# Speaking Email - voice reader — user reviews > 77 indexed App Store user reviews of Speaking Email by BEWEB LTD, rated 4.50/5 from 206 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speaking-email-voice-reader/id991406423/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speaking-email-voice-reader/id991406423.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 150 · 4★ 32 · 3★ 8 · 2★ 3 · 1★ 13 ## What do users think of Speaking Email? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 👍 Life-changing for accessibility - 👍 Great for visually impaired - 👍 Excellent for ADHD/focus issues - 👍 Time-saver for busy users - 👍 Useful for commuting - 👍 Allows email management on the go - 👍 High degree of customization - 👍 Superb customer service - 👍 Handles high email volume - 👍 Independent email use - 👍 Simple and easy to use - 👍 Innovative functionality - 👍 Handles badly formatted emails **Cons** - 🐛 Crashes frequently - 🐛 Unreliable connection issues - 🐛 Difficult to set up - 🐛 Poor voice recognition/robotic voice - 🐛 Battery drain - 🐛 Excessive storage usage - 🐛 Clunky interface - 🐛 Annoying prompts - 🐛 Cannot skip forward in emails - 🐛 Difficult to edit responses - 🐛 Voice too fast/gabbled - 🐛 Frozen settings page - 🐛 Emails disappear after reading - 🐛 Not compatible with Outlook 365/Exchange - 🐛 Muting issues with AirPods **Commonly reported bugs** - Keeps crashing - Doesn't work reliably - Granting Gmail access is buggy - App crashes after an update - Doesn't save place in emails - Cannot skip forward in emails - Cannot connect to emails - Times out from mail setup screen - Frozen in settings page - Emails disappear after reading - Unstable with Exchange - Archived emails disappear - Doesn't recognize passwords - Cannot delete the app - Hidden icon floating around screen - Browser cookies disabled error for Gmail - Too loud with AirPods - Emails don't load properly **Most requested features** - Ability to search using voice command - CarPlay support - Apple Watch App for interaction - Support for Exchange using Active Sync or Outlook Web Access - Dark mode option - Better voice quality - Option to turn off voice command prompts - Ability to set to only pull 'primary' for Gmail - Improve editing of responses - Better battery optimization - Clearer understanding of settings - Ability to save place in emails - Search functionality ## Newest reviews (11 of 77) ### 3/5 — Not that great *2025-07-08, version 2.9.4* It’s SUPER annoying to use. ### 4/5 — Great commute app *2025-02-10, version 2.9.3* I use this nearly daily to stay on top of my inbox. It helps me get through most mail preventing me from getting distracted responding to individual messages. Main negatives: - Just running in the background, it can drain my iPhone 14 Pro battery in a few hours. I always have to remember to fully close the app. - It uses excessive storage, likely not removing old email - Swipe to move to next email is not always responsive. ### 3/5 — Huge potential! *2024-12-03, version 2.9.0* Has huge potential! I gave up on trying to set up a customized map server though, as the input elements used do not seem to be the standard iOS ones. The cursor can’t be moved throughout the lines to make edits, so there was a lot of correcting the default proposed values by deleting the entire thing and retyping. ### 5/5 — ADHD LIFE SAVER *2023-05-31, version 2.7.1* Thanks for making this app so much! I avoid texts and emails visually but audio I don’t have the same brain issue with avoidance. I now have my mom using it for her daily walks with the dogs too! Thanks! ### 5/5 — For Adults with ADHD! *2023-04-23, version 2.6.9* ADHD can be a superpower in many ways, but in my experience, email and ADHD (I have inattentive type) are not a match. It can be so overwhelming that I just shut down instead of making any progress. This app has changed everything! It took me about 10 minutes to get it going and test the settings to make it work with my preferences... Then, I started clearing my inbox like it was nothing! And I've kept a clear inbox now for about 2 weeks; NO unread EMAILS looming over my head on a daily basis is a game changer and frees up my mind to do all of the other things on my plate! The only thing I find difficult is to reply (which they do have many options on this app to use), but I'm not an eloquent "on the fly" speaker so I'd rather just flag the email and reply from my computer, ipad or phone. Just a tip in case you find the same thing when