Read allowed function not working since 10/12/26

Question

Read allowed function not working since 10/12/26

kiki n 15

I use a macbook pro and the microsoft edge browser. The read aloud function suddenly stopped working. I use the natural voices and now when i click text for it to read it will skip over paragraphs at a time or not start at all. the. basic computer voice seems to be working, I think it's a problem with natural voices only. I have tried everything including testing on the beta browser, clearing my cache on both my laptop and the browser, signing in and out of profiles, reinstalling the edge browser completely, etc and none of it has fixed the problem. Is this a bug and can we expect this problem to be fixed soon? Thank you

francisco martins 5 Reputation points

2026-10-23T10:29:28.4833333+00:00

I've had the exact same problem. If i insist, it randomly starts working again. I'm using windows 11.
Vikki-T 14,115 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-24T13:08:27.2+00:00

Hi francisco martins,

Thank you for adding this information. Knowing that the same behavior also occurs on Windows 11, and that Read Aloud sometimes starts working again after several attempts, is helpful for understanding the scope of the issue.

Could you please share your Microsoft Edge version and the name of the Natural voice affected? You can find the version under Settings and more > Help and feedback > About Microsoft Edge.

It would also be helpful to report this directly through Settings and more > Help and feedback > Send feedback. Please mention that the issue is intermittent and that Read Aloud may start working only after repeated attempts. If possible, include diagnostic data or a short screen recording so the Edge team has more information to investigate.
Salih 0 Reputation points

2026-11-09T10:36:40.65+00:00

Just wanted to add some of my context to OP's feedback. I have been having the same exact problem since the last couple of months, though the level of malfunctioning changed from time to time. Sometimes, it just refuses to read aloud and sometimes it stops randomly, then skips to random parts of the text. When it stops randomly, I constantly click the last part it left of so that it doesn't lose it's place. This happens on both of my MBP 16' M4 Pro and MBA 13' M4. I also tried everything OP did and it seems like it is a bug on Microsoft's end. Everything I use, are up to date and I update them as they come. I use Microsoft Ahmet Online and it happens on every site and page that I've tried. Even plain texts like Patreon articles, it fails.
Vikki-T 14,115 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-11-09T13:36:17.5866667+00:00

Hi Salih,

Thank you for adding these detailed observations.

The accessibility impact you described is especially important, since requiring users to manually move the pointer or select each section defeats much of the purpose of Read Aloud. If you have not already done so, please submit this through Edge Settings > Help and feedback > Send feedback, select the option to include diagnostic data, and attach a short recording showing where the reading stops. Those details can help the Edge team reproduce and investigate the behavior.

Thank you again for confirming that the issue is affecting additional users and for documenting the tests you have already completed.

2 answers

Your answer

francisco martins 5 Reputation points

2026-10-23T10:29:28.4833333+00:00

I've had the exact same problem. If i insist, it randomly starts working again. I'm using windows 11.
Vikki-T 14,115 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-24T13:08:27.2+00:00

Hi francisco martins,

Thank you for adding this information. Knowing that the same behavior also occurs on Windows 11, and that Read Aloud sometimes starts working again after several attempts, is helpful for understanding the scope of the issue.

Could you please share your Microsoft Edge version and the name of the Natural voice affected? You can find the version under Settings and more > Help and feedback > About Microsoft Edge.

It would also be helpful to report this directly through Settings and more > Help and feedback > Send feedback. Please mention that the issue is intermittent and that Read Aloud may start working only after repeated attempts. If possible, include diagnostic data or a short screen recording so the Edge team has more information to investigate.
Salih 0 Reputation points

2026-11-09T10:36:40.65+00:00

Just wanted to add some of my context to OP's feedback. I have been having the same exact problem since the last couple of months, though the level of malfunctioning changed from time to time. Sometimes, it just refuses to read aloud and sometimes it stops randomly, then skips to random parts of the text. When it stops randomly, I constantly click the last part it left of so that it doesn't lose it's place. This happens on both of my MBP 16' M4 Pro and MBA 13' M4. I also tried everything OP did and it seems like it is a bug on Microsoft's end. Everything I use, are up to date and I update them as they come. I use Microsoft Ahmet Online and it happens on every site and page that I've tried. Even plain texts like Patreon articles, it fails.
Vikki-T 14,115 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-11-09T13:36:17.5866667+00:00

Hi Salih,

Thank you for adding these detailed observations.

The accessibility impact you described is especially important, since requiring users to manually move the pointer or select each section defeats much of the purpose of Read Aloud. If you have not already done so, please submit this through Edge Settings > Help and feedback > Send feedback, select the option to include diagnostic data, and attach a short recording showing where the reading stops. Those details can help the Edge team reproduce and investigate the behavior.

Thank you again for confirming that the issue is affecting additional users and for documenting the tests you have already completed.

Answer 1

Vikki-T 14,115 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi kiki n,

I understand how disruptive this is, especially since Read Aloud previously worked normally and you have already tried reinstalling Edge, clearing its data, changing profiles, disabling extensions, and testing Edge Beta.

