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The read-aloud voice used to be a very smooth speaking female voice and overnight it changed to a robotic voice. When I go into the settings it says I have to be signed in to change the voice. I am signed in. I tried signing out and resigning in deleting the app and reinstalling but it still says the same thing. I am using an Android with the mobile app. I was originally using just the word doc connected to my OneDrive I've even tried the Microsoft 365 app still same results. How do I get the old voice back?
A family of Microsoft word processing software products for creating web, email, and print documents.
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
"> Hello, MS:
I want to say whoever made the choice of substituting the robotic "read aloud" voices with those from the early 1990s ought to know this: I WILL NOT PAY FOR THIS ****. Bring back Sarah today!
Please see my previous post (just before yours). No one at Microsoft is seeing what you post here.
I think it's time we realized that Microsoft has broken this, and that until someone at Microsoft decides to fix it, there is no cure. I've decided to stop wasting my time looking for answers.
I think it's time we realized that Microsoft has broken this, and that until someone at Microsoft decides to fix it, there is no cure. I've decided to stop wasting my time looking for answers.
@David,
You are correct that Microsoft has broken this. Use feedback fuels them fixing it.
See my response in **** this thread. It has links to the public feedback portal and some of the feedback already posted. You can post your own. You can comment on the other postings and vote for them.
Be the squeaky wheel.
Here is a thread to vote on....
https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/idea/5c539f58-29fc-ef11-a4de-6045bdb3947a
I am also experiencing this very same error. I have tried several suggested fixes from across the internet (including this board). None have been successful. Some of the steps I have tried are logging out and back in, rebooting the system, checking for possible recent Windows or Office updates (none found) and completely removing the Office 365 suite from my system and reinstalling. This error started for me today when I resumed editing a large document I have been working on for a while. The pleasant, natural and understandable default voice that I am so used to using began reading and then suddenly stopped with the error for me to log in. Of course I am logged in and have been the entire time.
Read Aloud is practically unusable. The robotic, harsh voices make it almost unbearable to use. They have horrible diction and the staccato makes it difficult to follow, much less catch the mistakes I am using Read Aloud to catch.
I have submitted a report through the feedback system in word and even referenced this thread in the report. That is something that I would recommend anyone posting this error on here do as well. If they get enough support tickets on it, maybe we can get our pleasant, default female voice back. This is almost unusable this way and even the 'natural' voices you can download suck compared to the default.