using it. It's fair to say that getting this app has been a lifesaver for me! And I've never written a review for anything before, so that's how much I love it! ### 2/5 — I can’t delete this app *2023-02-23, version 2.6.5* It’s very annoying, I can’t delete this app and the hidden icon keeps floating around my screen. I can’t get rid of it I feel it’s an invasion of my privacy. ### 5/5 — I use this App Every Day *2022-11-17, version 2.6.5* I have trouble focusing on one task at a time. I use this app to help me with email overload. It helps me deal with triaging my email to get it to a point where I do not feel paralyzed about where to start and how to go about filing, deleting, marking as spam, unsubscribing, etc. I cannot thank Mike and his team enough for making this app. I wish Apple would invest in this app to make it a part of the core OS. I also love that this app works on Apple’s M series based computers. I hope this app continues to flourish and grow because it is fantastic. ### 5/5 — Great productivity App *2022-04-29, version 2.5.5* Well made and great for processing high volumes of e-mails. I listen to them on the move and ‘flag’ using a voice command the ones I need to respond to leaving me with the prospect of a tidy inbox with short list key e-Mails to respond to when I arrive at work. Stating the obvious I don’t even try to dictate a response to e-Mails while on the move as this way tooooo distracting even with the voice to text. Overall brilliant App. ### 5/5 — My son can finally check his email *2021-11-24, version 2.5.5* This is a great service and it really does work. My son with CP can finally interact via email which is super important these days. ### 5/5 — Great app and support *2021-01-27, version 2.5.1* My goto app for getting through morning email on my commute. Simple and easy to use. Well designed and great customization. Tried others and this is by far the best. Great support too! ### 5/5 — It works! *2020-12-30, version 2.3.1* Love the ability to listen to e-mails ‘ON THE GO!’ Easy to listen while driving or walking — great conversation! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Crashes *2026-03-11, version 3.0.9* This keeps having issues and doesnt work & we are told there aren't fixes. Works about 1 in 5 tries. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t actually work, and there’s no support *2026-01-22, version 3.0.4* Granting Gmail access to the app is very buggy. I tried multiple times to no avail, and without that the app is not usable. ### 1/5 — Useless garbage *2025-12-09, version 3.0.1* This app was bad to begin with; now, after an update, it crashes every thirty to sixty seconds. It does not save your place in emails, so you have to start over at the beginning… where it then crashes again before getting any further. I’ve had this app a few years now and used it out of necessity now and again, but now it’s functionally useless. I’m deleting it now. ### 1/5 — Useless *2025-07-10, version 2.9.4* No way to set to just pull “primary” for Gmail, and the most recent email it pulled was 4 weeks ago. Also, it constantly prompts you for voice commands and I can’t easily tell how to shut this off. The voice is also very robotic, does t come close to what else is on the market these days. All in all, I found no value from this app. ### 1/5 — Not very good *2025-05-14, version 2.9.3* Cannot skip forward in emails ### 1/5 — Need refund failure to upgrade subscription *2025-03-23, version 2.9.3* Paid requested fee but failed to upgrade my subscription! Want refund!! ### 1/5 — Cannot connect to emails *2024-07-09, version 2.7.3* I am an IT professional trying this out for a blind person. I cannot get it to connect to mail server. There are not enough settings in the manual setup. It also times out from the mail setup screen very quickly and becomes unresponsive so have to close the app and open it again. ### 1/5 — Clunky *2023-03-29, version 2.6.8* Sounds awful. Pretty clunky. Have spent all morning trying to get it to work. Promising but needs much more development. ### 1/5 — Hmm *2022-07-06, version 2.6.0* The app description sounds terrific. I downloaded it to test and learn it before suggesting it for my friend who has recently become blind. However, I can’t even sign in to connect to gmail. It just says browser cookies are disabled. I turn them on I turn them off - it doesn’t matter. CAN’T GET IN! ### 1/5 — Disappointed *2020-05-11, version 2.0.4* This product isn’t working for