Frequently Asked Questions

Why Speaking Email

  • Who is this app designed for?

    If you have CarPlay and are looking for a way to hear your email, this app is for you.


    Do you get a lot of email and need to stay up to date? Spend time in your car that could be put to productive use?


    For many people, their email inbox is their primary focus - your communication with your coworkers, boss and direct reports, customers and suppliers.


    If you are trying to do Inbox Zero, this is a great tool to help.


    Anyone who takes responsibility for their own work time will like it, particularly as people in leadership or management roles.


    If you drive to work or drive between appointments, Speaking Email CarPlay extends your available work hours to give you more time in your day and get your email on the move.


    Inbox zero enthusiasts will particularly like the chance to use downtime to prune their inbox.

  • Why did you make this app?

    Ever since I got my first PalmOS device I wanted to get email read out to me while driving in to work in the mornings.


    When SIri came out I was hopeful email reading and management would be just around the corner. Sadly not. 


    There was a dearth of any good apps, so I decided to build Speaking Email in 2015.


    We applied three times to Apple for a license to build an email app on CarPlay and finally in 2019 we were approved. Speaking Email CarPlay was then built based on the learnings and experience from Speaking Email and the Apple human interface guidelines for CarPlay apps.


    Speaking Email CarPlay was beta tested in late 2019 and soft launched in December 2019 as the first and only email app for CarPlay.


    In mid 2020 we plan to add voice commands and dictation as an in-app purchase subscription.


    Mike Nelson, Beweb CEO and Speaking Email CarPlay Lead Developer

Privacy & Security

  • What about data security and privacy?

    Speaking Email CarPlay opens a direct secure connection from your phone to the Office 365 or Gmail cloud. 


    Your credentials are entered directly into the Office 365 or Gmail sign in system and never seen by our app.


    The mail is stored on your device in encrypted database storage.


    All data is encrypted during transit and at rest.  


    For more info, see our Privacy policy

  • Are you GDPR compliant?

    We comply with GDPR for our European users. 


    How we comply:

    • You may request your data to be deleted or delivered to you any time.
    • We store and manage all data securely and follow best practises. Sign in is directly with the email provider (Office 365 or Gmail) and your password is not seen or stored by Speaking Email CarPlay. Email is downloaded directly from the email provider using their latest APIs over HTTPS. The email data is stored on your device and is encrypted during storage and in transit.  
    • We request and store only the personal information (PII) that we need to operate your account. This is your name and email address. 
    • For analytics and error logging we may also include your IP address, geolocation, and fragments of email content which may be immediately proceeding an error which is logged. 


    For more info, see our Privacy policy.

  • What do you use my data for?

    Why do you need my email address?
    To create an account and connect to your mail server.

    What else will you do with it?
    We may send you emails about Speaking Email CarPlay. You can opt out of these any time by a link in the email footer. We may contact you to assist in your usage.

    Will you share my email address?
    No. We will not share your email address with anyone unless required by law.

    What other personal information do you need?
    Just your name and email address.

    Will you read my email?
    The app downloads email directly from your email provider (Office 365 or Gmail) to your phone. It does not go to our server and we do not see your personal emails. 

    Dedicated connection
    For your security, Speaking Email makes a secure encrypted connection directly to your mail server. We do not read email already on your phone. This connection cannot be accessed by other apps.

    Passwords
    Microsoft and Google accounts support OAUTH authentication. This is a very secure method which means your password is sent directly to the mail provider only once during your initial connection, and then only tokens are used.

    Personal information / GDPR
    We store your email address and name on our secure cloud server for the purpose of identifying your account, getting in contact if needed and marketing. You can unsubscribe any time from marketing emails. Our cloud is located outside the EU in New Zealand and is subject to New Zealand's privacy laws. We retain your data only as long as necessary and will delete your data if requested.

    Analytics and logging

    To help maintain and improve our app, we have implemented analytics and crash logging. This is a necessary function to provide stable and high performing software. Telemetry data including your IP address are recorded in our secure cloud database.


    Privacy policy
    We adhere to strict privacy procedures (see our privacy policy at https://speaking.email/privacy).

    Enterprise agreements
    Please contact us if you wish to discuss individual requirements for data management for your enterprise.
  • What about viruses?

    It is not possible for the app to trigger any malware or virus that would jump out into your phone.


    Here's why:
    • Speaking Email CarPlay removes all script from emails
    • Speaking Email CarPlay does not follow any links or allow you to click any links
    • There are no known attack vectors using CarPlay
    • There are no known attack vectors using text-to-speech
    • The iPhone security model does not allow our app to write files into any other apps' folders so nothing can get out of our app into another 

Pricing & Editions

  • Can Speaking Email CarPlay be used by an enterprise?

    Digital transformation involves looking at all areas of your business and finding innovative tools and approaches to make improvements. If you have sales or service teams on the road, outfitting your fleet with CarPlay and a full suite of productivity apps is a smart choice.


    Speaking Email CarPlay fits perfectly, empowering users to check their email while in traffic or on the highway. Imagine a sales team who no longer needs to stop to check emails.


    Our Enterprise Edition is ideal if you have a whole team and are innovating around improving productivity. Speaking Email CarPlay is an easy win if your fleet is investing in Apple CarPlay.


    In addition to CarPlay, we have versions for iPhone and Android.

  • Can I try before I buy?

    Yes and in fact you do not need to pay at all as Speaking Email CarPlay is a fully functional free app. (We might revise this in future)


    Free features: email reading with smart content detection, play controls for next/previous, CarPlay buttons for done, trash and flag.


    Upgrades available: voice commands, sending with dictation, attachment reading, multiple accounts.

  • Do you have a free version?

    Yes, the app is currently free* to download and is fully functional.


    Free features: email reading with smart content detection, play controls for next/previous, CarPlay buttons for done, trash and flag.


    Upgrades available: voice commands, sending with dictation, attachment reading, multiple accounts.


    Even if you decide you don't like it after paying for the upgrades, it is no problem to get a refund. This is easy to do.


    Consider how much time Speaking Email CarPlay can potentially save you, and we are sure you will agree the small investment is money well spent. 


    (*We might revise this in future)

  • How much does it cost?

    Speaking Email CarPlay is free* with optional extra paid features.