Because the basic macOS voices still work, I would not suggest repeating those troubleshooting steps. However, this behavior alone is not enough to confirm a known Edge bug or provide an expected fix date.

Could you please share the following details?

Your macOS version
Your Edge version, available under Settings and more > Help and feedback > About Microsoft Edge
The exact Natural voice or voices affected
Whether the same skipping occurs on all webpages and PDFs, or only on certain pages

As one additional comparison, select a short section of text on an affected page, right-click it, choose Open selection in Reading mode, and test the same Natural voice there. This can help determine whether the problem is tied to the webpage layout or affects the voice more generally.

Since the usual local troubleshooting has not resolved the issue, please also report the behavior through Settings and more > Help and feedback > Send feedback. If available, include diagnostic data and a short screen recording showing that a basic voice works while the Natural voice skips paragraphs or does not begin.

For now, using a basic voice would be the most reliable temporary workaround. Thank you so much for your understanding.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Vikki-T 14,115 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-22T09:02:28.8333333+00:00

Hi kiki n,

It has been a while and I am writing to see how things are going with this issue.

Have you had a chance to check the replies provided?

Any update would be appreciated.
Rachel Reviczky 5 Reputation points

2026-10-25T18:06:19.87+00:00
Hi Vikki,

I'm experiencing the same issue, although I'm using Windows 11, not macOS.

I've completed extensive troubleshooting, but the issue persists.

System and browser information:

Operating system: Windows 11 Home, version 26H2

OS build: 26300.9711 (64-bit)

Microsoft Edge: Version 156.0.4314.42 (64-bit), fully up to date

Microsoft Edge Beta: Installed and tested separately, with the same issue

Voice and playback behaviour:

Affected voices: All Microsoft Online (Natural) voices, including William and Clara.

Working voices: Local voices, including Microsoft David, Mark, and Zira, continue working.

Websites affected: Read Aloud fails across multiple websites, including Wikipedia and MSN. Sometimes the playback controls and voice options are greyed out. Other times, the full list of Natural voices appears, but selecting one produces no audio.

Reading mode: Tested Read Aloud using Open selection in Reading mode, with the same results.

Troubleshooting completed:

Performed a full Windows reboot.

Completely restarted Microsoft Edge.

Confirmed Edge is fully updated.

Repaired Microsoft Edge through Windows Settings.

Tested InPrivate browsing.

Tested Guest mode and different Edge profile/sign-in configurations.

Tested using my phone's mobile hotspot to rule out my home internet connection.

Cleared Edge's DNS host cache.

Flushed Edge's socket pools to reset active browser connections.

Cleared cached browser files.

Installed and tested Microsoft Edge Beta.

None of these steps resolved the issue.

What's particularly frustrating is that the Natural voices were working perfectly just minutes before they suddenly stopped. I was actively using Microsoft William for narrated training when the problem started.

I've also submitted a report through Microsoft's feedback feature, including a screen recording demonstrating the issue.

Given that the problem persists across browser profiles, Edge Stable and Beta, different network connections, and even after repairing Edge and rebooting Windows, I'm concerned this may be an issue with Microsoft's online speech service rather than my local installation.

Can Microsoft confirm whether this is a known or actively investigated issue affecting Natural voices? Is there a way to reset or reinitialize the connection to Microsoft's online speech service, or are there additional diagnostics I can provide to help identify the cause?

I'd really appreciate any guidance beyond the standard troubleshooting steps, as I've already exhausted those options.

Thank you!
Vikki-T 14,115 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-27T13:52:09.79+00:00

Hi Rachel Reviczky,

Thank you for providing such a thorough update. You have already tested this across Edge Stable and Beta, different profiles, InPrivate and Guest modes, multiple websites, Reading mode, and a separate network connection. Since local voices continue to work while all Microsoft Online (Natural) voices fail, I would not ask you to repeat the standard browser, profile, cache, or network troubleshooting steps.

Please note that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators and contributors, including external Microsoft staff, cannot access the Edge team’s internal investigation status, inspect submitted feedback, or confirm an issue as a known bug unless Microsoft has published that information.

At this time, I could not find a documented user-side procedure for resetting or reinitializing the connection used by Natural voices. I also would not recommend making unsupported system or network changes, particularly since the same behavior remained when you tested a mobile hotspot.

