# Voice: OCR Document Reader — Documents & Photos Read Aloud

> Reads text aloud from documents and photos using advanced OCR. (iPhone/iPad app by Shalin Shah.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/voice-ocr-document-reader/id903772588 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Shalin Shah](https://appshunter.io/developer/790510228)
- Category: Productivity, Photo & Video
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 3.50/5 from 15 App Store ratings · 159 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.0 · 11 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2014-08-05
- Data updated: 2026-06-10
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/voice-ocr-document-reader/id903772588/reviews.md

## What is Voice?

Hi! This is Shalin Shah — creator of Voice. I’m a senior studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. Voice has been a project of mine since I was in high school, and I’ve been working hard to make it better over the last 6 years. 

Voice was hand-crafted for people like you. It can help you quickly read items like product labels and magazine pages in your day-to-day. But you can also use it for more advanced reading like mail or books. 

My goal with Voice was to create the most simple and intuitive interface to help you read things. Here are some features that I hope are helpful. 


OCR:
Voice’s OCR engine is perhaps one of the best in the world.  You no longer need to worry about low lighting and bad focus, Voice corrects it automatically and gives you pixel-perfect accuracy every time. Voice can even read scribbles and handwritten text with incredible accuracy.


Standard Photo Capture:
The most basic way to use Voice is by simply tapping the button labeled by VoiceOver as “Camera. Button” This will take a picture. Then simply tap the button labeled “Next. Button” and Voice will perform OCR on your image and read it aloud.


Voice Control:
Alternatively, you can control the app using your voice if you find that tapping buttons shake your camera. Simply say “capture” to snap a picture, and “read” to start processing the image.


Batch Mode:
Batch mode is enabled by default. To read more than one page, just keep taking photos using the “Camera. Button” or by saying the word “capture” many times. Voice will read all the documents one after another.


Scan Tone:
Good OCR detection does not depend on the corners of a document to be visible. But if corner detection is important to you, Scan Tone plays a tone when it sees all 4 corners visible. The tone gets louder or softer depending on the placement, tilt, and orientation of your phone relative to your document. A louder scan tone means better visibility of your document.


Real-Time Mode:
Voice also supports real-time scanning. Toggle this on, then simply hold your phone in front of any document with text and Voice will read it out loud in real-time. Voice also automatically turns on flash when it detects sub-par lighting and turns it off for objects that would glare. 


Reading Voices & Languages:
Voice supports 47 languages and offers 180 reading voices. 52 voices are the standard iOS voices, and 128 of them are premium AI-generated voices with extremely fluent intonations. You can adjust your language, reading voice, and speaking rate in Settings.

Photo Library:
The photo library picker lets you pick multiple images at a time from any of your albums.

Offline Mode:
Voice now fully works without wifi. If privacy is a concern or you don’t care for that extra bit of OCR quality, then feel free to use Voice in offline mode. You can turn it on in settings.

Saving & Exporting:
Once your document has been scanned, it takes one tap to copy your detected OCR text to your clipboard, export it as an accessible PDF, export it as a Plain Text file, or simply export all the images you captured. 

Importing:
Voice allows you to import both images and PDFs from other apps. It automatically detects the document format and performs OCR.

VoiceOver"
The entire app was crafted with VoiceOver in mind, so everything is fully accessible.

App Size:
Voice has only a 6.9-megabyte app size.

Pricing:
You get 20 free scans per month. You can use those scans in either Short Text Mode or Standard Capture Mode. Once those 20 scans are up, you must purchase the Elite plan for $9.99 per month or the Believer plan for $99.99 per year. You save $20 a year, or 17%, by upgrading to the Believer plan. We are committed to keeping Voice OCR open for scholars and others lacking financial stability. Fill out this short form to tell us about your situation at http://bit.ly/VoiceOCR.

Further Help:
Feel free to reach out to my personal email, shalinvs@gmail.com, for any feedback.