    Free features: email reading with smart content detection, play controls for next/previous, CarPlay buttons for done, trash and flag.


    Upgrades available: voice commands, sending with dictation, attachment reading, multiple accounts. Our optional extras are $5 or $10 each.


    How much time do you think you could save a month by using Speaking Email CarPlay? A few of hours a month at least, maybe even an hour a day. How much is your time worth?


    We also have an Enterprise Edition which is ideal if you have a whole team and are innovating around improving productivity.


    (*We might revise this in future)

Features

  • Do you have voice recognition?

    We don't support voice recognition on CarPlay at this time.


    However, you can use voice commands and dictate replies using our original product Speaking Email for iPhone and Android.


    We are planning to add these features as an optional subscription during 2020.

  • Can it play my email in French? Spanish? German? Japanese? Chinese?

    Yes. Email reading works in all languages supported by your phone, so long as you have the relevant voices installed. 


    Speaking Email CarPlay will switch voices to a French voice when an email arrives in French and then to Spanish when a Spanish one is detected and back to English when one comes in English. It even switches languages within an email if the thread contains replies in multiple languages. We call this feature "Multilingual" and you can turn it on or off under preferences.


    The user interface and voice commands are always in English. 


    Our proprietary signature, disclaimer, and thread header detection algorithms support 12 languages including English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Afrikaans, Polish, Portuguese, and partial support for Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Romanian, Russian, Thai, Hindi, Hebrew. This means it will skip over signatures and disclaimers when recognised. 

  • How do you handle threads being read out?

    We treat conversation threads a bit differently from what you may be used to in a screen based email program - it's not like Gmail or Office 365 web versions where you can expand and collapse the replies in the thread -because we are preparing the content as speech. 


    We automatically scan for your email address and stop reading out the email at the point that we know it already was sent to or from you. This way Speaking Email reads right to the point it needs to. If we simply cut off at the first reply we might miss something - for example imagine getting an email saying "see below email - unbelievable" and not hearing the email trail below. If someone forwards you an email you want to hear the full thing, unless you sent it originally - then you only need to hear up to the point where you sent it. If we combined all replies from a thread together in one screen, we might be reading out old messages that you've seen before.


    Speaking Email CarPlay tells you where it skips and why, for example "skipping reply thread because you were CCed on this email already". It then pauses a few seconds, in which you can tap the Play button to read out the full trail. Also, if you tap Previous to go back to it, it will read out the full email.


    You can switch smart thread skipping on or off in Preferences.

  • How can Office 365 Outlook email read out loud on CarPlay?

    Get your Office 365 on CarPlay by using our latest app Speaking Email CarPlay.


    Designed to work with CarPlay and incorporating the latest Office 365 security and email APIs, Speaking Email CarPlay gives you more time in your day by letting you check your email on the move.


    It is a cut down email client with simple to use voice commands designed to be safe to use while driving. 


    Speaking Email CarPlay is the only app that lets you listen to your Outlook email on CarPlay with speech to text, intelligently extracting speakable content from each email to read out loud to you. 


    Is your organisation undergoing a digital transformation, looking for productivity tools for workforce enablement? See our Enterprise solutions.

  • Does it work with Gmail?

    Speaking Email CarPlay is the only way to listen to your Gmail inbox on CarPlay.


    It works great with Gmail, including personal Gmail accounts, custom domains, and G-Suite for Business.


    All features are supported and we have some extra special features for Gmail, which include Gmail tabs and custom Gmail search query filtering.


    Gmail connections make use of Google Sign-In security, meaning your password is only ever sent directly to Google servers.

Making Email Accessible

Safe Driving and the Law

  • How to improve employee safety and reduce liability?

    In most countries employers have a "duty of care" to provide a safe work environment for employees. If you provide cars or expect employees to drive as part of their responsibilities, you need to be thinking employee safety in cars.


    There have been half a dozen high profile cases in the US where companies have been successfully sued over crashes where employees have been talking on mobile phones to clients. Some of theses cases have extended the parameters to negligence in the employer failing to provide guidelines on cell phone use. 

    How can we provide a safe environment for employees and reduce any potential for liability?


    We recommend:
    1. Provide a policy on mobile phone use. 
    2. Provide CarPlay in the vehicle.
    3. Provide CarPlay apps.


    This FAQ does not constitute legal advice - consult your legal and HR team to see if this is an area you need to address.
  • Can well designed technology really reduce driving distraction?

    A senior researcher at IIHS says:


    "In an ideal world, drivers wouldn't do anything but drive while the vehicle is moving. But people are increasingly plugged in at all times, and automakers have responded by installing systems to make it easier to use technology on the go," says Ian Reagan, an IIHS senior research scientist and a co-author of a pair of papers based on the experimental study. "While you can't completely eliminate the distracting nature of these types of tasks, this study shows it's possible to reduce some types of distraction through system design."
  • Does this app enable safe driving with CarPlay?

    As a CarPlay audio app, Speaking Email CarPlay is similar to using Spotify or Podcasts. It reads out your emails one by one from your inbox.


    Interaction is minimal and entirely optional. You can tap Previous or Next, and tap the CarPlay action buttons to archive, mark-as-read, flag or trash. 


    If you are sneakily checking your email in the car, this app provides a much safer alternative!


    In terms of driver distraction, anything can be a distraction including talking to passengers, hands free phone calls, kids, and changing music. Some studies suggest that talking with passengers is more of a risk than listening to voice recordings, because preparing to speak has a higher cognitive load than passive listening. Listening to your emails is mostly passive. 


    Simply tap Pause if traffic requires your full attention.


    For more about distracted driving see http://www.distraction.gov/stats-research-laws/facts-and-statistics.html 

Connecting Your Account

  • I get "Tired of seeing this? Rename your personal Microsoft account"

    You may get this error message if you have two Microsoft accounts under the same email address. A few years ago Microsoft made an attempt at unifying their account types but didn't quite figure it out and seem to think this error message to end users was a solution. Luckily it's not too hard to solve.


    Follow the Microsoft recommendation and change the email address of your personal account to an alias so the Microsoft security system doesn't get confused and keep popping up prompts. This is simple to do and will prevent this prompt popping up on any application that uses your Microsoft account.


