Outread: Speed Reading

Fixed a disappearing text bug when pausing speed-reading.

- Fixed share extension not appearing in some apps.
- Fixed images sometimes not showing in books added (and synced) on other devices.
- Fixed duplicate items and a rare crash when importing an EPUB file.
- Fixed issues in the reading speed test.

- Multiple selection on the Library screen. Quickly favorite, tag, archive or delete many items.
- Widgets in StandBy mode.
- Improved navigation on the Discover screen.
- Bug fixes and performance improvements.

- Redesigned Library screen.
- Redesigned Discover screen
- Redesigned table of contents on the Reader screen. It'll now also automatically show sections for articles and documents that don't include table of contents.
- Search within an item's contents on the Reader screen. Access it from the bottom-left button (iPhone) or the button next to the back button on iPad and Mac.
- New Automatically Match to Speed option that adjusts Chunk Length (how many characters/words you see at a time) when you change your speed. (It's disabled when you update from the previous version of Outread.)
- New widget: Reading Time This Week.
- Action extension Add to Outread for adding URLs to Outread.
- Search for Outread's contents directly from Spotlight (on the device's Home Screen).

Also includes fixes for many bugs. If you notice any issues or have new ideas please let us know at contact@outreadapp.com

Fixed issues in website text extraction and file import.

- Improved compatibility with EPUB files.

- When you import text from a PDF file, Outread will now intelligently detect headers and footers on pages and remove them automatically to provide a more streamlined reading experience.
- When importing a PDF file consisting of scanned text, Outread will now propose an option to perform OCR (Optical Character Recognition).
- You can now drag and drop a file on a library tab to add it.
- Bug fixes.

If you have any questions or suggestions, you can reach us at contact@outreadapp.com

Welcome to the biggest update to Outread ever. If you find any new bugs or inconsistencies please let us know at contact@outreadapp.com Hope you enjoy it!

UPDATED DESIGN AND FONTS

We went through the whole app and updated the design to better match your needs and make the app easier and faster to use. We also updated the font selection with new fonts that work better with speed reading. Specifically: Noto Sand and Garamond were scientifically tested as leading to better speed while still maintaining the comprehension.

CONTINUOUS SCROLLING IN HIGHLIGHTING READING

We heard your feedback and added a new mode to Highlighting Reading that will continuously keep the highlighted text centered vertically on the screen. Try it by enabling in Reader Preferences > Highlighting Preferences > Continuous Scrolling.

NEW MARKER OPTIONS IN HIGHLIGHTING

Next to text dimming, we added Marker and Underline options (find them in Reader Preferences > Highlighting Reading). Long-time Outread users will remember the Marker option from the past, the new one however works better than ever and is also nicely animated.

ANIMATED HIGHLIGHTER MOVES

We added slight animations when the highlighter moves. That should make the reading more pleasant and easier on the eyes. It’s disabled when you update from an older version, but you can enable it in Reader Preferences > Highlighting Reading > Smooth Chunk Changes.

SPEED AND MOVE CONTROLS

Instead of going to preferences, you can quickly adjust speed and rewind/fast forward reading without stopping. There are also keyboard shortcuts (W, A, S, D).

READING SPEED TEST

New update lets you quickly check your reading speed and comprehension by reading a text and answering a few questions about it.

LIVE PREVIEW IN READER PREFERENCES

When you change your speed reading preferences, such as speed or chunk length, you’ll immediately see how they work in little previews on top of Reader Preferences screen.

QUICK ACTIONS ON READER SCREEN

The ellipsis button in the top-right corner will now let you quickly archive, delete, favorite and share the item you’re currently reading.

IMPROVED TEXT DETECTION ON WEBSITES

We updated the algorithm that detects the content on websites – it should produce cleaner results in most cases.

MANUAL WEBSITE IMPORT FALLBACK

If the app can’t automatically detect the text on a website, it now offers a quick way for you to manually pick the text from Safari.

AUTOMATIC TAGGING

When you add items, Outread will now add more types of tags, such as Web, Scan, and more.

MANUAL TAGGING

Organize your library quickly and effortlessly by adding tags.

RETHOUGHT LIBRARY SCREEN

Instead of showing both unread and read items on a single list, we moved the archive to a separate place. You can now quickly show only Unread, Archived, Favorited or In Progress items. We also added the search feature.

ACCESSIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS

Outread comes with improved readability, most of the screens now support Dynamic Type (variable font sizes).

APP SHORTCUTS

Outread 2.0 comes with updated support for Shortcuts, now based on the new App Intents framework. You can easily add and access content in an automated way.

FOCUS FILTERS

You can now set up Outread’s library content to fit your current focus filter, e.g. show only unread items tagged **Work** when you’re in your Work focus.

- Improved the onboarding experience.
- Fixed issues when importing some specific types of documents.

