How to turn any ebook into an audiobook in less than 60 seconds

Accessibility features built into your devices mean they can read any on-screen text aloud – effectively converting your ebooks into audiobooks.

Whether you have an iPhone, iPad, Android phone or tablet, or a Windows laptop or Mac, narration tools (and other accessibility add-ons) can help you manage particularly long reads. Plus, many screen-reading tools give you a couple of digital voices to choose from.

Below, our experts explain how to have your digital book collection read aloud.

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Convert an ebook to an audiobook

On iOS (iPhone, iPad)

Apple’s built-in screen reader is called VoiceOver. You can turn it on by going to Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver, where you can also choose different voices and adjust the speed or other options.

When VoiceOver is enabled, tap once to select and hear an item, double-tap to activate it, and swipe down with two fingers to have the screen read aloud continuously from that point. If you go to Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut, you can configure your phone so that a triple-click of the side button turns VoiceOver on or off.

Aside from using VoiceOver to narrate your ebooks, you can also use it to read PDF documents and describe forms, tables and lists – particularly handy if you struggle with small print.

For more tips on making your iPhone a breeze to use, see seven easy ways to make your iPhone more accessible.

On Android

Android's built-in screen reader is known as TalkBack, which can be found under Settings > Accessibility > TalkBack. If you're having trouble finding it, use the toolbar at the top of your Settings menu.

When you run TalkBack on your device for the first time, a tutorial screen will pop up and guide you through the controls.

Once enabled, slowly drag one finger around the screen. TalkBack will announce icons, buttons and other items. After a short pause, it might also suggest actions, such as how to activate or view the content.

To use TalkBack to read an eBook aloud, open the file and swipe down with two fingers to start continuous reading.

On Fire Tablets and Kindle e-readers

Amazon devices feature a built‑in screen reader called VoiceView, accessible via Settings > Accessibility > VoiceView.

To enjoy your ebook hands-free, tap the Aa button and choose More > Text-to-speech.

With many Kindle ebooks, you can also add human-read narration. When viewing an ebook on Amazon's website, look under the Buy now button for the Add audiobook option.

If you want to replace an ageing ebook reader and get a Best Buy, see our guide to the best e-readers.

On Windows

If you're using a Windows machine, the operating system has a built-in screen reader called Narrator. To find it, click Start (or press the Windows key on your keyboard) > Settings > Accessibility (Ease of Access in Windows 10) > Narrator.

Under the Narrator's voice heading, you'll see a dropdown menu within Choose a voice that lets you change the style of your narrator.

From this same screen, you can also enable a keyboard shortcut for Narrator, which saves you from having to access your settings screen every time you want to turn it off.

On Mac

From an Apple computer, you can access the same VoiceOver tool found on iPhone. 

To see the screen reader settings on a Mac, go to System Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver. You can also toggle VoiceOver quickly by using Command + F5. Alternatively, if Siri is enabled, you can say 'Hey Siri, turn VoiceOver on'.

How to download free audiobooks

Apple Books and Google Play host a small range of free audiobooks – mostly from classic literature, such as Apple's unabridged presentation of HG Wells' The Time Machine, read by Frasier star Kelsey Grammer. You can also try:

• BBC Sounds offers a selection of quality audiobooks that you can listen to via the Sounds app or BBC Sounds website. However, these are often abridged versions of books, chopped up into short 'episodes', originally designed for broadcast on programmes such as Radio 4's Book of the Week.
• Project Gutenberg has a selection of free audiobooks, alongside its public-domain ebooks. Click Search and Browse > Book Search > Advanced Search, then select Audio Book Index from the Filetype menu and click Search.
• Librivox is a website dedicated to free audiobooks. The drawback is that it's restricted to content in the public domain, so most titles are older or somewhat obscure. That said, there are plenty of great reads, including lots of Sherlock Holmes stories. Audiobooks on Librivox are all read by volunteers, rather than professional voice performers. Some of Project Gutenberg's audiobooks are read by humans, while others are narrated by computerised voices. In both cases, the quality can be variable.
• Borrow from your library Visit libbyapp.com and sign in with your library card to access free audiobooks (and ebooks) from your local library.

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Headphones for audiobooks

If you're looking to get stuck into a new audiobook and don't want to play it out loud (perhaps you're on a packed train), investing in some high-quality headphones is a good move.

To help you start building your shortlist, we've picked out some of the most popular headphones for 2025, based on visits to our expert reviews. Popularity doesn't guarantee quality, though, so check our full reviews to see which models scored well in our lab.

• Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2nd gen) Truly wireless, in-ear headphones with active noise cancelling to block out external sound. Alternatively, you can use ambient mode to let some noise in, such as if you want to listen out for train announcements.
• Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) The earbuds of the AirPods Pro 2 have touch controls on the stem. Among other functions, this lets you control noise cancellation by pressing and holding the stem.
• Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Over-ear, active noise-cancelling headphones that include a hard travel case to keep everything tidy when not in use.
• Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Through the accompanying Galaxy Wearables app, you can adjust the touch controls to cycle through tracks and activate the voice assistant functionality.

Best headphones: whether you want in-ear or over-ear, we help you find the perfect pair for your ears and your budget.

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