    Click here to follow the Microsoft instructions to create an alias and make it your primary account.


    The screenshot below shows doing this:

  • What can I do if my account is disabled in for ActiveSync?

    If Speaking Email says your account is disabled for ActiveSync, you will need to see your Exchange system administrator. 


    If you are managing the mail server, you will need to look for the setting to enable ActiveSync either on an individual account or a wider group. The screenshot below shows where this setting is in Office 365.



    Or you can look in the Office Admin Center under Users:



    If you have multi factor authentication (MFA) turned on, you will need to use a one time "app password" for Speaking Email - see these instructions from Microsoft.

  • Does it work with Exchange or Outlook?

    Yes! If you use Outlook in an enterprise environment you are probably using Exchange server (don't be confused with "Outlook.com" - that is Microsoft's new name for Hotmail and is not the same at all). 


    We use ActiveSync to connect to Exchange server, which is the same protocol as your iPhone or Android mail uses. If you connect to your mail on your phone already, check your phone mail settings, which will show if you are connecting to Exchange. It will also show your server name and username.


    Your server name should be just the host and domain name (eg mobile.myserver.com).


    Your username will be either:

    • your full email address (and leave domain blank)
    • OR a username (eg mnelson) and domain (eg bewebnetwork)


    If you are having trouble connecting, Microsoft has a tool which helps you check if you have the right credentials. To use the tool, select "ActiveSync" (the default option). You can use this tool to check your connection:


    If it passes the checks and you can't connect to Speaking Email, copy the detailed report and send it to us at feedback@speaking.email (it doesn't contain any private details).

  • Do you support Office 356 Exchange Online accounts?

    Yes we do! Office 365 is fully supported. We provide secure login directly to Microsoft or your own organisation sign-in page, including MFA (multi-factor authentication), for example via text message or authenticator app.


    Speaking Email uses ActiveSync to connect to Exchange Server. It appears with the User Agent name “Speaking Email SE” so you can clearly identify clients.


    Speaking Email supports most ActiveSync features, including autodiscover, provisioning and remote wipe. It supports Basic Authentication and Modern Authentication.


    Exchange Online MDM (mobile device management) is supported. You can disable individual clients and an appropriate error message will display in Speaking Email.


    If it has been locked down your IT team may need to locate the app Speaking Email in the Azure portal and grant the following permission:

    Access mailboxes as the signed-in user via Exchange Web Services


    Here is the GUID for that scope: 3b5f3d61-589b-4a3c-a359-5dd4b5ee5bd5


  • What does 'Gmail error 400: Mail service not enabled' mean?

    This means the Gmail API that Speaking Email CarPlay uses to communicate with Gmail is not able to be used for your account.


    Most likely your email address is not a Gmail account. It is possible to be a Google Account but not a Gmail account (for example if you use the account for YouTube but have never enabled Gmail).


    Otherwise, if you have G Suite your organization administrator may need to enable the Gmail feature or Gmail API access.


    If it still doesn't work with your account, please request a refund.

  • How to enable Microsoft Intune access to corporate mail?

    Speaking Email has special features to enable support for Microsoft Intune (Enterprise Mobility + Security).


    Depending on your Conditional Access (CA) policies you may need to have Azure tenant admins provide permission to access corporate email. In this case a Microsoft screen will appear saying "Need admin approval".


    To do this, your Azure admin can either add the app in your Company Portal, or grant permission via consent links.


    Click here to grant required permissions to Speaking Email.


    The permissions it needs are:

    - Intune MAM

    - Exchange Online

    - Sign in


    You should be directed to sign in to the Azure portal under the correct user account and then see a prompt similar to the following.


    For more information about consenting app permissions, see this Microsoft article.

  • How to enable Office 365 Direct access to corporate mail?

    Speaking Email has special features to enable support for Microsoft Office 365, via several connectors. The primary we call Office 365 Direct.


    Depending on your Azure AD policies you may need to have Azure tenant admins provide permission to access corporate email. In this case a Microsoft screen will appear saying "Need admin approval".


    To do this, your Azure admin can either add from the Azure App Gallery under Enterprise Apps, or grant permission via consent links.


    Click here to grant required permissions to Speaking Email.


    The permissions it needs are:

    - Exchange Online

    - Sign in


    You should be directed to sign in to the Azure portal under the correct user account and then see a prompt similar to the following.


    For more information about consenting app permissions, see this Microsoft article.

  • How to set up permissions for Office 365

    Speaking Email will appear in the Azure portal, allowing you to see what permissions it is using. If you mail is not coming through, you can check to make sure these permissions are available.


    If your Office 365 is under default settings, you shouldn't need to worry about this. 


    In some cases you will need to manually check and grant this permission.


    If it has been locked down your IT team may need to locate the app Speaking Email in the Azure portal and grant the following permission:

    Access mailboxes as the signed-in user via Exchange Web Services


    Here is the GUID for that scope: 3b5f3d61-589b-4a3c-a359-5dd4b5ee5bd5


    This is the only permission needed and it covers ActiveSync as well as Exchange Web Services. (Note that Speaking Email does not require EWS to be enabled but does require ActiveSync enabled)


    The screenshots below show you where to do this.





  • Why can't I connect to my Exchange server?

    If you are not using our direct Office 365 sign-in, you may strike problems with ActiveSync. We recommend using the Office 365 direct sign-in when possible as it is more reliable.


    Speaking Email CarPlay can use the ActiveSync protocol to communicate with Microsoft Exchange server, Office 365, and Amazon WorkMail. 


    This is a fairly complex protocol and supports a range of server versions, security policies, and administration features. Due to the wide range of different configurations, some issues may be encountered.


    Errors when connecting your account


    Could not connect to Exchange server using ActiveSync using the supplied credentials. 


    When you enter your credentials to connect your account, Speaking Email validates and provides appropriate error messages to help you fix what is wrong. 


