# Flash Reader — Reading Reimagined > Speed reading app using RSVP to display words rapidly, improving comprehension. (iPhone/iPad app by Didstopia.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flash-reader/id402491178 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Didstopia](https://appshunter.io/developer/379028611) - Category: Productivity, Education - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.20/5 from 155 App Store ratings · 126 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 17+ - Requires: iOS 9.3 · 72 MB - Languages: American English, Finnish - Released: 2010-11-13 - Data updated: 2026-09-08 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flash-reader/id402491178/reviews.md ## What is Flash Reader? Ever had to read through a an email, book or an article on the web, but felt like it took ages to read through it all? Normally your brain will attempt to pronounce words you read, which is called subvocalization or internal speech. Flash Reader removes this limitation by showing you words so fast that your brain doesn't have time to subvocalize, but still allows you to retain everything you've read, by something called RSVP. Whether it's light reading, or complicated business emails, training your eyes to read faster couldn't be easier, while your reading skill and comprehension will keep getting better and better with each article you finish. 3rd Party Support: • Pocket, Instapaper & Dropbox support* • Open & import eBooks files and docs such as DOC, RTF, TXT, PDF, EPUB, DOCX, AZW (Amazon Kindle .AZW files only), MOBI and ODT (OpenDocument) files* Note: Documents need to be DRM-free (no copy protection) and have no OCR (scanned) elements. Key Features: • Massive document format support* • Import from Dropbox, iTunes and any other app capable of opening files • Built-in web-browser, with full support for Google search and saving articles* • Bookmarking, easily resume where you left off • Import documents by using your Camera* • iOS 8 Extension for easy importing of both files and websites* • Different reading modes to suit your needs • Customization, including words per minute (WPM), words per flash, themes, fonts and font sizes • Boost your productivity and learn to speed read at lightning fast speeds • Universal, works on iPhone, iPod & iPad (iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus included!) For Instant Help, open up the Support-section of the app. Visit FlashReaderApp.com for more information. ••• What people are saying about Flash Reader ••• "I was very skeptical at first, then I tried it. Now I'm impressed!!! Using this tool to read a page, blog or instructions made made it seem like it took no time at all. I actually think using this app on a regular basis my even improve my reading skills. I'm so impressed, I'm recommending it on twitter!!!", 5/5 stars -Ninny2U "I like it so much I use it every day.", 5/5 stars -Joseph "Great for readers who find words move on the page! I can read so quickly with it. For studying materials - like journal articles - I start slower, read once, then up the speed again and again. Much greater retention than trying to read just in text!", 5/5 stars -Jacqjacq14 "It's now so easy to read faster with this app !", 4/5 stars -Manuel Klaassen "This app is a wonderful way to breeze through a long read!", 4/5 stars -Matthew Bartlett Coming up soon: - A cloud based solution for backing up and syncing articles and bookmarks - Evernote, Readability and Feedly support - Built-in bookstore (free ebooks) - Better article navigation (search by page or by word) - Spritz-like reading Thank you for the reviews, keep them coming! Based on the feedback we receive, we'll add and modify the features as much as we can. *Please note: Flash Reader DOES NOT have advertisements of any kind. Services such as Instapaper, Pocket, website article saving and certain file-specific document conversions have limits and might require the Flash Reader Pro upgrade, which is a permanent one-time payment that unlocks all features of the app. Some services (including PDF and ePub importing, as well as Microsoft Office files like DOCX) require an active internet connection when importing. Also note that Flash Reader does not have voice support, so no text-to-speech or anything like that. ## Key features - Rapid word display (RSVP) - Supports numerous document formats (PDF, EPUB, DOCX, etc.) - Import from Pocket, Instapaper, Dropbox, and camera - Built-in web browser with article saving - Customizable reading speed and display - Bookmark and resume functionality ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Flash Reader Pro | $1.99 | one-time | | Flash Reader Pro | $0.99 | one-time | | Flash Reader Pro | $2.99 | one-time | | Flash Reader Pro | $3.99 | one-time | | Flash Reader Pro | $4.99 | one-time | | Flash Reader Pro | $1.99 | one-time | ## What do users think of Flash Reader? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 🚀 Ahead of its time - 👍 Simple to use - 🚀 Helps read books efficiently - 👍 Useful, easy to use - 👍 Brilliant app, great time saver - 👍 Great for readers who find words move on the page **Cons** - 🐛 Doesn't allow to open modern websites - 🐛 Restarts the book being read - 🐛 Crashes when using camera - 🐛 Bugs and stops working - 🐛 Loses reading progress - 🐛 Inaccurate resume times - 🐛 Doesn't work for Kindle content - 🐛 Limits on library size and websites - 🐛 Never fully loaded - 🐛 Crashes after updates - 🐛 Ads for a paid app - 🐛 Removes free features **Commonly reported bugs** - Login screen freezes - Incompatible with older devices - Crashes when switching modes - Loses reading progress - Inaccurate resume times **Most requested features** - Fancy text like newer video captions - Bookmarks and navigation - Support for Google Drive - Quick rewind option - Table of contents - Search option - Ability to go backward/forward - Choose page to go to - Dark mode - Advanced analytics dashboard ## Recent user reviews (10 of 126) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flash-reader/id402491178/reviews.md ### 4/5 — Ahead of its time and very simple to use. *2025-01-27, version 3.3.5* Who would have thought years later that this type of concept would be integrated into short form videos on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram for the captions. This app is the only ways re cents that I have completed