Read2Me reads your documents aloud. Your files, the extracted text, and your voice stay on your device. We built Read2Me so that private reading stays private - there are no accounts, no ads, no trackers, and no data sold to anyone. Ever.
What Read2Me does on your device
Everything that matters happens locally on your iPhone or iPad:
- Your documents (PDF, EPUB, DOCX, and text files) are imported and stored on your device.
- Text extraction and OCR for scanned PDFs run on-device using Apple's Vision framework. Page images never leave your device.
- Read-aloud (text-to-speech) uses Apple's built-in system voices on your device.
- Bookmarks, highlights, and notes you create are stored locally.
What we don't collect
No account and no sign-up. We never ask for your name, email, or phone number.
No analytics or usage tracking. We don't know what you read, when, or how often.
No advertising and no advertising identifiers.
No selling or sharing of your data with third parties - there is nothing to sell.
iCloud sync (optional)
If you turn on iCloud Sync, Read2Me uses your own private iCloud account (Apple's CloudKit private database) to keep your library consistent across your devices:
- Document metadata (titles and your library list)
- Reading progress (your place in each document)
- Your preferences (voice, speed, and reader settings)
- Your document files themselves, so a book you import on one device is available on your others
All of it goes to your own private iCloud account - never to OceanWithin Studio or any third party. We cannot see it, access it, or read it; it is governed by Apple's privacy policy. File uploads count against your iCloud storage plan, not ours. iCloud Sync is off unless you enable it, and you can turn it off at any time - your files always stay usable locally either way.
Personal Voice
If you choose an Apple Personal Voice, that voice is created and managed entirely by iOS in your device's Settings. Read2Me does not record, store, upload, or train your voice - it simply asks iOS to speak with the voice you already set up. Personal Voice is only available to Read2Me after you grant permission, and Apple keeps it tied to your Apple ID.
Backups you create
Read2Me lets you export a backup ZIP of your library. When you do, you choose where it goes - Files, iCloud Drive, or anywhere the iOS share sheet offers. Those destinations are outside Read2Me and are covered by their own privacy terms.
Sharing into Read2Me
When you share a document to Read2Me from another app, the file is copied into Read2Me's local storage so it can be read aloud. Nothing about that document is sent to us.
Children
Read2Me does not collect personal information from anyone, including children. It contains no ads and no third-party content.
Changes to this policy
If Read2Me's data practices ever change, we'll update this page and revise the date above. Because the app is private by design, any change will be explained here in plain language.
Contact
Questions about privacy? Email hello@oceanwithinstudio.com and a human will reply.