    Here are the various issues that can be identified:

    • Server format incorrect - should be like exch.mydomain.com (AS1)
      Do not enter http or any other characters. The server name should be just letters, digits, dots and dashes (eg myserver.mydomain.com)
    • The server address is not an email address, it should be something like exch.mydomain.com (AS1)
      Don't enter your email address in the server name field :)
    • Server name not found in DNS lookup (AS2)
      When a server is not reachable, we check to see if its IP address can be located using the internet domain name system (DNS). The server name could not be resolved, let alone reached, so is probably incorrectly typed. This server name could not be found on the internet, which means it is either not existing or is only available from an internal network.
    • Office 365 rejected your password (AS4)
      Check your password and make sure it has not expired. Note that passwords automatically expire (depending on Exchange server policy). 
    • Username for Office365 should be your email address (AS7) 
      You have entered a username which is not a valid email address, so this will not be your correct username since all usernames in Office 365 are email addresses.
    • Exchange version not supported (AS6)
      We probe your Exchange server to see if it responds to an OPTIONS command. If it returns HTTP 505 or 501 then this message is displayed. This could be a configuration error on your Exchange server (check ActiveSync is working from other devices). Or it may be that your server is not Exchange or Amazon WorkMail or is very old. 
    • Exchange Server rejected your password. Either username, password or domain is incorrect (AS4)
    • Exchange Server returned 403 Forbidden. The mailbox may not be on this server. (AS8)
      You may have incorrectly entered the server name, domain or username. For example you may have entered a valid Exchange server name but it isn't your server.  Things to check:
      • Domain - does your account need this?
      • Username - should it be your email address or just a username?
      • Server - is this the correct server where your account resides?
      • If you have multi factor authentication (MFA) or Modern Authenticaton turned on, you will need to use a one time "app password" for Speaking Email - see these instructions from Microsoft.
    • This is not an Exchange / Office 365 account.
      When the Exchange server rejects your credentials we do a check of your email address to see if we can automatically determine what account type it is, so we can suggest what kind of account it is you need. Please add the account using the correct account type in Speaking Email.
    • Office 365 does not recognise this email address (AS4)
      Check your email address for typos, or you may have a different account type.
    • Exchange Server returned 440 Login Timeout. This could be a permissions error. Check that you are able to connect via iPhone or Android mail and that 'Speaking Email' is an allowed User Agent (AS6)
      Verify that you can connect using ActiveSync in another email client, or use the Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer. Your system admin can check on whether your server is rejecting Speaking Email based on its User Agent string.
    • Server may not support Exchange ActiveSync - cannot connect to [endpoint] (AS3).
      This may not be the correct server name. Check that the endpoint address looks correct. You may have typed it incorrectly. 

      This error indicates that the server is not an ActiveSync server, so check if your mail server does actually support ActiveSync and whether it has a different address.


    If unsure what to do, you should verify that you can connect using ActiveSync in another email client (eg iPhone or Android mail), or use the Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer


    Mobile Device Management (MDM) 


    Some enterprises use an MDM system, such as Microsoft Intune, to manage employee access to apps via a "corporate app store".


    If your enterprise uses an MDM system and your connection is not working, first try using a "app password" if you are able to use this.


    Otherwise, please contact us on feedback@speaking.email to ask if we can support your system.

  • Why I am getting ActiveSync error messages?

    Speaking Email uses the ActiveSync protocol to communicate with Microsoft Exchange server, Office 365, and Amazon WorkMail. It's the protocol used by all Android and iPhone built-in mail apps, and it is designed for optimal mobile data usage.


    This is a fairly complex protocol and supports a range of server versions, security policies, and administration features. Due to the wide range of different configurations, some issues may be encountered.


    Errors when connecting your account


    Could not connect to Exchange server using ActiveSync using the supplied credentials. 


    When you enter your credentials to connect your account, Speaking Email validates and provides appropriate error messages to help you fix what is wrong. 


    Here are the various issues that can be identified:

    • Server format incorrect - should be like exch.mydomain.com (AS1)
      Do not enter http or any other characters. The server name should be just letters, digits, dots and dashes (eg myserver.mydomain.com)
    • The server address is not an email address, it should be something like exch.mydomain.com (AS1)
      Don't enter your email address in the server name field :)
    • Server name not found in DNS lookup (AS2)
      When a server is not reachable, we check to see if its IP address can be located using the internet domain name system (DNS). The server name could not be resolved, let alone reached, so is probably incorrectly typed. This server name could not be found on the internet, which means it is either not existing or is only available from an internal network.
    • Office 365 rejected your password (AS4)
      Check your password and make sure it has not expired. Note that passwords automatically expire (depending on Exchange server policy). 
    • Username for Office365 should be your email address (AS7) 
      You have entered a username which is not a valid email address, so this will not be your correct username since all usernames in Office 365 are email addresses.
    • Exchange version not supported (AS6)
      We probe your Exchange server to see if it responds to an OPTIONS command. If it returns HTTP 505 or 501 then this message is displayed. This could be a configuration error on your Exchange server (check ActiveSync is working from other devices). Or it may be that your server is not Exchange or Amazon WorkMail or is very old. 
    • Exchange Server rejected your password. Either username, password or domain is incorrect (AS4)
    • Exchange Server returned 403 Forbidden. The mailbox may not be on this server. (AS8)
      You may have incorrectly entered the server name, domain or username. For example you may have entered a valid Exchange server name but it isn't your server.  Things to check:
      • Domain - does your account need this?
      • Username - should it be your email address or just a username?
      • Server - is this the correct server where your account resides?
      • If you have multi factor authentication (MFA) turned on, you can use a one time "app password" for Speaking Email - see these instructions from Microsoft.
      • If you are on Office 365 and have Modern Authentication or other extra security measures (including MFA) you can enable Modern Auth in Speaking Email - account setup > your account > switch on Modern Authentication (OAuth).
    • This is not an Exchange / Office 365 account.
      When the Exchange server rejects your credentials we do a check of your email address to see if we can automatically determine what account type it is, so we can suggest what kind of account it is you need. Please add the account using the correct account type in Speaking Email.
    • Office 365 does not recognise this email address (AS4)
      Check your email address for typos, or you may have a different account type.
    • Exchange Server returned 440 Login Timeout. This could be a permissions error. Check that you are able to connect via iPhone or Android mail and that 'Speaking Email' is an allowed User Agent (AS6)
      Verify that you can connect using ActiveSync in another email client, or use the Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer. Your system admin can check on whether your server is rejecting Speaking Email based on its User Agent string.
    • Server may not support Exchange ActiveSync - cannot connect to [endpoint] (AS3).
      This may not be the correct server name. Check that the endpoint address looks correct. You may have typed it incorrectly.

