Read Aloud doesn't work on my Macbook

Hello, tiffanyd1

Welcome to Microsoft community.

Whether Read Aloud is working properly has nothing to do with account syncing, and this feature does not require logging into your Microsoft account. Network stability plays a pivotal role, with connectivity issues potentially causing the feature to stall or fail to load. Have you experimented with connecting to an alternative network? Furthermore, could any recently installed programs be affecting your internet connection? Or have you been running a lot of programs that require an internet connection at the same time?

Moreover, it appears that your MacOS is outdated. Have you considered updating both your MacOS and Edge? The version of MacOS you use can substantially impact program performance.

Yuhao Li

Microsoft Community Technical Support

Hi Yuhao,

I'm very sure network connectivity is not the problem. The problem persists regardless of how strong my connection happens to be at the time, not to mention I have very good high speed internet access at work and home. I have already updated Edge and turned off all extensions and all flags.

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but even the most recent Edge update should still be compatible with macOS 10.15 and above. Updating to the newest macOS on this Mac device is not possible.

As I stated: The only action that has had ANY effect so far on the Read Aloud feature on my Mac, for the past several months, is opening and using Read Aloud in an Edge browser that is logged onto my account on a Windows desktop. I'm sure that using it on the desktop browser (which always works) updates the account's saved Read Aloud settings due to account sync. When I open Read Aloud on my Mac after using it on the desktop, it will work normally as it used to for a short period, using the last voice and speed I used on the desktop. However, as soon as I try to change the voice/speed, or even if I accidentally scroll away from the page while Read Aloud is running, it stops working.

This is why I'm so focused on the two different devices and the account sync aspect, even if it's not related to the source of the problem. It's literally the only action that I've observed to have had any effect on the feature at all.

Thanks for your help

The performance of Edge on Mac is not as robust as its Windows counterpart. There may not be any other good solution than to simply not log into your Microsoft account on your Mac. Although not logging in does not impede the use of the text-to-speech feature, your settings won't sync and you'll need to manually choose the voice.

Alternatively, providing feedback to the developers could potentially lead to future improvents:

Furthermore, while Edge currently supports macOS Catalina 10.15.4, its compatibility with future system updates remains uncertain. Apple consistently mandates software developers to adapt to their progress, leading to the gradual obsoletion of older versions with the release of a new version. Consequently, Edge must also evolve accordingly. Even if you have no immediate plans to upgrade your system, it is important to consider the potential need for a change in computers in the future.

I will send feedback. You may be correct about possible macOS obsolescence- maybe updating my Edge browser wasn't a wise move. I'm not sure since Read Aloud had been working just fine on my Mac in the past. Thanks for your help

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to let me know.