- Added separate personal/family Outread+ plans.
- Fixed minor UI bugs.
- Improved performance.

- New lock screen widgets: Reading Time (showing how much you read today and if you reached a 30 minute goal) and Reading Now, letting you quickly jump to your in-progress item.
- Various UI updates across the app.
- Fixed audio pausing when reading with metronome option enabled.

- Modernized the default app icon. You can pick a different icon style from Settings > App Icon inside the app.

Previous changes:
- Added a new screen called Discover that better organizes available content in the app.
- Added a new custom icon: green.
- Added a screen that shows newly added significant features inside the app.
- Improved design across the app.
- Fixed placeholders staying on when images can’t be loaded.

- Added a new screen called Discover that better organizes available content in the app.
- Added a new custom icon: green.
- Added a screen that shows newly added significant features directly inside the app.
- Improved design across the app.
- Fixed placeholders staying on when images can’t be loaded.

- Fixed file import sometimes not working.
- Fixed article import sometimes not working on iPad.

1.12:
- Outread is now also available for macOS (Big Sur and Monterey).
- Added keyboard navigation on iPad (press and hold cmd key to see shortcuts – they're different depending on the screen you're on).
- Improved design on the iPad by adding a sidebar.
- Improved usability on iPad by moving buttons closer to corners of the screen.
- Fixed bugs on Popular Stories screen.

- Added "Read Now" option to share extension to make reading articles added from other apps (such as Safari) quicker.
- Added option to "read now" when adding an article by pasting a web link.
- Fixed few small bugs.

Bug fixes and performance improvements.

- Fixed bugs related to lately introduced large features: images in text and sync.

If you have any questions or suggestions, you can reach us at contact@outreadapp.com

NEW:
- Outread will now show images within text. It works only for items added after this update is installed and currently supports images on websites and in EPUB books. You can tweak the behavior further in "Images in Text" setting in "Highlighting Reading Preferences" or "Flashing Reading Preferences" under "Reader Preferences".

FIXED:
- Showing covers for added EPUB books.

If you have any questions or suggestions, you can reach us at contact@outreadapp.com

This update adds the most requested feature: Outread Sync. Once you create an account (in the Account section), Outread will keep your library, preferences, progress in exercises and reading stats in sync between your iPhone and iPad.

Other improvements:
- Improved design on reading stats screen. You can now tap on elements on charts to show more details.
- Refreshed design of the Account screen.
- Improved design consistency in dark mode.
- Home screen widgets should now update more frequently.
- Pocket, Instapaper and Pinboard accounts should now occasionally sync in background, to give you up to date content when you open Outread.

If you have any questions or suggestions, you can reach us at contact@outreadapp.com

- Improved onboarding experience.
- Fixed import not working for some EPUB files.
- Fixed rare crash when closing the app.
- Improved small layout issues on iPad.

If you have any questions or suggestions, you can reach us at contact@outreadapp.com

- Fixed stats sometimes not being saved.
- Fixed onboarding screen not appearing correctly after first read item.

If you have any questions or suggestions, you can reach us at contact@outreadapp.com

- Fixed bugs around screen rotation.
- Fixed few sources of crashes.

Previously in 1.8:
- Refreshed reader screen and a revamped speed reading algorithm based on the newest scientific research! Reader now takes many more factors into account when deciding for how long to show a given text chunk. Speed reading should feel more natural, allowing you to reach even higher speeds.
- When speed reading in Highlighting mode, text is displayed page by page with a pleasant page-changing animation.
- New “Keep previous blocks highlighted” setting in Highlighting mode, which is on by default. This is closer to how people read naturally, allowing your eyes to easily reread complex passages.
- You can now see and tap on links in the displayed text.
- When speed reading is active, you can now tap and hold to temporarily pause speed reading. In Flashing mode you’ll also see a few previous text blocks, so that you can catch up.
- Last read position is now marked by a green rectangular border. You can move it by double tapping on a desired new position or by long pressing and then choosing “Resume Here”.
- When using longer group lengths in Highlighting mode, reader will now try to show full sentences instead of operating on whole lines.
- Improved display of reader’s preferences (sliders button in the bottom-right corner on the reader screen).
- Long pressing on text will now allow you to select text, so that you can copy it, look up definitions or share with friends.
- More comfortable margins on wide screens.
- Fixed jarring animations when moving between chapters (when reading books).
- Updated icons in toolbars based on feedback from new users and to better match the iOS 14 design style.
- New “Open Outread” button present in the share extension.
- New share button in an item header (below its title) if an item has a URL.

If you have any questions or suggestions, you can reach us at contact@outreadapp.com

• Brand new app icon.
• Pick your favorite app icon under Settings > App Icon.
• Improved dark mode look.
• Minor bug fixes.