reading books. I just wish it had fancy text like the captions on the newer videos. ### 1/5 — Rubbish *2023-06-19, version 3.3.5* Doesn’t allow to open modern websites ### 2/5 — Major flaws *2022-06-24, version 3.3.5* It was good until it restarted the book I was reading, which is a pretty big issue since you can’t skip around. These two things make it pretty much unusable. ### 1/5 — Don't get tricked *2021-01-29, version 3.3.5* Free app that works with Pocket? Nice! Nope, gotta pay to sync with pocket Alright, it's an investment Nope, since I log onto Pocket using my Google account, I cannot connect it to Flash. Ugh Back to research *FOLLOW UP* I clicked help and I got asked to enable notifications.... Magically, the "skip" button is not working but the "ok" worked alright 🤦🏻‍♂️👎🏼 ### 1/5 — CRASHES Please issue a refund *2021-01-24, version 3.3.5* I just upgraded the app to be able to use the camera and now it crashes every time I try to use it. Bad. ### 4/5 — epub *2020-07-27, version 3.3.5* I just learned that you can import ebooks in epub format into Flash Reader. This is a game changer. My only wish is that a table of contents could also be imported to make it easier to navigate the book. ### 1/5 — Trash *2020-07-15, version 3.3.5* This app is pure trash. Nothing works. Absolutely nothing. ### 1/5 — Flash Reader app 1st impression—rubbish😱 *2020-05-12, version 3.3.5* I just downloaded the app and got annoyed within the first few minutes. It immediately got stuck on the Tips and pull down with 2 fingers page. Skip does not work. Suspicious that this app is not being supported so more user purchase the Flash Reader Pro. I will uninstall and try again but 1st impressions always resonate! ### 5/5 — For a slow reader *2020-01-24, version 3.3.5* I don’t do much reading, nor do I read at a good pace. This app has helped me get through books at a pace that is very satisfying. It also helps read books electronically in a way that is revolutionary. Reading books on a phone or tablet should not just look like electronic books. The technology should be used to revolutionize how we read. This app does that. ### 3/5 — Dr *2020-01-11, version 3.3.5* I tried many apps like this and definitely this one is my favourite: Useful, easy to use and most of all open ALL docs from emails, PDF... Thank you! Edit: I still love it, but it misses major options, like go backward or forward (10-50 or 100 words) would have been SO helpful, chose the page to go to or asearch option. It also bugs : many times, it completely stops working when a dot appears alone, not attached to a word. And it’s a HASSLE to move on, which can be sometimes so frustrating because I loose my reading flow that I consider just reading the book in the classic format. I hope that will be fixed VERY SOON. ## Frequently asked questions about Flash Reader ### What is Flash Reader and how does it work? Flash Reader is a speed reading application that utilizes Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) to display words quickly. This method bypasses subvocalization, the internal speech process, allowing users to read faster while retaining information. It aims to improve reading skills and comprehension. ### What types of documents can I read with Flash Reader? The app supports a wide range of document formats including DOC, RTF, TXT, PDF, EPUB, DOCX, AZW, MOBI, and ODT. It also integrates with services like Pocket, Instapaper, and Dropbox for importing content. Note that documents must be DRM-free and not scanned. ### Is Flash Reader free to use? The application is free to download and use, but it offers in-app purchases. These purchases likely unlock additional features or customization options beyond the core speed reading functionality. ### What devices is Flash Reader compatible with? Flash Reader is a universal app designed to work on iPhone, iPod, and iPad devices, including newer models like the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. It also features an iOS 8 Extension for easier importing of files and websites. ### How can Flash Reader help improve my reading skills? By training your eyes to read faster through rapid word display, the app helps you process information more efficiently. Regular use can lead to improved reading speed, better comprehension, and enhanced productivity, especially for long articles or complex texts. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 3.3.5 — 2019-04-17 Lots of improvements under the hood, including bug fixes. ### 3.3.4 — 2018-03-09 Bug fixes and stability updates. ### 3.3.3 — 2017-05-24 - Fixes critical issues with both document and article importing - Also fixes various smaller bugs ### 3.3.2 — 2017-03-10 - New and improved website article extraction engine - Various bug fixes ### 3.3.1 — 2016-09-21 Fixes potential issues with the built in support. ## Apps similar to Flash Reader | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Periodic Questioning](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/periodic-questioning/id1665812740) | — | Free | Productivity | | [StudyHungry](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/studyhungry/id1664623080) | 4.5 (8) | Free | Productivity | | [Flexblocks - Time Blocking](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flexblocks-time-blocking/id1631938060) | 1.0 (1) | Free | Productivity | | [Küçük Adımlar](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kucuk-admlar/id1631550900) | — | Free | Productivity | | [Speed Reader for Speed Reading](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speed-reader-for-speed-reading/id6447472154) | 3.8 (6) | Free | Productivity | | [Speed Reading UpRead](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speed-reading-upread/id1454094961) | 4.2 (116) | Free | Productivity | ## More apps by Didstopia - [Alkometri](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alkometri/id469353148) - [Finger Rodeo](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/finger-rodeo/id931844186) - [Flash Reader Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flash-reader-pro/id956851255) - [Mutebot](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mutebot/id1018611817) - [Mutebot Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mutebot-pro/id1049768902) All apps by Didstopia: https://appshunter.io/developer/379028611 --- *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.*