Text to Speech Not Working in Helperbird

Troubleshoot text to speech not working in helperbird. Get help with common Helperbird issues and find solutions quickly.

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If Text to Speech isn't working in Helperbird, here are the most common fixes.


Step 1: Check Your Volume

Make sure your device volume is turned up and not muted. This sounds obvious, but it's the most common cause. Check both your system volume and any in-app volume controls.

On desktop, also check that your browser tab isn't muted. Look for a speaker icon in the tab - if it has a line through it, right-click the tab and select "Unmute."


Step 2: Check Browser Permissions

Your browser might be blocking audio from playing.

Chrome/Edge: Look for a speaker or blocked icon in the address bar. Click it and allow audio for the site.

Firefox: Check the permissions icon (usually a lock) in the address bar and ensure autoplay is allowed.

Safari: Go to Safari > Settings > Websites > Auto-Play and make sure it's set to allow audio.


Step 3: Try a Different Voice

Sometimes a specific voice fails to load. Open Helperbird, go to Text to Speech settings, and try selecting a different voice. If another voice works, the original voice may have a temporary issue.


Step 4: Select Text First

Some Text to Speech modes require you to select text before clicking play. Try highlighting the text you want read, then click the play button.


Step 5: Refresh the Page

Text to Speech can sometimes stop working if a page has been open for a long time. Refresh the page and try again.


Step 6: Check Your Internet Connection

Some premium voices require an internet connection to work. Make sure you're connected to the internet and try again.


Step 7: Restart Your Browser

If nothing else works, close your browser completely and reopen it. This clears any temporary issues that might be blocking audio.


Step 8: Update Helperbird

Make sure you're running the latest version of Helperbird. Updates often fix audio-related bugs. Check your browser's extension page for updates.


Video Tutorial


Need Additional Help?

Still having Text to Speech issues? Reach out to our Helperbird support team with details about your browser and the problem, and we'll help you fix it!

What People Are Saying

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Best website reading enhancer

Sandeep K.

Sandeep K.

Domain Trainer

Helperbird helps enhance my studying and research efforts by allowing me to add sticky notes and highlight important stuff on websites, or e-books. I can also easily remember to read articles later.

Jared B.

Jared B.

Marketing Director

Works a treat. This is brill!

Sue Dowdall

Sue Dowdall

Helperbird user

I purchased this for my daughter who has been having a lot of difficulty accessing the online work set remotely by her teachers during our National Lockdown because of Covid-19. Her dyslexia was really hindering her ability to complete tasks and keep up which in turn led to increased anxiety levels...a really horrid place to be in during a global pandemic! Helper bird has been a vast help and I fully recommend it and wish more schools knew about it. Thank You Helper Bird.

Michelle Howard-Price

Michelle Howard-Price

Assistive technology specialist

Helperbird is an excellent extension supporting a range of learning differences. Aside from providing many evidence-based dyslexia-assistive tools, the extension also functions as an easy-to-use, feature-rich web experience customization tool suitable to support a wide range of cognitive differences (i.e., color blindness and ADHD-related focus concerns, among others). Also, the developer is a very good person who supports the various learning-different communities in many ways, including by designing the free version of Helperbird to provide enough functionality to be beneficial to people who cannot afford to subscribe to the full-function version.

Kirk Smith

Kirk Smith

Helperbird user

I've been meaning to write this review for a while now. My daughter is newly diagnosed with dyslexia and I heard an interview with Robert on a Newstalk podcast and sought it out. I wasn't sure if I had it installed correctly on her laptop and Robert was on straight away to help. He was amazing. This app has changed everything for my daughter. Everything is accessible to her and everyday tasks and schoolwork are so much easier. She also has visual stress so the coloured overlay feature is a game changer for her. I would highly recommend this app to anyone, she couldn't be without it now!

James Summer

James Summer

Helperbird user

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