How can we help?
Most questions are answered below. If yours isn't, the form on the right reaches us directly. We read every email and try to reply within a couple of days.
01 Frequently asked
How do I import a book?
From the Files app or any other app that holds your EPUB or PDF, tap Share, then choose Local Narrator. Or, in Local Narrator, tap the + button on the library and pick a file. Bookcases, AirDrop, and the Files-app picker all work.
Local Narrator supports EPUB (DRM-free) and text-based PDF. Image-only or scanned PDFs are not supported in this version.
Why is my PDF rejected?
Local Narrator only reads PDFs that contain a real text layer — that is, PDFs where you can normally select and copy text. Scanned PDFs, image-only PDFs, and PDFs whose text layer is too sparse to read aloud reliably are rejected at import. There is no on-device OCR in this version.
The neural voice won't download.
Make sure you have a Wi-Fi connection and a few free hundred megabytes on your iPhone. The Kokoro model is downloaded once on first use and stored in Application Support. If the download fails, go to Settings → Voice Models in Local Narrator and tap Retry. You can always fall back to Apple's system voices, which require no download.
How do I restore my purchase on a new iPhone?
Open Local Narrator → Settings → Restore Purchase, then sign in with the same Apple ID you used to make the original purchase. The unlock is non-consumable, so it restores for free. Family Sharing is supported, so anyone in your Family Group can install Local Narrator with full access at no extra charge.
Will my reading position sync between my iPhone and iPad?
Not in this release. Local Narrator is on-device only and does not include cloud sync in v1. Your reading position, bookmarks, and library live on the device they were created on.
Why does the app suddenly switch to a system voice?
Two things will trigger an automatic fall-back to Apple's system voice:
Memory pressure — if iOS warns the app it's low on RAM, Local Narrator unloads the neural model to keep playback going. Heat — if your iPhone reaches a "serious" or "critical" thermal state, Local Narrator drops the neural voice to give the device time to cool. In both cases the neural voice resumes once the condition clears.
Can I use Local Narrator with CarPlay?
Yes — playback is exposed via Apple's Now-Playing system, so it appears in CarPlay, on the lock screen, and in Control Center, with play/pause, skip, and scrub. There is no dedicated CarPlay UI in v1; the existing Now-Playing controls do the work.
Does Local Narrator work offline?
Completely. The only network call the app ever makes is the one-time download of an optional neural voice model. Once downloaded, every part of the app works in airplane mode.