I am dyslexic and rely on Read Aloud for essentially every response I receive. Reading long responses is extremely difficult for me, so Read Aloud is one of the primary ways I use ChatGPT.
Unfortunately, the recent decision to move Read Aloud from the response toolbar into the overflow menu has made an accessibility feature I depend on significantly more difficult and frustrating to use. Previously, I could tap the speaker button once and listen. Now, for nearly every response, I have to open the menu, scroll through it, locate Read Aloud, and carefully avoid nearby actions that can create a new chat thread or regenerate the response. When this is repeated across virtually every interaction with ChatGPT, that extra friction becomes substantial.
What makes this particularly frustrating is that the current ChatGPT listing in Apple’s App Store is still advertising the app with screenshots showing the Read Aloud speaker button directly underneath responses. That is the interface being presented to prospective users, even though the current iOS app no longer provides Read Aloud in that location.
I find that misleading. The App Store promotional material is effectively demonstrating the more accessible one-tap interface while users installing or updating the current app receive a less accessible implementation hidden inside a menu. Ironically, the promotional screenshot itself demonstrates that there is enough room in the response toolbar for Read Aloud to remain directly accessible.
This also isn’t the only accessibility/reliability problem I’ve experienced with Read Aloud. In my regular use, long responses can fail to work with Read Aloud, playback can be glitchy even with shorter responses, pausing can sometimes cause the app to freeze, and the generated speech occasionally produces strange unintended sounds. I use ChatGPT for long-form content frequently, so these problems have a major impact on how usable the app is for me.
I understand that not every user needs a permanent Read Aloud button, and I am not asking that everyone be forced back to the previous interface. Please add an accessibility setting that allows users to pin Read Aloud underneath every response or restore the previous one-tap button for users who need it.
Read Aloud should be treated as a first-class accessibility feature. People with dyslexia, visual impairments, reading difficulties, and other accessibility needs should not have to repeatedly navigate an overflow menu to access a feature they may need for every single response.
Please also update the App Store screenshots if the old toolbar is no longer representative of the product. Ideally, though, I would much rather see the accessibility shown in those screenshots restored as an option in the actual app.
