解釋功能在處理統計學章節時表現得相當出色。如果能加入更多更自然的美式英語語音，那就幾乎完美了。 ## Frequently asked questions about CastReader ### What kind of content can CastReader read aloud? CastReader can read aloud Kindle books, PDFs, EPUBs, web pages, articles, photos, screenshots, scanned text, TXT files, and pasted text. It's designed for long-form reading materials like study materials, papers, reports, contracts, and manuals. ### How does CastReader's AI Explain feature work? AI Explain generates spoken explanations for difficult passages and draws handwritten-style notes directly on the original text. It highlights key ideas, circles terms, numbers steps, and guides your eyes as you listen, acting like a personal tutor. ### Does CastReader offer background playback? Yes, CastReader supports background and lock-screen playback. This allows you to continue listening to your content even when the app is not actively in the foreground or when your device is locked. ### Can I resume reading where I left off with CastReader? Absolutely. CastReader offers auto-scroll functionality and allows you to resume your progress when you come back later. This ensures you never lose your place in the content you are listening to. ### What languages does CastReader's AI Explain support? CastReader's AI explanations are available in English and Chinese. The app aims to make understanding difficult texts accessible to a wider range of users. ### Is CastReader available on multiple devices? Based on the provided data, CastReader is currently supported on iPhones. Further platform availability may be announced by the developer in future updates. ### How often is CastReader updated? The latest version of CastReader is 1.2.9, and it was last updated on July 15, 2026. The release date was January 15, 2026, suggesting a relatively active development cycle. ### Does CastReader have ads? No, CastReader does not contain advertisements. The app is free to use with a daily quota for read-aloud and AI explanations, with an option to upgrade for more features. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.2.35 — 2026-09-08 • New Kindle reading settings: adjust font size and choose whether to skip clearly identified superscript footnote reference numbers. • Improved continuous reading, pause and resume, and recovery after temporary audio errors. • Improved Kindle page fitting, font size persistence, and the reading layout when rotating your device or expanding the player. • View and copy the app version in Settings. ### 1.2.34 — 2026-09-06 • Improved Kobo and Google Play Books sign-in, account connection, and library syncing, including fixes for missing books in larger libraries. • Clearer loading and retry messages, with fixes for incorrect book counts during loading and some reader opening issues. • More reliable read-aloud playback and Kindle page transitions, with better recovery from temporary network errors. • Improved service connections in mainland China and reliability when creating voices. ### 1.2.33 — 2026-09-03 • In supported regions, you can now create a voice in three ways: record yourself, invite a friend, or upload an audio file. • For uploaded audio, CastReader automatically selects a clear clip. After confirming permission, you can preview it or create the voice right away. • Voices created through invitations are organized separately, and repeated sign-in prompts when using a created voice have been fixed. ### 1.2.32 — 2026-09-01 • In supported regions, invite a friend with one link to record, preview, and send you their voice. • Shared voices appear in Created, where you can preview, rename, select, and use them for Read Aloud and Explain while authorization remains active. • Voice creation, playback, and recovery from temporary service errors are now more reliable. ### 1.2.31 — 2026-08-30 • Choose a recording language, then read the optional sample or speak naturally in your own words. • Rename cloned voices and recognize them by distinct, consistent avatars throughout the app. • Voice creation and syncing are more reliable, and temporary failures can be retried with the same recording. ## More apps by ohsame Inc - [same - Long time no see.](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/same-long-time-no-see/id531761928) - [天天抓娃娃 - 在线夹娃娃机口红机盲盒扭蛋机](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1268476620) - [蜜蜂创作 - 海量生成爆款视频](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6738158118) - [有空 - AI日程状态助手](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ai/id6758931463) All apps by ohsame Inc: https://appshunter.io/developer/944872977 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-08.*