      This error indicates that the server is not an ActiveSync server, so check if your mail server does actually support ActiveSync and whether it has a different address.


    If unsure what to do, you should verify that you can connect using ActiveSync in another email client (eg iPhone or Android mail), or use the Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer


    Errors when using Speaking Email


    Unable to connect to your Exchange mailbox. Your user account has been disabled for ActiveSync. Please see your system admin to get ActiveSync enabled for your account. Code: UserDisabledForSync

    See our FAQ here.


    Unable to connect to your Exchange mailbox. You have reached the maximum limit of number of devices connected to this email account. Please see your system admin to get your limit increased, or you can delete old partnerships using OWA (Outlook Web Access). Code: MaximumDevicesReached

    By default Exchange Server 2010 only allows you to use 10 email clients at a time. To use Speaking Email you need to delete any partnerships with devices or mail clients that you are no longer. More recent versions have a limit of 100 partnerships, but you could still encounter this limit if you add and remove accounts a lot.


    For more information on how to resolve this, see this article from Apple.


    Unable to connect to your Exchange mailbox. Your user account has been temporarily blocked. Please see your system admin to get your account unblocked. Code: DevicelsBlockedForThisUser
    When a new device is activated for the first time, it may be blocked or quarantined by default or according to policies set up by the sysadmin. You may be sent an email about it, you may just need to wait, or you may need to contact your sysadmin to get Speaking Email unblocked. There are many ways to block access according to Allow/Block/Quarantine (ABQ) rules.

    Here is a guide to this topic from Microsoft.


    Access to your mailbox has been prevented. Your Exchange mail server has request a remote wipe of your account so Speaking Email has removed the account. You can add it again if it becomes available. Code:
    RemoteWipeRequested
    This means a "remote wipe" has been requested by the server. This would normally happen when someone loses their phone or an employee leaves. In this case we remove all email and personal details from the phone.


    You have over 2000 messages in [period]. Speaking Email will re-sync with Exchange Server and download only One Day Back. Code: TooManyMessages

    You can specify the number of days back to sync under Account Settings. But if this results in more than 20 pages of headers (or 2000) messages, Speaking Email will automatically reduce reduce its time window for latest messages. We do this in order to operate efficiently and avoid throttling limits. We also automatically extend the number of days back when there are too few messages. 


    ActiveSync: The policy data on the Exchange server is corrupt. Please contact your mail system administrator. Code: policyStatus4

    This might be due to network interference, so try again, or some network configuration (eg a proxy server or firewall).


    Cannot connect to Exchange. Perhaps your password is incorrect or you are offline. Go to Account Settings to reconnect.

    This is a generic error that occurs when Speaking Email tries to connect to Exchange and fails. This can actually indicate that the server rejects your credentials or that it cannot be reached. Check that you are connected to the internet, and whether your password has expired. 


    ActiveSync: Looks like your ActiveSync account has been disabled. Please see your Exchange server admin. Code: 403 Forbidden

    Talk to your system admin to check if your email account is enabled and has ActiveSync enabled. Otherwise ActiveSync could be incorrectly configured or disabled. Try accessing your account from another mail client, eg iPhone or Android mail.


    ActiveSync: Perhaps your password has changed. Access is denied due to invalid credentials. Code: 401 Unauthorized. Go to Account Settings to reconnect.

    By default Exchange Server requires users to change their passwords on a regular basis. Your password may have expired since you last used Speaking Email.


    Just go to Account Settings > Exchange Server Settings, type in your new password, and click Connect Account.


    Exchange Server too busy. Connection will be unavailable for 20 minutes. Code: ASThrottle

    By default Exchange server restricts connections in a variety of ways. We try to avoid hitting the default limits by slowing down requests and performing batched actions, but it depends on the server version, configuration, throttling policies and what other devices are connecting. Office 365 is particularly restrictive, so you may hit this error more often that you would like.

  • Can I add multiple Gmail accounts?

    You can add any number of any type of accounts.


    When you click add Gmail account the second time, your first account is preloaded in the "google" connection screen.


    To change this, click your email address in the top right corner next to the Google logo. 
  • Why is my Hotmail or Outlook.com password not working?

    If you have entered your email and password correctly but it says it is wrong, it could be additional security requirements from Microsoft.


    You can set up  couple of different ways to secure your Outlook.com account, and you may have one of these set up (possibly without realising). 


    Check your email to see if your account has detected you trying to sign in and rejected it. There should be instructions on how to allow a new app to access your email.


    Sometimes just signing into your account can "unblock" it and you don't need to do this next step at all.


    If your account has two-step verification enabled, you will need to sign in to Outlook.com on your web browser, and click on 'App passwords' to generate a one-off password. This password can then be used for Speaking Email CarPlay, keeping your normal password secure.


    To find these settings, go to the Security page on Outlook.com:

    https://account.live.com/proofs/Manage



    Scroll down a bit to see these settings:


  • I struck a problem, can I send you a screenshot?

    We take bug reports and usability issues very seriously, and would like to hear from you with as much detail as possible to help us sort out the issue. If there is a problem, quite often the app will log an error report. Sometimes a screen shot from your phone can be helpful in diagnosing the problem. To take a screen shot you can follow these instructions:

    • Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button on the top or side of your device.
    • Immediately press and release the Home button.
    • To find your screenshot, go to the Photos app > Albums and tap Camera Roll.
    • Send us the screen shot, along with the time, date you took it, and a detailed description of the problem and events immediately leading up to it.


Help and Tips

  • Can I just play Gmail important priority emails?

    Sure, we can set that up in Speaking Email CarPlay. 


    We have an advanced Gmail filtering settings. This is under Preferences > account specific settings - your gmail account > Folders to read out.
    Here you can exclude all the inbox "tabs" that Gmail shows other than the primary inbox tab. This might be what you want to do.


    We have a "custom gmail search query" which allows you to put any gmail search filter in as your filter. 


    Are you are wanting to see only emails that Gmail labels "important"? To do this enter the following as your advanced search query:
    in:inbox AND is:important 
    Help is here

    You can test your search query by searching it up in gmail for example:

  • How can I set it to read out promotional emails - it keeps skipping them. Can I change this?