me. So frustrated I wish I had never bought it. Emails don’t load properly, disappear after each has been read, never to be found again. Is there a human being I can speak to? Lewis ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — I love this app! *2026-03-27, version 3.0.9* This app has been so helpful for me! I use it with both my work and personal email and I really appreciate being able to file emails and write responses through the app. I looked for other ways to accomplish this, but I could not find anything this good! I highly recommend it! ### 5/5 — Life changing *2026-03-05, version 3.0.8* My wife needed this for a few months while she was recovering. It was absolutely life changing! Easy to set up and easy to use. We had a minor issue and reached out to the support team. The resolved the issue quickly. We have recommended this to many friends and will continue to do so. ### 5/5 — Great app! Gave me functionality I could not find anywhere else. *2026-02-05* I really needed a way to get through my email while I was driving and out of all of the options I looked at, Speaking Email was by far the best one, nothing else was even in the running. I have been using it for several years and I can’t even say how much it has helped me stay on top of my email. This doesn’t just read your email to you but allows you to respond and file email, which is really what makes this better than any other product out there. ### 5/5 — Life Line to outside world of family and friends *2025-12-28, version 3.0.4* My 95 year old mother has been using Speaking Email for 2 years . She is blind and immobile and without Speaking Email would not be able to hear from her family and friends in UK , Portugal , S.A ., Canada & USA. Speaking Email has enabled her to write and receive emails on a daily basis with complete independence . It has undoubtedly been her best and most valued addition to supporting the quality of her life in her 90th year when she list her sight . ### 5/5 — Superb product ! *2025-10-09, version 2.9.5* Great features from an excellent company. I have been using this product multiple times each day for several years and could not be happier with the absolutely outstanding set of features combined with unparalleled support from the developer. This is an extraordinary product providing great assistance for those of us with low vision. It makes reading and replying to email simple and enjoyable. The degree of customization in every element of the program is wonderful, allowing preferences to be chosen for essentially every detail of how the program behaves. The developer, Mike Nelson, is a master of design and coding. He has been meticulous in crafting a beautiful product, and incorporating suggestions and improvements throughout my years of ownership. This program apparently provides comparable benefits to those dealing with reading issues arising from dyslexia and ADHD. Combined with those for vision issues, the impact of his benefit to accessibility for all of us just cannot be overstated! You will love this program. Seriously! ### 5/5 — For this app *2025-05-03, version 2.9.3* SPEAKING EMAIL IS V.V.GOOD AND VERY USEFUL APP. Thanks TO THE DEVELOPER ### 5/5 — Friend losing sight *2025-02-17, version 2.9.3* This app was a game changer for my friend to be able to read and dictate his emails on his phone. It has given back his independence. I love that it doesn’t read the headers and footers and recognizes promotional emails and allows you to skip. Well done! ### 5/5 — Superb product ! *2024-10-01, version 2.9.0* Great features from an excellent company. ### 5/5 — Have typing pain? Here is the cure! *2023-10-10, version 2.7.3* Mine is probably a different use case than others. Speaking Email allows me to quickly read email and use DOS-like commands to delete hundreds of emails in one sitting without using my hands. Saves me plenty of keystrokes every day. With some configuration, I can view an email and delete it within 3-4 seconds before moving to the next one. For those that I want to read later, I can skip to the next email, and then return and read at my leisure. ### 5/5 — Terrific *2023-08-04, version 2.7.2* Apple has many great accessibility features baked into its devices that make life easier for people such as myself who are visually impaired. But email remains dauntingly complex. This app is terrific. It’s reliable, simple to use and reasonably priced. --- *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 2026-09-04.*