Listening Is Hands-Busy Time
You listen while cooking, running, driving, or falling asleep — moments when unlocking a phone and finding the play button is exactly what you don't want to do. Since 2.5, VocaRead exposes its core actions to Siri, the Shortcuts app, a home-screen widget, and the Apple Watch. Here's how to use each.
Siri
These work out of the box, no setup:
- "Hey Siri, resume reading in VocaRead" — continues your current book at the saved sentence.
- "Hey Siri, pause VocaRead" / "play VocaRead" — toggles playback.
- "Hey Siri, next page in VocaRead" — skips ahead.
- "Hey Siri, start a sleep timer in VocaRead" — starts the sleep timer with your last-used duration.
Siri works with AirPods, in the car through CarPlay, and on the Watch. Because speech is generated on the device, there's no delay waiting for a server after the command.
Shortcuts
Open the Shortcuts app and search for VocaRead: you'll find Resume Reading, Toggle Playback, Next Page, and Start Sleep Timer. Some ideas:
- Bedtime automation: at 10:30 pm, turn on Do Not Disturb, dim the lights, resume reading, and start a 20-minute sleep timer.
- Workout: when a Fitness workout starts, resume reading; when it ends, pause.
- Back Tap: map double-tap on the back of the iPhone to Toggle Playback (Settings › Accessibility › Touch › Back Tap).
- Action button (iPhone 15 Pro and later): assign Resume Reading.
The Widget
Add the VocaRead widget to your home or lock screen. It shows the book in progress with its cover and progress, and one tap resumes it — no need to open the app and find the book. On the lock screen, it sits next to the clock like the audiobook it is.
Apple Watch
The Watch app controls playback on the iPhone: play, pause, skip, and change speed from your wrist, plus the Now Reading complication that shows what's playing and opens controls in one tap. It's the right tool for a run or a walk with the phone in a pocket.
Everything Together
A typical evening: the widget resumes the book while you cook; a Watch tap pauses it when someone calls; Siri starts the sleep timer once you're in bed; the sleep timer stops at the end of the chapter and Smart Rewind takes care of the morning. The phone never left the counter.
In the car, all of this works from the dashboard too — see listening with CarPlay. Download VocaRead and add the widget first; it's the feature people say they can't go back from.