If you have any questions or suggestions, you can reach us at contact@outreadapp.com

• Completely redesigned statistics screen providing more useful data and trend analysis.
• Updated design of share extension.
• Updated design of chapters screen.
• Fixed position in chapter not restored when App Theme was set to anything else than Auto.
• Fixed few reasons of crashes.
• Fixed too high memory usage in few cases.

If you have any questions or suggestions, you can reach us at contact@outreadapp.com

• Redesigned dark mode available on all screens across the app (and now it’s free)
• Three new themes to use on the reader screen: Black & White, Sepia and Gray (Outread Plus required)
• Dark mode now follows the system setting but can be set to always be light or dark
• Home indicator is now hidden during active speed reading
• Updated design across the app
• Updated document importer to a new underlying engine
• Improved Dynamic Type support
• Improved FAQ
• Fixed rare crash on Outread Plus screen
• Now supports iOS 13 and newer

• Fixed a crash when tapping on delete button on reader screen on iPad.
• Fixed a crash when fetching the in-app purchase failed.

Please contact us at contact@outreadapp.com if you notice any issues.

- Added context menu showing after long pressing on an item on the main list.
- Added back "Use Solid Highlighter Background" setting under Advanced Preferences.
- Fixed "Restore Previous Purchase" sometimes not working.
- Fixed intermittent crashes in classic e-books directory.
- Fixed stats sharing crash on iPad.
- Fixed minor UI glitches.
- Fixed error handling when signing in to Pocket.

Fixes "Outread" appearing when sharing items that the app doesn't support.

Fixes quick settings not working properly for Outread Plus users after moving to a different chapter in a book.

- Switched to flashing (RSVP) mode by default.
- Minor bug fixes.

- Fixed bug with Auto Archive sometimes not working. - Improved reading mode selection control.

- Added "Popular articles" section in "Add to Reading List" menu containing fresh and popular articles from across the web
- Increased max speed to 1500 words per minute for Outread Plus users
- Added experimental support for PDF files (they're stripped from everything except for the pure text)
- Fixed saving links from Apple News

- Fixes sporadic crash when archiving/deleting/restoring items.
- Makes "Delete" a default button when swiping left on an archived item.

Outread is now a free app. To access all features you can buy Outread Plus (in-app purchase) with a one-time charge. If you bought Outread before version 1.6 you're eligible to all features. Just go to Settings -> Outread Plus and tap on the "Restore" button.

- Minor bug fixes and improvements.

1.5.1:
Fixes possible crash after few minutes of reading in Flashing (RSVP) mode.

1.5:
NEW:
- Revamped and unified look between iPhone and iPad
- Updated for all new devices
- Supports multitasking on iPad
- San Francisco font replaces Helvetica
- Haptic feedback support
- More options at hand in quick settings (three dots button) on the article screen
- Archive, delete, favorite and share buttons now are available when swiping a cell
FIXED:
- When saving websites from Safari, Outread will now directly grab the contents of the webpage (should help with paywalled websites)
- Improved extraction of text from webpages
- Animation glitches when starting and stopping reading
- Tapping anywhere on the article screen should now correctly toggle focused reading
- Pocket tags shouldn't randomly disappear anymore
- Text around "&" characters shouldn't be cut off anymore
- Improved display of smart quotes
- Improved support for Dynamic Type for visually impaired users

NEW:
- Revamped and unified look between iPhone and iPad
- Updated for all new devices
- Supports multitasking on iPad
- San Francisco font replaces Helvetica
- Haptic feedback support
- More options at hand in quick settings (three dots button) on the article screen
- Archive, delete, favorite and share buttons now are available when swiping a cell

FIXED:
- When saving websites from Safari, Outread will now directly grab the contents of the webpage (should help with paywalled websites)
- Improved extraction of text from webpages
- Animation glitches when starting and stopping reading
- Tapping anywhere on the article screen should now correctly toggle focused reading
- Pocket tags shouldn't randomly disappear anymore
- Text around "&" characters shouldn't be cut off anymore
- Improved display of smart quotes
- Improved support for Dynamic Type for visually impaired users

New:
- You can now add articles (URLs) to Outread using the iOS share sheet thanks to our new share extension

Fixed:
- Crash on iOS 10.3 in RVSP mode on iPad

- Fixes issue with encoding of some characters in some of the articles (you have to log out and log in again to Instapaper/Pocket/Pinboard to have this issue fixed)

Latest changes:
- Adds better selection of font sizes (FINALLY!)
- Adds support for 12.9-inch iPad Pro
- Removes Readability support because the service is closing soon

- Adds better selection of font sizes (FINALLY!)
- Adds support for 12.9-inch iPad Pro
- Removes Readability support because the service is closing soon
- Fixes bugs related to archiving content
- Fixes some crashes

Please leave us a nice review or update your old review if you like what we are doing with the app. Thanks!

