A big update, it's been piling up since 1.4.0.
Text-to-speech done properly
Before, the voice playback lived inside the app and you could only control it with the reader open. Reworked it.
- You can now pick the TTS engine. Google, RHVoice, eSpeak, anything installed. RHVoice didn't even show up in the list before, fixed that separately, lots of people asked.
- The player now sits on the lock screen and in the notification shade. Book cover, pause, stop, sleep timer with a live countdown. You can stop reading without unlocking the phone.
- Playback pauses on an incoming call and when you unplug your headphones, and resumes after the call.
Honest note about headset buttons. The hardware play/pause on headphones doesn't always work. The audio comes from the system TTS engine, so the phone sometimes hands the button to another media app. Use the notification controls, those are reliable.
Keep books in your own folder
You no longer have to keep a second copy of each book inside the app, you can read straight from your folder. Saves storage, especially with a big library. The mode is switchable in settings, and new users are asked on first launch.
Library
- Grouping by author and by series, with collapsible headers.
- An A to Z strip on the right. Tap or drag a letter to jump to those books. Works for author, title and series sorting.
- Two-page spread in landscape, handy on tablets.
- Multi-select files on import, import straight onto an open shelf, range selection.
Fonts in bulk
Fonts used to be added one at a time, which was annoying with a big collection. Now you can select several at once, hit "select all", or just drop in a ZIP archive and unpack every font in one go.
Screen stays on while reading
An obvious thing that somehow wasn't there. While a book is open, the screen won't go to sleep.
Under the hood
Covers are now WebP, the preview folder got noticeably smaller. The library and import feel snappier. Fixed duplicate books on re-import, closed an archive-unpacking hole, fixed the language resetting on screen rotation, fixed footnotes and a pile of small UI things. Replaced the emoji in buttons with proper icons.
Security and privacy
MRead is closed source. I don't publish the code and I'm not planning to open it. What's here is the APK, the changelog and the list of permissions, so you can install a side-loaded file with confidence.
SHA-256 checksum
B07C39AF69444BFBD4EFD71FF483894EFCAD60D2C3B8C66E4B644C1A18746CC1
Permissions and why they're needed
- File access. To find and open your books, and in own-folder mode to read them straight from your folder.
- Notifications. To show the read-aloud player.
- Foreground playback service. So read-aloud doesn't cut off when the screen turns off.
- Internet. Only for the dictionary and translation of a selected word. Requests go straight to the dictionary services over HTTPS, I don't collect or send anything else.
No ads, no forced subscription. You can support the app if you feel like it, with a button inside.
Announcements and chat: t.me/mread_app