Fix Text-to-Speech on Android

Follow this step-by-step guide to enable TTS so your child can hear letters, numbers, and words in Sikho Kids.

Sikho Kids uses your device's built-in Text-to-Speech engine to speak words aloud in your selected language. If you don't hear any audio, follow the steps below to enable it.

1
Open Settings

Open the Settings app on your Android device. You can find it in your app drawer or by swiping down on the notification bar and tapping the โš™๏ธ gear icon.

Scroll down and tap "System".

Android Settings screen showing System option highlighted
๐Ÿ’ก Tip: On some phones (Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo), the option may be called "General Management" or "Additional Settings" instead of "System".
2
Go to Languages & Input

Inside System settings, tap "Languages & input".

System settings showing Languages and input option
3
Tap "Text-to-Speech Output"

Inside Languages & input, look for "Text-to-speech output" or "Text-to-speech" and tap on it.

โš™๏ธ Settings โ†’ System โ†’ Languages & input โ†’ Text-to-speech output
โš ๏ธ Can't find it? Try searching for "TTS" or "Text-to-speech" in the Settings search bar at the top of the Settings screen.
4
Select Google TTS Engine

On the Text-to-speech output screen, make sure "Google Text-to-Speech Engine" (also called "Speech Services by Google") is selected as the preferred engine.

If it's not installed, you can download it for free from the Google Play Store โ†’

๐Ÿ’ก Tip: Tap the โš™๏ธ gear icon next to "Google Text-to-Speech Engine" to access its settings and install additional language packs.
5
Install Your Language Voice Data

To hear words spoken in your selected language, you need to install the matching voice pack. For example, if you chose Hindi in Sikho Kids:

  1. Tap the โš™๏ธ gear icon next to Google TTS Engine
  2. Tap "Install voice data"
  3. Find and tap your language โ€” e.g. "เคนเคฟเคจเฅเคฆเฅ€ (Hindi - India)"
  4. Tap the download โฌ‡๏ธ icon to install the voice pack
  5. Wait for the download to complete (requires internet)
๐Ÿ’ก Tip: Install voice data for all languages you plan to use in Sikho Kids. For example, if your child is learning in both Hindi and English, install both เคนเคฟเคจเฅเคฆเฅ€ (Hindi) and English (India). The download size is usually 15-30 MB per language.
6
Test the Speech Output

Go back to the main Text-to-speech settings screen and tap "Play" or "Listen to an example" button. You should hear a sample sentence spoken aloud.

You can also adjust the:

  • Speech rate โ€” How fast the voice speaks (set to a slower speed for kids)
  • Pitch โ€” How high or low the voice sounds
๐Ÿ’ก Recommended for kids: Set speech rate to slightly slower than normal (around 0.75x) so children can clearly hear and learn each word.
7
Open Sikho Kids & Enjoy!

That's it! Now open the Sikho Kids app, select your preferred language, and tap on any letter, number, or word. You should hear it spoken aloud in your chosen language. ๐ŸŽ‰

If you still don't hear audio, make sure your device volume is turned up and the phone is not in silent/vibrate mode.

๐Ÿ“ฑ Quick Path for Your Phone Brand

The TTS setting location varies by manufacturer. Here's the quick path for popular brands:

Samsung Settings โ†’ General Management โ†’ Language โ†’ Text-to-speech
Xiaomi / Redmi Settings โ†’ Additional Settings โ†’ Languages & input โ†’ TTS output
Oppo / Realme Settings โ†’ System Settings โ†’ Keyboard & Input โ†’ TTS
Vivo Settings โ†’ System Management โ†’ Language & Input โ†’ TTS
OnePlus Settings โ†’ System โ†’ Languages & Input โ†’ TTS output
Stock Android / Pixel Settings โ†’ System โ†’ Languages & input โ†’ TTS output

Frequently Asked Questions

TTS is enabled but I still don't hear any sound

Make sure your media volume is turned up (not just the ringer volume). Press the volume up button on your phone, then tap the volume slider icon to expand all volume controls and increase the Media slider.

Also ensure your phone is not connected to Bluetooth headphones or a speaker that might be receiving the audio output.

The voice sounds robotic or unnatural

Make sure you have the latest version of Google Text-to-Speech from the Play Store. Google regularly updates voice quality for all supported languages. Go to Play Store โ†’ search "Speech Services by Google" โ†’ tap Update.

I can't find Google TTS Engine on my phone

Some phones come with a different TTS engine (like Samsung TTS). You can install Google's engine for free: Download from Play Store โ†’

Does TTS work on Android TV?

Yes! On Android TV, go to Settings โ†’ Device Preferences โ†’ Accessibility โ†’ Text-to-speech output. The same Google TTS engine works on Android TV devices.

Does TTS require an internet connection?

Once the voice data is downloaded, TTS works completely offline. You only need internet to initially download the voice packs. After that, your child can learn anywhere โ€” even without Wi-Fi!

Ready to Start Learning?

Download Sikho Kids and let your child explore learning in their preferred language with interactive audio!

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