Nokia Screen Reader

"LONDON, United Kingdom, October 27th, 2011 – Nokia has announced a screen reader this week at Nokia World 2011, in addition to a number of accessibility apps. These new products matter because they will make it easier for people with disabilities to use Nokia devices..." To read the full announcement click here.

• What is Nokia Screen Reader?
• What phones are supported?
• When will it be launched?
• How can I get it?
• Where can I obtain the user manual?
• How much does it cost?
• Will the license expire?
• In which countries will it be available?
• Which languages are supported?
• Which TTS are supported?
• How do I install new voices?
• Which TTS are installed by default on my device?
• Is Nokia Screen Reader the same as Mobile Speak?
• Can I install Mobile Speak and Nokia Screen Reader at the same time?
• Can I use other Code Factory applications with Nokia Screen Reader?
• How can I hear the Caller ID of an incoming call?
• How do I avoid audio conflicts with some applications?
• Will there be updates?
• How can I get technical assistance?
• Where can I get more information?
• Feature set comparison: Nokia Screen Reader vs Mobile Speak

What is Nokia Screen Reader?

Nokia Screen Reader is a free screen reader available for people with visual disabilities and also for general users who would like additional voice assistance on their smartphone. The screen reader is an easy-to-use and simple application designed to meet the accessibility needs of Nokia smartphone users.

Nokia Screen Reader is a simplified version of the powerful Mobile Speak screen reader. The application speaks the text content of the currently focused item on the screen, following focus as the user moves around the different applications on the phone. It uses a simple command structure to let users get the important information quickly such as date and time, signal strength, connection status, etc.

What phones are supported?

The phones currently supported by Nokia Screen Reader are the Nokia 500, 603, 700, 701, 808 PureView, 5320, 5530, 5630, 5730, 6120, 6121, 6210, 6220, 6700 Slide, 6710, 6720, 6790, C5-00, C5 5MP, C6-00, C6-01, C7, E5, E52, E55, E6-00, E63, E66, E7, E71, E71x, E72, E73, E75, N78, N79, N8, N85, N86, N96, N97, N97 Mini, X6 and X7. The application will not install correctly on any other device.

When will it be launched?

Nokia Screen Reader was launched in late 2011 for all supported devices. Please search for it and download it from the Nokia Store. 

How can I get it?

You can download Nokia Screen Reader from the Nokia Store (available either on your phone or by connecting the phone to a computer with the Nokia Suite application installed). Use the Store application to search for Nokia Screen Reader, download and install it just like any other application you download and install on your Nokia phone. The direct link to Nokia Screen Reader on the Store is http://store.ovi.com/content/224364.

Where can I obtain the user manual?

Complete information about Nokia Screen Reader is available in the user manual. You can download the English version of the manual in HTML format at http://www.codefactory.es/descargas/nsr/Nokia_Screen_Reader_Manual_English.htm . It is also available as a Word document: http://www.codefactory.es/descargas/nsr/Nokia_Screen_Reader_Manual_English.doc  or in Text format: http://www.codefactory.es/descargas/nsr/Nokia_Screen_Reader_Manual_English.txt . Users are also encouraged to read the Mobile Speak User Manual, since most of the information in it is also relevant for Nokia Screen Reader. It can be found here: http://codefactory.es/descargas/family_4/ms58_userguide_symbian.html .

How much does it cost?

The good news is that Nokia Screen Reader is free and does not require you to pay anything. Simply use a supported Nokia phone and download and install it.

Will the license expire?

No, the license does not expire and there is no need to activate any license upon installation. 

In which countries will it be available?

The application is available worldwide. Please check the supported languages before installing Nokia Screen Reader.

Which languages are supported?

Currently the supported languages are English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish, Italian, Danish, Dutch, Greek, Hindi, Norwegian, Simplified Chinese, Turkish, Arabic, Croatian, Lithuanian, Bengali, Bulgarian, Catalan, Hungarian, Malaysian, Serbian, Slovak, Tagalog, Ukrainian, Vietnamese and Icelandic. Note that some of these languages do not have a corresponding Nokia HQ voice, so it is recommended to use the Nokia standard quality voice for these languages.

Which TTS are supported?

