AAC keyboard · iPhone & iPad · Free
AEIOU
Communication that feels like you.
AEIOU is a free, intelligent communication keyboard for people who can't speak, or can't speak as easily as they'd like to. Select with a tap, a blink or any external switch, and have your words spoken aloud, in a voice that can be your own. It's designed to understand the moment you're in, so what you want to say is often one selection away. And every part of it runs on your device.
The next word, before you reach for it.
Spelling letter by letter is slow, so AEIOU quietly speeds it up. A language model inside the app reads the sentence as you build it and offers the likeliest next words. Quick Letters put the likeliest next letters first. And it learns the sentences you build and when you tend to say them, so whole replies that fit what was just said are often a single selection away.
It combines that with Apple's on-device intelligence, your own history and the time of day. A carer can teach it replies too, and carer notes in plain words (routines, regular visitors, topics to avoid) shape what is suggested. Reset everything it has learned at any time.
It fits the moment you're in.
Switch on any of these optional extras and AEIOU also knows where you are, what's coming up, what you can hear and what's in front of you. Every one is off until you turn it on, asks permission only then, and is processed entirely on your device.
- ListenHears what the other person says and suggests replies you can pick instead of spelling them out.
- Notice soundsA doorbell, a ringing phone or an alarm becomes a suggestion.
- What's around meThe back camera notices everyday items brought to the table and offers replies. Teach it your own: a favourite cup, a medication box.
- PlacesSave Home or the GP surgery and suggestions fit where you are.
- Calendar & Reminders“I have something on today”, “Is it time for my medication?” Titles are never read out or stored.
- ContactsRecognises the names of the people in your life.
- MovementStill or travelling, charging overnight: small hints that make suggestions fit.
- Apple WatchOptionally uses heart rate as one more hint. Not a medical feature, and never to be relied on for safety.
Select your way.
Rows scan automatically, and any tap, blink, switch or key press selects. Prefer to point? Switch on "Tap letters directly". For the moments (or the lives) where touch isn't an option, a single deliberate blink selects, using the front TrueDepth camera. AEIOU learns your own blink pattern so accidental blinks are ignored, and optional gaze assist starts scanning near the row you're looking at.
A short guided setup explains each feature and sets everything up for you. And it's kind to your battery: when the phone is warm, the battery is low or the app is idle, AEIOU eases off the camera and sound features. Typing and speaking keep working.
Your voice, kept.
On iOS 17 and later, record a Personal Voice once in your iPhone's settings and AEIOU will speak in it. For someone gradually losing their speech, that's not a feature, it's a keepsake.
Every sentence you speak lands in Recents, ready to say again in seconds. Pin your own phrases, the things only you would say, and they stay one tap away. Optional iCloud sync carries only pinned phrases, recent sentences and settings between your own devices.
Who it's for.
- ALS / MND
- Cerebral palsy
- Stroke
- Aphasia
- Autism with limited speech
- After laryngectomy
- Intubation recovery
- Selective mutism
- Carers & family
For anyone with a condition that makes speaking difficult, and the carers, family and conversation partners beside them.
The honest specs.
| Price | Free. No in-app purchases, no ads, no subscription. |
|---|---|
| Devices | iPhone and iPad, iOS 17.0 or later. |
| Personal Voice | Requires iOS 17+ and a device with the Neural Engine. |
| Blink detection | Requires the front TrueDepth camera. Optional: every other input method works without it. |
| Apple Intelligence | Optional, on supported devices, for extra generated suggestions. |
| Internet | Not required. AEIOU works completely offline. |
| Account & tracking | None, and none. |