## Key features

- Advanced OCR for text recognition
- Real-time and standard photo scanning
- Voice control for hands-free operation
- Batch mode for multiple page scanning
- Scan Tone for document corner detection
- Supports 47 languages and 180 reading voices
- Offline mode for privacy and accessibility

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Believer | $99.99 | per year |
| Elite | $9.99 | per month |


## What do users think of Voice?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 👁️ Highly accurate OCR recognition
- 🎤 Voice-activated hands-free operation
- ♿ Excellent accessibility for blind/visually impaired users
- 🆓 Generous free tier with 100 scans/month
- 🌍 Multilingual support
- 📱 Easy to use interface
- 🔊 Clear text-to-speech with adjustable speed
- 🎯 Four corners detection feature
- 💰 No hidden fees in free version
- 📸 Works with handwritten text and multiple document types

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes during image processing
- 🌐 Requires internet connection (no offline mode)
- 💸 Expensive subscription pricing
- 🔧 Inconsistent performance across devices
- ⚠️ Settings don't persist between sessions
- 🎙️ Voice quality issues in some languages
- 📱 Poor iPad/tablet optimization
- ❌ Doesn't work with VoiceOver on some devices
- ⏱️ Slow processing times
- 🖼️ Can't read images from photo library reliably

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App crashes after taking picture
- App crashes during image processing
- App crashes when selecting photos from library
- App crashes when granting camera/microphone permissions
- App freezes on intro screen
- VoiceOver compatibility broken on iPhone 7+
- Spanish voice stopped working after update
- App stuck on single page
- Flash setting reverts to incorrect state
- Premature photo capture in low light
- No audio tones despite app info claiming them
- Text not reading in sequence/skipping content
- Incorrect text recognition (reads wrong content)
- App force closes after processing
- Settings reset after each use
- Auto mode detects non-existent corners
- Poor image quality from camera

**Most requested features**

- Turkish language support
- French language interface
- German language support
- Offline processing capability
- Multi-page document scanning and saving
- PDF file support
- Instant/real-time text reading
- Manual button controls alongside voice commands
- Adjustable reading speed options
- Text highlighting and editing features
- Share and export functionality improvements
- Continuous reading without retaking photos
- Bluetooth support
- Clickable links in scanned documents
- Better contrast on action buttons

## Recent user reviews (10 of 159)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/voice-ocr-document-reader/id903772588/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Nazım aşkan

*2026-01-24, version 6.4*

Yeni güncelleme ne zaman gelecek acaba

### 5/5 — Terrific!

*2023-10-23, version 6.4*

Just used it on a Hindi text and it will blew my mind!!
Uncannily terrifying and surpassed all of my expectations.

Also 100 free scans per month !

### 1/5 — Crashed

*2023-09-10*

Does not even work. Useless.

### 2/5 — Erişilebilir iPhone cular platformundan geldim

*2023-01-18, version 6.4*

Türkçe dil desteği istiyoruz. Anlık metin okuma özelliği yok eklenmesini istiyoruz. Paylaş yöntemi ile maalesef uygulama fotoğrafları okumuyor.

### 3/5 — To me not worth it

*2022-11-18*

Problem I have yes voice OCR. And I want to know why I have to delete this app off my phone, and order for it to work? And I paid for it to see if it will work properly. I am thinking about deleting it completely. Until everything is correct! I am not happy with this app. LJ

### 5/5 — One of the best scanner/reading apps

*2022-02-14*

I have to say this is one of the best scanning, detecting and reading apps. I’d love that you get a certain amount of scans per month. This is a very accurate app. Reading mail is really easy with this service. My only hope is that it continues to improve in accuracy with the increasing changes in technology.

### 1/5 — Waste of time. Don’t bother.

*2021-12-24, version 6.4*

After two attempts I gave up. Save your time and look for something else that respects your time.

### 5/5 — Excellent app!

*2021-05-17, version 5.01*

This app is a lifesaver. If you are low vision or Blind, it is so easy to use. You just say the magic words twice and Areca outcomes the results. It’s not complicated and I didn’t even know buttons to press is it simple by voice command. I recommend this app to anyone that needs it wants it or deserves it.

### 4/5 — Mostly Very Impressed

*2021-04-03, version 6.4*

Seems less sensitive than other OCR apps and still gives respectable results.  However, I get no location tones of any kind though the app info says there are indeed tones.
My wish: total voice command operation.

### 3/5 — Langue

*2021-03-27, version 6.4*

Triste de ne pas pouvoir mettre l'interface en français.

## Frequently asked questions about Voice

### What does the Voice app do?

The Voice app uses advanced Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to read text aloud from various sources, including product labels, magazine pages, mail, and books. It can process standard photos, real-time camera feeds, and even handwritten text with high accuracy.