Nokia HQ TTS voices of supported languages including US English, UK English, Indian English, Spanish, Latin American Spanish, French, Canadian French, German, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish, Italian, Danish, Dutch, Greek, Hindi, Norwegian, Simplified Chinese and Turkish are supported. The standard Nokia voices are also supported and come built-in to the device, using the current phone language. 

 How do I install new voices?

You can add additional Nokia HQ voices for free at http://www.nokia.com/global/support/text-to-speech/, or on many devices it can be done via the phone’s Speech application (Screen Reader > Nokia HQ Settings > Options > Download languages). As long as your device has sufficient memory, there is no restriction on the number of Nokia HQ voices you can install. Standard quality Nokia voices come built-in with the phone and will always use the currently active phone language, so they can’t be installed.

 Which TTS are installed by default on my device?

 This depends on your phone model and firmware. You can check inside Screen Reader > Nokia HQ Settings. Note that if no HQ voice comes pre-installed on your device, the standard quality Nokia voice will be used until you install a high quality voice.

Is Nokia Screen Reader the same as Mobile Speak?

No, it has a simplified feature set and does not offer all of the functionality of Mobile Speak. Nokia Screen Reader reads SMS, email, contacts, web pages, calendar appointments, clock, alarms, call log, caller ID and a lot more with easy commands using the Nokia built-in TTS. A full feature-set comparison can be found here: http://www.codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=425#15

Can I install Mobile Speak and Nokia Screen Reader at the same time?

Yes, Mobile Speak and Nokia Screen Reader can be installed on the phone at the same time, although only one will be active at any time. You can switch between the two screen readers seamlessly, without needing to stop the currently active one. Note that if you have both Mobile Speak and Nokia Screen Reader installed and Auto Start Mobile Speak set to ON, on most devices, the phone will start up using Mobile Speak. So if you prefer to start the phone with Nokia Screen Reader active, make sure to set Auto Start Mobile Speak to Off.

 Can I use other Code Factory applications with Nokia Screen Reader?

Mobile Color Recognizer, Mobile Daisy Player and Code Factory’s Games will not work when only the Nokia Screen Reader is installed. However, if you install Mobile Speak, then licenses for the other products can be purchased from your Code Factory dealer and you will be able to use them on your device.

 How can I hear the Caller ID of an incoming call?

To hear the Caller ID when a call is incoming, you need to first silence the ringer. On non-touch and older touch devices, this is done by pressing the right soft key. On touch devices, the phone switches to Joystick mode while there is an incoming call, so the right soft key is done by tapping in the lower right of the screen. On more recent Symbian Belle devices, silence the ringer by performing the slide left-right-left gesture to tap the left-centre button. To repeat the Caller ID, press joystick up (or tap the upper central part of the screen on touch devices).

 How can I avoid audio conflicts with some applications?

Some audio applications may have an audio conflict with the voice of Nokia Screen Reader. This will cause them to stop producing audio output if Nokia Screen Reader speaks while they are active. In this case, you will need to mute Nokia Screen Reader while the other audio application is active. An example of this is the Nokia Internet Radio application – it is recommended to mute Nokia Screen Reader just before starting to stream your selected radio station, and to keep it muted while streaming, otherwise the radio will stop playing and you will need to start streaming again.

 Will there be updates?

There will be regular updates, consisting of new features, bug fixes and support for newer devices and firmware versions. Update availability can be checked directly from the phone by going to Nokia Screen Reader > Options > Check for updates. If an update is available, go to the Nokia Store (either on your phone or by connecting the phone to a computer with the Nokia Suite application installed) and search for Nokia Screen Reader to download and install the update. The direct link to Nokia Screen Reader on the Store is http://store.ovi.com/content/224364. Note that sighted assistance may be needed to download the application from the Nokia Store. The installation process however is completely accessible if you leave Nokia Screen Reader running to guide you through the process.

How can I get technical assistance?

For technical assistance, submit a Help Desk ticket on the Code Factory website at http://www.codefactory.cat/helpdesk/index.php?a=add

Where can I get more information?

Complete information is available in the user manual. Other information can be found at the Nokia Screen Reader page at  http://www.codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=425

Feature set comparison: Nokia Screen Reader vs Mobile Speak