Listening to Text Messages
Configure your phone to read text messages to you.
For iPhone
To get Siri to read your full Threema messages on demand, you need to configure your iPhone's privacy settings to pass the message text to iOS, and then use specific commands or screen actions on the road.
Here is the complete, step-by-step setup and operational guide:
Step 1: Enable Text Previews (Required)
Because Threema is an encrypted app, iOS cannot see your incoming text messages unless you explicitly give it permission via notification previews. If previews are hidden, Siri will only tell you that you have a message, but won't read the content.
- Open your iPhone Settings.
- Scroll down and tap Notifications.
- Select Threema from the app list.
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Show Previews.
- Change this setting to Always (or When Unlocked).
Step 2: Ensure "Automatic" Reading is Off
To prevent Siri from automatically interrupting your music or conversations the second a text arrives, double-check that automatic announcements are disabled:
- Open iPhone Settings.
- Tap Siri.
- Tap Announce Notifications.
- You can either turn the master switch completely Off, or keep it on for other apps but scroll down to Threema and turn it Off specifically for your chats.
Step 3: How to Trigger the Reading
You have two ways to instruct Siri to read the messages only when you are ready:
Method A: The One-Tap Instruction (Best for immediate on-demand)
- When a new Threema message arrives, a notification banner will briefly pop.
- If you want to hear it right then: Simply tap the notification banner.
- If you want to ignore it: Let the banner slide away. It will remain silent.
Method B: The Siri Voice Command (Best for checking missed texts later)
If you missed the initial pop-up banner and want to hear the message later, Siri cannot look backward into Threema's internal chat history. However, Siri can read active alerts still sitting in your notification queue.
- Contact Siri.
- Give one of these exact voice commands:
"Read my unread notifications." or "Do I have any missed notifications?" - Siri will look at your phone's lock screen queue, find the pending Threema alert, and read the entire text message to you.
For Android
Step 1: Turn on "Select to Speak" in Android Settings
- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap Accessibility.
- Look for and tap Select to Speak (depending on your phone brand, it might be nested under a Vision or Installed apps sub-menu).
- Switch the Select to Speak shortcut toggle to On.
- Your phone will ask for permission to view your screen. Tap Allow, then tap Got it.
Step 2: How to Read Threema Messages Out Loud on Demand
Once the shortcut is active, you can use it inside Threema at any time:
- Open Threema and tap into the specific chat conversation you want to hear.
- Scroll to the message (or group of messages) you want read aloud.
- Tap your new Accessibility shortcut icon/tab on the edge of the screen. A small player control bar will appear at the bottom, showing that the tool is active.
- Choose how to read:
- To read a single message: Tap directly on the specific Threema text bubble.
- To read multiple messages in a row: Drag your finger across the screen to draw a green box around the thread of text messages you want to hear.
- Tap the Pause or Stop button on the player control bar to stop the reading at any time.
Important Tips for Threema
Voice Messages vs. Text: Select to Speak can only read actual text blocks visible on the screen. If a group member sends a Voice Message, Select to Speak will only read the timestamp or the word "Voice Message" aloud. For actual voice recordings, you will still need to tap the play button built directly into the Threema message bubble.
Screen Privacy: Because this tool works by visually reading the pixels on your screen, it will only work while the Threema app is open and the messages are visible to you. It will not read them if your phone screen is locked or turned off.
