Tap a word. Read along!
Turn any children's book into an interactive reading adventure. Your child taps words to hear them, practices pronunciation, and sounds out syllables — all using books they already love.
Features
No internet. No accounts. No subscriptions. Just your child, their book, and a phone.
Point the camera at a page. Every word gets a tappable highlight. Tap one to hear it spoken clearly.
Tap the play button to hear a whole line read aloud. Each word highlights as it's spoken — like karaoke for reading!
Kids try saying the word first. Get it right? Stars and celebration! Need help? The app gently guides them.
Stuck on a word? Break it into syllables: EL-E-PHANT. Each part highlights and plays — just like a teacher.
Built-in flashlight for reading in dim rooms. Perfect for bedtime stories when the room lights are low.
Not a digital library — it works with your child's actual books. Favorites, library books, even cereal boxes.
How It Works
Hold your iPhone over any page. TapNRead's camera instantly detects every word and places gentle highlights over each one. The boxes stay perfectly still — no jittering.
Big, easy-to-tap buttons sized for little fingers. Tap a word to hear it spoken aloud. A satisfying sound and gentle vibration confirm every tap.
Turn on Practice Mode and your child tries saying the word first. Stars celebrate success! The "Sound it out" button breaks tough words into syllables for step-by-step help.
Privacy
TapNRead processes everything on-device using Apple's built-in frameworks. Nothing is uploaded, stored, or shared. Ever.
Frames are processed on-device for text detection. Never recorded or stored.
Used only for pronunciation practice. Audio processed on-device, never transmitted.
No login required. No email. No personal information collected.
No internet connection needed. The app works everywhere — planes, cars, camping.
"Built by a dad to help his daughter learn to read — using her own favorite books, at her own pace, with zero pressure."— Made with love in Illinois 🦊
Support
TapNRead is designed for pre-K and kindergarten children, typically ages 3-6. It works great for any early reader building confidence with words.
Yes! TapNRead works with any printed text — children's books, library books, worksheets, even signs. If it has words, TapNRead can read them. It works best with clear text and good lighting.
No. Everything runs on your iPhone — text recognition, speech, and pronunciation checking all work offline. No data is sent anywhere.
Absolutely. TapNRead collects zero data. No accounts, no tracking, no analytics. Camera and microphone are processed entirely on your device. See our full privacy policy.
Open Settings (gear icon in the top-right corner) and toggle "Pronunciation Practice" on. The app will ask for microphone and speech recognition permission the first time.
It breaks a word into syllables (like EL-E-PHANT) and plays each part one at a time, then says the whole word. It's how teachers help kids decode unfamiliar words.
Make sure you have good lighting on the book page. Hold the phone 8-12 inches above the page. If words look wrong, shake the phone to rescan. The flashlight button can help in dim rooms.
Yes! In Settings you can adjust speech speed (slower is better for young learners) and voice pitch (higher pitch sounds friendlier for kids). You can also choose between male and female voices.
Please email us at support@pingalaa.com — we read every email and typically respond within 24 hours.
Last updated: April 2026
TapNRead ("the App") is developed by Pingalaa LLC. This privacy policy explains how we handle information in connection with the App.
TapNRead does not collect, store, or transmit any personal data. The App runs entirely on your device.
The App uses your device's camera to detect text in books and printed materials. Camera frames are processed on-device in real-time using Apple's Vision framework and are never recorded, stored, or transmitted to any server.
When Pronunciation Practice mode is enabled, the App uses the microphone to listen for your child's speech. Audio is processed on-device using Apple's Speech framework for pronunciation checking. Audio is never recorded, stored, or transmitted.
Speech recognition is performed on-device using Apple's built-in speech recognition technology. The App requests on-device processing to ensure audio data stays on your device.
TapNRead does not store any reading data, history, or progress information. Each session starts fresh. No data persists between app uses.
TapNRead does not use any third-party services, analytics, advertising, or tracking tools.
TapNRead is designed for children ages 3-6. We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). We do not knowingly collect any information from children or any users. There is no information to collect — the App processes everything locally on the device.
TapNRead does not require or use an internet connection. The App functions entirely offline.
If we make changes to this privacy policy, we will update the "Last updated" date above. Continued use of the App constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
If you have questions about this privacy policy, please contact us at:
privacy@pingalaa.com