    Sure. You can change this under Preferences > Email Filtering & Sorting.

  • Is there a Cheat Sheet for voice commands?

    Speaking Email CarPlay is easy to use, but can take a bit of getting your head around.


    You don't need to know them all but there are a lot of voice commands you can use to make your use of Speaking Email CarPlay more enjoyable and efficient. 


    We have prepared a cheat sheet which lists all the commands, designed so you can print it out on a double sided sheet of paper. If you use Speaking Email while driving, you can keep this in your car and refer to it before starting your journey or at the lights, to help you remember to try out all the commands. 


    Download our cheat sheet to get a full list of all the commands, including dictation commands. 

  • I want to get my email on CarPlay, but your icon doesn’t show up on my screen in the car. Any tips on how to make it show up?

    If you go into the System Settings, look under General > CarPlay > your car. Tap customize and see if "Speaking Email CP" is there.



    Drag it up towards the top, so that it appears on the first screen when you use CarPlay (or you will need to swipe across to find it on your vehicle screen). A lot of people don't see it on the home screen of CarPlay but haven't realised you can swipe to see more apps (it's easy to miss). 


    If you don't see Speaking Email in the settings, then maye you have Speaking Email (regular version) installed rather than Speaking Email CP (CarPlay version). These are two separate apps in the App Store. Try going to the app store and searching up Speaking Email CarPlay to see if that's the one you have downloaded. 


    The other thing to be aware of is if you want to use voice control*, Speaking Email CP must be in the foreground on the phone as well as on screen in CarPlay. For this reason we recommend you always click BOTH the icon on the CarPlay screen AND the icon on the phone to launch the app. Then use the CarPlay on-screen button to play your email.   
     
    *Voice control is an optional extra feature which you can buy for a small one off fee. 
  • Can emails be read aloud to me as they are received?

    Many people ask this question. This is not the main purpose of the app (which is listening to your inbox), but it is possible to configure Speaking Email CarPlay to read out email when it arrives, although this only works when the app is in the foreground.


    If this functionality continued after the app went into the background, there would be no way to stop it happening when you didn't want it, after you reach your destination or when you have a passenger. Also due to Apple limitations, speech recognition cannot be invoked from a background app, and other apps may be using the audio so there are problems with functioning in background mode (to get technical: apps like Google Maps can interrupt long form audio with a short announcement, but our app is classified as long form audio so is not allowed to interrupt other apps). We have made it so the phone will not go to sleep while the app is active, so if you leave the app open in reading mode it will not go into the background automatically.


    By default the app reads out the latest 250 emails in your inbox, then stops and waits for new email to arrive. It will stop on the “end screen”, and read out new email it arrives. If you go into preferences you can tell it to avoid reading the latest 250 and only read out mail if it is new.


    In preferences there are a couple of different options to choose from depending on what you want. They are under “email sorting and filtering”. 
    1. Play only new email since launch - this will not play any email at first and just go straight to the end screen and wait for new email from now on.
    2. Play only unread emails - before going to the end screen, this will read any email that has not been marked as read (including on other email clients). It works well if you set the option to automatically mark as read when played (under "auto play options").
    3. Play only unplayed - if you prefer not to muck with read and unread, this option simply tells Speaking Email CarPlay to play any emails that it has not already played to you before going to the end screen. 


    Additionally, the app can pause after announcing the sender and subject, allowing you to say "play" or "next" before reading out the full email. This option can be set under "auto play options". 


    Also, if you get a new incoming email while you are listening through your inbox, the new email will be inserted in the next slot, so will be read out soon after it arrives, rather than waiting till you get to the end screen. 
  • I see the app on CarPlay but it seems that I have to have it open on my phone for it to work, is that correct?

    Yes that is correct. It needs to be activated on both the phone and the CarPlay unit - this enables it to activate speech recognition, which is not otherwise possible.


  • How do I stop it playing?

    There are a couple of ways. If you have the voice commands extra you can say “stop” or “quit”. 


    But the main way, which is the same for all CarPlay apps, is you have to go to the now playing screen and hit the stop button (the big button in the middle which is play/pause/stop).
  • Can I compose new emails?

    Yes, you can compose new emails, replies and forwards while driving using Speaking Email CarPlay. To get this feature you will need to first purchase two extras: Voice Commands, and Sending. 


    To compose a new email, just say "compose" at any command listening trigger point, or on the main menu tap 'compose'. (Make sure you have the app open in the foreground on your phone as well as the carplay screen -  the operating system only allows speech recognition if the app is in the foreground on the phone)


    Speaking Email CarPlay asks you "who to?". Say the first and last name of anyone in your phone contacts (sometimes known as your phone address book). Speaking Email will ask for permission to access your contacts the first time, and you have to tap OK to give your permission.


    Speaking Email CarPlay searches your contacts for the name you said and any similar sounding names. If there is more than one choice it shows a list of possibilities. If you can't remember the last name, say just the first name and see all the options. And if a contact has more than one email address, the alternatives are displayed. In all cases of picking from a list, you can say "list" to have the options read out to you, and say the option or its number to select.


    If you don't want to use your phone contacts this can be switched off in the preferences, and we allow you to set up your own list of favourite recipients (in preferences > replies, forwarding, compose). If you switch off phone contacts, Speaking Email will instead display the favourite recipients list for you to pick from. Say the number or first part of the email address to select it. If you are using phone contacts you can still use the favourites list as well, by saying "favourites".


    After choosing the recipient, you are asked to say the subject. Speaking Email then asks you to compose the message. Here you can dictate your message, including punctuation.


    If you pause for 5 seconds Speaking Email CarPlay will ask you to say a dictation command. You can say "subject" to change the subject, or "recipients" to change or add additional recipients to your message. Say "help" for a list of command you can say here. Or look in the Command Quick Reference under the Support menu.



  • Can I compose to contacts in my Gmail/Outlook contacts?

    The app does not directly support account contacts from email systems such as Gmail/Google Contacts or Outlook/Office365/Microsoft365.

    However it does support Phone Contacts. This uses your Contacts (addressbook) on your phone. In many cases you can set these accounts up to be included on your phone as a contacts source.