- Updated for iOS 8, compatible with iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
- Add files quickly from your Dropbox, iCloud Drive and other cloud accounts via Document Picker ("+" > "Add a File")
- Added delays for punctuation (see Preferences > Reading Mode)
- Added the ability to stop highlighter from crossing sentences (see Preferences > Reading Mode)
- Better contrast in the RSVP mode
- Improved accuracy of sliders (WPM and highlighter size)
- Many other fixes and improvements

Please remember to update your reviews. They keep Outread going. Thanks!

NEW:
- RSVP (Rapid serial visual presentation) mode – highlighted text is centered on the screen, so you don’t have to move your eyes that much; switch to it in Preferences > Reading Mode
- Pause Between Sentences – the highlighter can now stay longer at the last word of a sentence; adjust it in Preferences > Reading Mode

FIXED:
- crashes when importing ePub files that aren’t compliant with ePub spec
- borders of the app icon on iPad 2 and iPad mini
- incorrect auto-scrolling on short articles with images

REMOVED:
- “Keep Highlighter Centered” was replaced with RSVP mode

New Features:
* Ebook support (DRM-free ePub), along with an optimized navigation – books are presented by chapters, similarly to iBooks
* Built-in directory of public domain, mostly classic, books (see “+” > “Browse Classic Books”)
* Statistics; see your overall and daily reading stats
* New reading mode - vertical centering of the highlighter; it limits vertical movements of your eyes by keeping the highlighted text centered on the screen (enable it in “Preferences” > “Reading Mode” > “Keep Highlighter Centered”)
* Pinboard integration (for bookmarks marked as "to read")
* You can now enhance your speed-reading training with audio cues, i.e. a ticking sound played on every change of the highlighter's position (see “Preferences” > “Reading Mode” > “Audio Feedback”)

Improvements:
* Improved chunking algorithm: 1) long compound words with hyphens can now be divided into parts, so it's easier to read them; 2) the app now works correctly with character-based languages (Chinese, Japanese, etc.)
* Rebuilt sync: texts are now downloaded from Instapaper/Pocket/Readability, not directly from the saved URLs (as it was before); it's beneficial because 1) texts saved behind pay-walls will show correctly in Outread, 2) if you save only a small part of a longer webpage, Outread will show only that part, 3) not-URL based bookmarks are now supported, e.g. texts added to Instapaper via email, and 4) it’s faster
* Rewritten Help section
* 64-bit compatibility (the app works faster on iPhone 5s, iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display)
* “Open in Safari” and “Delete” buttons added to Activity Menu
* Refreshed icon
* Bug fixes (crash happening on articles with malformed images, possible crash after changing Text Font, possible incorrect order of elements in “Read next” button) and minor UI improvements

If you like the update, please consider leaving a review or rating on the App Store. It really helps!

- Fixes possible crash when opening Accounts on iPhone
- Fixes drag and drop gesture for highlighter on iPad

If you enjoy using Outread, please take the time to give us a nice review. Thanks!


Previous large release (Outread 1.1):
- Outread arrives on iPad (the app is now Universal)
- New speed-reading mode based on dimming non-essential parts of the text (see Preferences > Reading Mode > Dimming)
- Refined AirDrop support (see: https://vimeo.com/86597504)
- Open .doc, .docx, .rtf and .txt documents in Outread (through the iOS's "Open in" menu); you can also open Pages documents (see FAQ for instructions)
- Favorite articles from the activity menu
- Long press on the article’s cell on the list to show available actions
- Highlighter’s contrast adjustment
- Scrolling to the next page is now a little less disruptive
- Improved Dynamic Type support
- Various optimizations, so the app should be more responsive now

- Outread arrives on iPad (the app is now Universal)
- New speed-reading mode based on dimming non-essential parts of the text (see Preferences > Reading Mode > Dimming)
- Refined AirDrop support (see: https://vimeo.com/86597504)
- Open .doc, .docx, .rtf and .txt documents in Outread (through the iOS's "Open in" menu); you can also open Pages documents (see FAQ for instructions)
- Favorite articles from the activity menu
- Long press on the article’s cell on the list to show available actions
- Highlighter’s contrast adjustment
- Scrolling to the next page is now a little less disruptive
- Improved Dynamic Type support
- Various optimizations, so the app should be more responsive now

- Adds Background Fetch (can be turned off in: Settings > General > Background App Refresh)
- Adds "Dynamic Type" for all user's content
- Adds OpenDyslexic font

- Adds better URL scheme for advanced users (please see "Does Outread have a URL scheme?" in FAQ)
- Reorganizes "Preferences"
- Fixes possible bug when returning from the article to the list
- Fixes possible bug occurring during syncing

Release version

- Fixes many small UI bugs
- Removes the built-in web browser — to comply with the requirements of a 4+ rating