### What are the key features of Voice?

Key features include a highly accurate OCR engine that handles low lighting and bad focus, standard photo capture, voice control for hands-free operation, batch mode for scanning multiple pages, Scan Tone for document corner detection, real-time scanning, support for 47 languages and 180 reading voices, photo library import, and an offline mode.

### How much does the Voice app cost?

The app is free to download and use with its core functionalities. It offers in-app purchases, likely for premium features such as advanced AI-generated reading voices or enhanced OCR capabilities, as indicated by the 'free with in-app purchases' monetization model.

### What devices is Voice compatible with?

While not explicitly stated, the description mentions VoiceOver compatibility and being developed for iOS, suggesting it is designed for Apple devices such as iPhones and iPads. Users can adjust settings for language, voice, and speaking rate within the app.

### What are common use cases for the Voice app?

Common use cases include quickly reading product labels, magazine articles, mail, and books. It's also beneficial for students needing to digitize and read notes, professionals managing documents, and individuals with visual impairments who require text-to-speech functionality for everyday reading tasks.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 6.4 — 2021-03-22

- Lots of bugs fixed for importing images and PDFs from apps like Whatsapp and iMessage.
- Overall, massive performance improvements.
- Feel free to email me at shalinvs@gmail.com for any questions or feedback!

### 6.3 — 2021-03-08

- Lots of bugs fixed for importing images and PDFs from apps like Whatsapp and iMessage.
- Ability to change between offline mode and online mode for text-to-speech voices.
- New and better loading sounds in the app.
- Improvements to corner detection.
- Fixed some bugs with the voice command feature.
- Fixed some typos.
- Overall, tons of bug fixes and massive performance improvements.
- Feel free to email me at shalinvs@gmail.com for any questions or feedback!

### 6.2 — 2021-01-25

- New gestures to control the app when using VoiceOver.
	- Two-finger Double-tap to Play and Pause.
	- 3-finger swipe right to read the next sentence.
	- 3-finger swipe left to read the previous sentence.
	- 2 finger scrub gesture to close out of pages.
- Option in settings for making OCR recognition either really fast or really accurate.
- Added "4 corners detected" feature back into the app, and removed Scan Tone.
- Fixed bugs on the sign-up screen, and made it a lot simpler.
- Voice OCR's audio cues like "4 corners detected" were translated into your native language, not just English.
- Fixed audio issue when opening the app with Siri.
- Better accessibility labels that make the app more intuitive.
- Overall, tons of bug fixes and massive performance improvements.
- Feel free to email me at shalinvs@gmail.com for any questions or feedback!

### 6.1 — 2021-01-16

- 10 times faster real-time OCR.
- Instead of 20 scans per month, now everyone gets 150 scans per month.
- Better descriptions on the pricing screen for the subscriptions.
- Bug fixed when importing images from third-party apps.
- Bug fixed on sign up screen.
- Bug fixed when you try to pick a language.

### 6.0 — 2021-01-13

An insane amount of new features. Here's a summary:
- Huge OCR engine improvements for better accuracy.
- Real-time Mode for reading documents in real-time.
- Scan tone, to help with image alignment.
- Added all the default iOS TTS voices as well as improvements to the premium voices.
- Photo library picker can let you pick multiple images from all albums and has better accessibility.
- Can export text as an accessible PDF, TXT file, raw images, or one-tap copy to clipboard.
- Can import images and PDF's from all third-party apps to read.
- All of this in only a 6.9 megabyte install size!

## Apps similar to Voice

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| [CamScanner - PDF Scanner App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/camscanner-pdf-scanner-app/id388627783) | 4.8 (68,380) | Free | Productivity |
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| [Text Capture: Image to Text](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-capture-image-to-text/id1457115603) | 4.5 (2,722) | Free | Productivity |
| [Voice Aloud Reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/voice-aloud-reader/id1446876360) | 4.6 (18,238) | Free | Productivity |
| [ScanScan(白描)-OCR Text Scanner](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanscan-ocr-text-scanner/id1249901692) | 4.8 (343) | Free | Productivity |

## More apps by Shalin Shah

- [Hyper: AI for Real Talk](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hyper-ai-for-real-talk/id6760206718)

All apps by Shalin Shah: https://appshunter.io/developer/790510228

## Related topics

[blind document reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/blind-document-reader) · [ocr server](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ocr-server) · [pdf voice reader document](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/pdf-voice-reader-document)

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*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 2026-06-10.*