    For example on iPhone, under system settings you can add Gmail as an account and select to include it in your Contacts.


    In Speaking Email set up Phone Contacts under Preferences > Reply, Compose, etc.

  • I have archived an email by mistake - can I get it back?

    Archived emails can always be retrieved. There are two ways:
    1. If you realise just after you archive it, tap Undo (the Random button on CarPlay). 
    2. If it's a bit later, go into your regular mail program, for example Gmail, Outlook, or Office 365. The location of your archived mail is different for gmail that other mail servers. 

    Gmail:
    Open Gmail in your browser and click on the folder called "All Mail". You will see everything including archived emails. Or you can search in gmail.


    Office 365/Outlook:
    Archived email will be moved to a folder called "archive". This will either be  a built in folder that already exists or Speaking Email CarPlay will create it as a personal folder. 
  • How can I choose the voice?

    Speaking Email CarPlay sounds best using an 'Enhanced' voice.


    You can check and download extra 'Enhanced' voices under System Settings > General > Accessibility > Voices. 


    To select a voice to use in Speaking Email CarPlay, go into Preferences > Voices and choose the voice you like for each language. Note there are two 'English' selections - one for the 'announcer' and one for English email reading. 

  • It is skipping too much or not enough - can I configure this?

    We detect and skip email signatures, disclaimers, phone number, web addresses and email addresses. You will hear "skipping signature" to let you know when this happens. Our detection is based on heuristics and is not always perfect, but is we think it is pretty damn good. We are continually improving it, and you are welcome to forward us any emails that are not being detected very well (eg a signature not being skipped or some text being skipped when it isn't a signature).


    There are several settings under Preferences to customise what is spoken:

    • Whether to read out the recipients, CCs, and time received. 
    • If you want to focus on important emails, you can switch on "skip promotional emails". (Or you might find you have time to listen to newsletters you subscribed to which you don't have time to look at!) 
    • There is an option to cut off when a reply is detected - ie "reply skipping" - where you can choose whether to have it move on to the next email when it detects the start of a reply thread / email trail.
  • Can I check mail in other folders?

    Speaking Email CarPlay is primarily an inbox reader. It reads out all emails in your inbox to give you an overview of what's current, and lets you archive emails to keep your inbox tidy. 


    If you have a Gmail account, we have support for checking folders other than "inbox". Under Account Settings there is a switch "check all folders" which will simply gather all new and recent email across the inbox and any user folders (folders or labels that you have set up - excludes system folders such as Sent Items, Trash and All Mail). For complete customisation of what emails you want read out by Speaking Email, we have another switch "use gmail search pattern" which allows you to add or exclude any folders or even any search terms you wish. To set this up, simply create a search in Gmail that shows all the mail you want, then copy the search query into the Speaking Email Account Settings. For example you could set up this:

    in:inbox OR label:clients OR label:personal-stuff


    In future we may add this feature for Office 365. Please email us if you would like this feature.

  • Will it read emails automatically as they arrive?

    Yes. When Speaking Email CarPlay is currently playing emails, any new emails are inserted in the next available slot, so when you move to the next email it will be one that has just come in.


    You can also configure it to only read new incoming email. 


    Note that while the app is in the background it will not start speaking. Why not? See more about how to configure new email only and why background mode is not supported.

  • This doesn't work for me - can I get a refund?

    Yes. If you are not happy with the app for any reason, we don't mind giving you a refund.


    If you don't find it works for you, we are happy to give you a refund. To apply for a refund, just click the link "report a problem" in the receipt email from Apple. 


    Or go to https://reportaproblem.apple.com and login with your Apple ID. You will see a list of all apps you have bought and buttons to report a problem and request a refund.


About Speaking Email

  • Can you get email on CarPlay?

    Yes! Speaking Email CarPlay reads your email to you on the road using Apple CarPlay.


    It works with Office 365 and Gmail email accounts.

  • Will Gmail work on Apple CarPlay?

    Not out of the box. But we have an app for this!


    Speaking Email CarPlay lets you listen to your Gmail inbox on the road using Apple CarPlay.

  • Does it works on VW, Audi, Volvo, Toyota, Honda/Acura, Porsche, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Lexus, Kia, Jeep, Hyundai...?

    Speaking Email CarPlay is an email app for CarPlay. 


    As you'd expect, it works with CarPlay on any vehicle manufacturer - whether you have a VW, Audi, Volvo, Toyota, Honda/Acura, Porsche, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Lexus, Kia, Jeep, Hyundai, Chrysler, Dodge, BMW, Chevrolet, Buick, or Cadillac.

  • Does it work with wireless CarPlay?

    Sure. Speaking Email CarPlay is compatible with Wireless CarPlay devices. We've tested it on a JVC Kenwood Wireless CarPlay aftermarket unit.

  • Does it work with aftermarket CarPlay?

    Sure. Speaking Email CarPlay is compatible with aftermarket CarPlay devices, such as JVC, Kenwood, Sony, Pioneer, Alpine.


    We tested it on a JVCKenwood Wireless CarPlay aftermarket unit.

  • Does this app read my email aloud on CarPlay?

    Yes! Speaking Email CarPlay does just that. It reads your email aloud, so you can listen to email on the move on your iPhone in the car using your Apple CarPlay unit.


    If you have CarPlay, this app is a must!


    If you are so busy and get so much email you don't have time to read it during your working day, use Speaking Email CarPlay to hear email read aloud to you. 


    It reads out loud all emails in your inbox, continuously, one by one, and new emails that arrive while you are listening are slotted in next.

  • Is there an app that reads emails?

    Yes - you are looking for Speaking Email. It's the app that reads your emails out loud to you.


    With the help of Speaking Email your phone can read your emails to you, with intelligent clutter detection to read out only the relevant email content. It also lets you reply and manage your mail with voice commands.

  • Who is behind Speaking Email?

    Speaking Email CarPlay is created and developed by Beweb Limited.


    Beweb is an independent locally owned web and mobile development company of 10 developers in Auckland, New Zealand. 


    We published our first app Speaking Email in 2015 and have been refining and improving it continuously since.


    Beweb has been using web technology to make business applications, web apps, and mobile apps, for 19 years. See our website for more about our company.