Submitting feedback with diagnostic data and a screen recording was the most useful next step. If you would like the issue reviewed through a support case, please contact Microsoft Support and provide the information. For now, continuing with a local voice is the safest available workaround. I understand this is not equivalent to the Natural voices you rely on, but your detailed testing and feedback report should give the appropriate team much clearer information than repeating the usual troubleshooting steps.
kiki n 15 Reputation points

2026-10-27T18:32:03.8266667+00:00

Hi, I am still having the same problem and I followed the suggestions above including sending a diagnostic report
Steve B 0 Reputation points

2026-10-29T11:04:01.71+00:00

I am in the UK and for the last 3 years have used Edge's Read Aloud to read me online newspaper articles (in immersive reader mode). I use the Natural online Ryan voice. This has worked superbly well and reliably. But from the second week in October it started randomly stopping. The text highlighting freezes and the pause button is still active. It can be restarted by pressing pause/playe but this usually restarts at a different section of the text. I have tried an InPrivate window and the problem still exists. This problem is with all natural/online voices. The local computerised voices are fine. I am using a computer connected via ethernet and direct fibre to my house with guaranteed 1Gbps upload and download. I have monitored the network at the time of the pauses and there is no problem at my end. One interesting thing I have noticed is that it works fine at around 06:00 GMT in the morning for about half an hour. Once it reaches 07:00 AM it becomes unusable all day - too many pauses. I haven't tried earlier than 06:00 but I expect it will be fine for a few hours before that. My gut feeling is that some time in early October MS have changed something that means there are contention/bandwidth/priority issues with their read aloud servers/system. I never once had the problem whatever time of day for the preceeding 3 years. My computer is always fully updated. I am running Windows 10 with ESU. Microsoft Edge is up to date. Version 156.0.4314.50 (Official build) (64-bit). I have just used Edge’s built-in “Send feedback” including diagnostics, and “Record my Problem” video recording of the hang happening multiple times.
Vikki-T 14,115 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-29T11:31:28.6133333+00:00

Hi kiki n,

Thank you for the update. Since the issue is still occurring after you followed the suggested steps and submitted a diagnostic report, I would not recommend repeating the same troubleshooting.

Similar reports in this thread now involve more than one operating system, but we are unable to confirm the underlying cause or the status of any internal investigation from this user-to-user forum. For now, using a local macOS voice remains the most reliable temporary workaround.

Thank you for taking the time to submit the diagnostic information.
Vikki-T 14,115 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-29T11:32:14.8633333+00:00

Hi Steve B,

Thank you for sharing such a detailed report. The fact that the issue affects all Natural voices in both regular and InPrivate browsing, while local voices continue to work, is useful additional information. Your observations about the times when Read Aloud briefly works may also help the Edge team identify a pattern.

However, I cannot confirm from this user-to-user forum whether the behavior is caused by server capacity, bandwidth prioritization, or a recent service change. Since you have already submitted feedback several times with diagnostic data and screen recordings, I would not recommend repeating the standard troubleshooting steps.

For now, using a local voice remains the most reliable workaround. I understand that it does not provide the same experience as the Natural Ryan voice, but your detailed reports have already provided the appropriate team with valuable information for further investigation.

Thank you again for documenting the behavior so thoroughly.

Answer 2

Use a basic/local macOS voice as the temporary workaround and report the natural-voice failure through Edge, because there is currently no public Microsoft confirmation or repair ETA for the macOS issue that began on October 12, 2026.^1^

What the symptoms indicate

Your testing already rules out the usual local installation and profile remedies: the problem persists after reinstalling Edge, clearing data, changing profiles, and testing Edge Beta, while basic voices continue working.

Edge processes voices through two different paths:

Local/basic voices use the platform’s client-side speech library.
Voices marked Online send text to an Azure Cognitive Services speech service and receive generated audio back.^2^

Therefore, the natural-voice-only behavior is consistent with a regression in the online voice or content-processing path rather than a general Mac audio failure. Similar paragraph-skipping and online-voice failures have been reported, but Microsoft has not publicly identified the exact October 12 macOS symptom as a confirmed bug or announced when it will be fixed.^1^

Workaround

Start Read Aloud with Command+Shift+U, or select Settings and more (…) → Read aloud.^3^
Open Voice options.
Select a basic/local voice that does not show Online in its name.
If skipping occurs only on particular pages, select the affected text, right-click it, and choose Open selection in Reading mode, then start Read aloud from that toolbar. Reading mode simplifies supported webpages before presenting their text to Read Aloud.^4^

The last option may help when page markup, tables, code blocks, or interactive elements are causing the reader to lose its place; it will not repair an online voice service failure.

Report the regression

Since reinstalling and profile troubleshooting did not help, send a reproducible report directly to the Edge team:

In Edge, select Settings and more (…) → Help and feedback → Send feedback.^5^
Include:
- macOS version
- Edge version from Settings and more → Help and feedback → About Microsoft Edge
- Exact natural/online voice name
- The date the problem began: October 12, 2026
- Whether it occurs on every site, PDFs, or only certain webpages
- A page and paragraph that reliably reproduces the skip
- The result: local/basic voice works, natural voice skips or does not begin
- That Edge Stable and Beta, reinstalling, clearing data, and changing profiles have already been tested
Attach a short screen recording and enable diagnostic data in the feedback dialog if offered.

Continue using a local voice until an Edge update or service-side change resolves the online voice behavior. There is no supported way to provide a reliable fix date before Microsoft publishes one.

References