If you can't hear pronunciations in VocaTrace or VocaBoard, don't worry! Your device just needs a tiny bit of "voice data" to know how to pronounce the words.
This is a one-time setup that is very common for language apps. Follow the steps below for your device.
Android (Samsung, Google Pixel, etc.)
Different Android phones (like Samsung vs. Pixel) have slightly different menus. The Search bar is your best friend here!
Step 1: The Quick Restart
- Update Google Recognition & Synthesis from the Play Store.
- Completely close the VocaTrace or VocaBoard app and open it again.
Step 2: Download the Voice If it's still quiet, follow these steps:
- Open your phone's Settings app (the gear icon ⚙️).
- The Easiest Way: At the very top, tap the Search bar and type: "Text-to-speech".
- Tap the result that says Text-to-speech output.
- (Manual path if you can't search: Go to General management OR Accessibility > Text-to-speech)
- Look for Preferred engine and tap the small Gear Icon ⚙️ right next to it.
- Tap Install voice data.
- Find the language you are learning and tap the Download icon (the arrow pointing down ⬇️).
iOS (iPhone and iPad)
Apple devices have voices built-in, but the "High Quality" ones often need a quick manual download.
- Open your Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap Accessibility (it has a blue icon with a person in a circle).
- Tap Spoken Content.
- (Note: On some older versions, this might say Read & Speak)
- Tap Voices.
- Tap the language you are learning (like Japanese or Spanish).
- You"ll see names like "Kyoko" or "Siri." Tap the Cloud Icon ☁️ next to a name to download it.
Pro Tip
Try to find voices that say "Enhanced" or "Premium". They sound much more like a real teacher and less like a robot!
Still Not Hearing Anything?
If it's still silent, check these "usual suspects":
- Is your volume up? Press the volume buttons on the side. Make sure the "Media" volume is turned up (look for a music note icon 🎵).
- Is the "Mute" switch on? On many iPhones, check the small physical switch on the side. If it's showing orange, your phone is muted. Flip it!
- Modern iPhones (Action Button): If your phone has an Action Button instead of a switch, swipe down from the top right to check if the Bell Icon is red/crossed out.
- The Force Restart: Close your app entirely and open it one more time to refresh the connection to your new voices.