  • Love it! How can I help?

    If you really like Speaking Email CarPlay we would be super appreciative if you could help us promote the app.


    Here are some ways you could help us:

    • Mention it to your friends and people you work with (word of mouth in person is still the best!)
    • Email us a review we can use on our website (a couple of sentences about how you use the app and how useful you find it). We always love to get this feedback.
    • Give us 5 stars on the App Store and optionally paste your review
    • Leave your review on any competitors App Store products you tried mentioning how Speaking Email CarPlay is better!
    • Follow us on Linked In
    • Follow us on Facebook and post your review on our page
    • Follow us on Twitter
    • Write a post on Linked in, Facebook or Twitter 
      Just something simple like:

      "If anyone is looking for an email app for CarPlay, I'd recommend downloading Speaking Email CarPlay


    We really appreciate all the positive support and recommendations we've had so far from users. Every one helps!

  • Can I contact you with a problem or suggestion?

    We want to hear from you. Please send us an email on feedback@speakingemailcarplay.com with your suggestions or problems.

Other Apps

  • Does it work with Apple Carplay?

    Yes! We are proud to announce the addition of the CarPlay (Car-Play) edition to our product lineup.


    Speaking Email CarPlay is the only app to be approved by Apple for email reading on its CarPlay platform.


    Our experience developing Speaking Email since 2015 has given us the knowledge to produce a top quality email reading experience for Apple CarPlay.

  • Can I use Dictation for Gmail?

    Dictation for Gmail is a great tool enabling text to speech on Gmail on the desktop.


    Speaking Email CarPlay connects to your Gmail account in the same way but using an app on iPhone with a CarPlay head-unit. Some of our users are using both these tools to help them achieve productivity gains.

  • Does Outlook Play My Emails work on CarPlay?

    Outlook has a feature called "Play My Emails" which works using voice commands. It doesn't work with Apple CarPlay.


    Speaking Email CarPlay is comparable in features with Outlook Play My Email, so is the logical choice if you have CarPlay and want an email voice assistant that works with it.


    Speaking Email CarPlay integrates directly with Office 365 and we are a Microsoft App Partner for Enterprise Mobility + Security, so your email is securely handled and always in sync with your Office 365 mail in the cloud.


  • Can Siri read emails on CarPlay?

    You can try to get Siri to read emails, but it is a frustrating experience.


    Or you can look no further than the app designed especially for doing this, Speaking Email CarPlay.


    Siri is not particularly safe to use while driving as it requires a lot of interaction and demands your response within 3 seconds. You can have Siri read out your latest email but it is full of clutter - links read out in full, signatures and disclaimers and full email trails. There's no way to have Siri speak emails continuously or read the next email or to interact in the context of the current email (eg archive or flag).


    Speaking Email CarPlay on the other hand is specifically designed for reading out emails. Unlike Siri, it does not distract you with voice control or require your attention, but instead provides a great email client using your phone's native text-to-speech capability and a focus on safety while driving.


    We tailor the experience to the medium and the context. For example with email we detect legalese disclaimers, email signatures and other common email clutter and skip over them. Siri won't do this because it needs to handle a wide range of tasks.

  • Aren’t there other apps that can already do this?

    No. Speaking Email CarPlay is the only email reading app that is compatible with CarPlay. 


    There are other apps, such as Outlook Play My Emails, that let you listen to your emails on your iPhone, but none that work with CarPlay.


    We designed Speaking Email CarPlay specifically for the CarPlay user experience, so you can be sure it works beautifully.

  • Is there an alternative to Talkler for CarPlay?

    Yes. Speaking Email CarPlay is the only email app that works on CarPlay. 


    Talker email reading app is not available on CarPlay.


    Speaking Email CarPlay also has advantages over Talkler:

    • Talker's voice recognition is always on, so it often hears itself or interprets noises like moving the phone as commands

    • Talkler does not skip email signatures and disclaimers, making email speech very verbose


  • Voice Dream Mail for CarPlay?

    Voice Dream Mail doesn't have CarPlay integration. Speaking Email CarPlay has similar features.


    Here's how Speaking Email CarPlay is better:

    • Voice Dream Email recommends that it should not be used while driving, whereas we have designed Speaking Email CarPlay with driver safety in mind from the get go
    • Smart content detection - listen to email with the clutter of signatures and disclaimers 

  • Is this the best CarPlay email app to read me my emails?

    Actually Speaking Email CarPlay is the only (and therefore the best!) text-to-speech email app that meets Apple's strict criteria for CarPlay apps.


    We've been developing voice based email apps since 2015 and have built a best of breed email voice controlled email reading app, which is the original Speaking Email for iPhone and Android. Based on the learnings from this we have released in 2020 a brand new email experience for Apple CarPlay.


    We realised the need for a great app on the CarPlay platform with a clear focus on simply reading out email and keeping out of your way, rather than trying to do everything, like other assistants such as Siri, Cortana, or Google Now attempt.


    Unlike Siri, it does not distract you with voice control or require your attention, but instead provides a great email client using your phone's native text-to-speech capability and a focus on safety while driving. 


    Try it out and see if Speaking Email CarPlay becomes your favourite new email app.

  • I was using iLane, is this CarPlay app similar?

    iLane was a system for BlackBerry that allowed you to read and write emails by voice. This has now been discontinued, along with BlackBerry handsets. 


    Speaking Email CarPlay replaces iLane, for iPhone.


    iLane used to do all sorts of things (such as voice dialing contacts, text messages, calendar, news, sports and weather). We are not attempting to be a jack of all trades but instead a best in class app for reading email out loud.


  • Does Microsoft Cortana play my emails on CarPlay?

    No, but you can download Speaking Email CarPlay which does exactly this. It's fully integrated with Office 365 and Gmail to provide native email connectivity combined with text-to-speech email reading. 

  • Is there an app for CarPlay like Nuance Dragon Drive I had on my old BWM?

    Yes, kind of. Speaking Email CarPlay provides similar email functionality to that found in a BMW. The BMW ConnectedDrive email reading apps for Office 365 and IMAP were based on Nuance text-to-speech technology.


    Speaking Email CarPlay uses the Apple text-to-speech native technology provided by your phone in concert with Apple CarPlay.