Helperbird Help Center
Search for what you want to do. We’ll take it one step at a time.
Browse help topics
Browse guides
- Settings
Accessibility Profiles
Preview and apply Helperbird's eight accessibility profiles, see what each changes, and learn how to adjust or undo a profile.
- Getting started
Accessibility Toolbar
Turn on the Helperbird Floating Toolbar and your reading and writing tools sit on every website. How to switch it on, find it, move it and use each tool.
- Apps
Add Equations
Write an equation in Helperbird, add it to a PDF or Notepad, and edit it later. Use your keyboard or the on-screen math keyboard.
- Apps
Adding a Saved Note
Learn how to use My Notes in the Helperbird Notepad to search the notes and highlights you saved while reading, and drop one into what you are writing.
- Schools & IT
Admin Dashboard
What each panel on the Helperbird admin dashboard counts, where the numbers come from, and what the dashboard deliberately does not record about your users.
- Features
AI Features for Learning
Simplify, summarize or translate text, dictate with voice typing and check grammar. See how Helperbird AI features help students, and how admins control them.
- Schools & IT
Allowlist Helperbird
If your organization blocks all browser extensions, learn how to allow (or force-install) Helperbird as an exception in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.
- Apps
Annotate and Export PDFs
A complete walkthrough of annotating a PDF in Helperbird. Add text boxes, draw, take notes, then export the finished PDF with every annotation baked in.
- Features
Auto Scroll
Learn how to use Helperbird's Auto Scroll feature to automatically scroll through web pages at your preferred speed. Perfect for hands-free reading.
- Features
Background Color
Learn how to use Helperbird's change background color. Complete guide for improving web accessibility and reading support.
- Settings
Beta Features
Learn how to turn on Helperbird beta features from the settings page.
- Features
Blend Mode
Learn what the Blend mode toggle in Helperbird's color overlay does, when to keep it on, and when to turn it off so you get the exact color you picked.
- Troubleshooting
Blocked for Under 18s
Google Workspace for Education blocks Marketplace apps for under-18 users until an admin installs them. Learn why students see an 18+ message and how to fix it.
- Apps
Change Your Reading View
Choose a font, text size, spacing, width and theme in Helperbird reading apps. Find each app’s controls and reset the view without deleting your saved work.
- Account & billing
Change Your Subscription Email
Contact support to change your Helperbird Pro subscription email, then check that Pro still unlocks with your new address or a replacement subscription key.
- Troubleshooting
Check Your Version
Learn how to find which version of Helperbird you are running. Useful for troubleshooting and making sure you are up to date.
- Features
Chemistry & Physics Voice Typing
Switch Voice typing to Chemistry or Physics mode and dictate science notation. Say H two O and get H₂O, or speak a value with units and get 9.8 m/s².
- Features
Clearing Learned Words
Learn how to reset the words Helperbird's word prediction has learned from your writing, when it starts suggesting your own typos back to you.
- Guides for your situation
Color Blindness
Learn which Helperbird tools help if you have color blindness, starting with Highlight links, which makes links visible without relying on color.
- Features
Colors Panel
Learn what the three settings in the Helperbird Colors panel do, and how to set your own text, link and background colors on any website you read.
- Troubleshooting
Contact Support
Contact Helperbird support. Get help with technical issues, billing questions, or general inquiries about our accessibility tools.
- Apps
Copying a Document
Learn how to duplicate a document in the Helperbird Notepad so you can edit a copy while keeping the original untouched.
- Apps
Copying an Equation
Learn how to copy an equation out of Helperbird's Equation Editor as LaTeX, as MathML or as an image, and which format to pick for where you are pasting.
- Features
Cursor Size
Turn on Cursor size in Helperbird's Display panel, then drag the slider to make your mouse pointer bigger or smaller on websites in Chrome, Edge or Firefox.
- Settings
Customize Quick Actions
Quick Actions keeps your most-used Helperbird features at the top of the menu. Learn how to add a feature to Quick Actions and how to remove one you stop using.
- Features
Dark Mode
Learn how to use Helperbird's turn on dark mode in helperbird. Complete guide for improving web accessibility and reading support.
- Settings
Dark Mode for the Menu
Switch the Helperbird menu to dark mode from its Options list. This changes only how Helperbird looks; Dark Reader is the separate tool that darkens websites.
- Privacy & compliance
Data Hosting
Learn about Helperbird's browser storage, optional sync, local PDF recovery, managed settings, and which reading and writing tools use online services.
- Schools & IT
Declarative Management for iPhone and iPad
Configure Helperbird on iPhone and iPad using declarative MDM. Create a private plist data asset, target the Safari extension, and verify managed settings.
- Apps
Deleting a Document
Learn how to delete a document you no longer need from the Helperbird Notepad, and what to check before you do.
- Schools & IT
Deploy Helperbird for Schools and Businesses
What a Helperbird rollout for one school or business is made of, what you need first, and the order to push the install, the key and your settings in.
- Schools & IT
Deploy on Microsoft Edge
Force-install Helperbird in Microsoft Edge and push your enterprise subscription key across your organization using Microsoft Intune or Windows Group Policy.
- Schools & IT
Deploy on Mozilla Firefox
Force-install Helperbird in Firefox and push your enterprise subscription key with one policies.json file, or use the Firefox ADMX templates on Windows.
- Schools & IT
Deploy with Jamf Pro
Deploy Helperbird settings with Jamf Pro on Mac. Choose the correct Safari or Chrome configuration and test subscription keys and feature restrictions.
- Schools & IT
Deploy with Microsoft Intune
Deploy Helperbird with Microsoft Intune. Force-install the extension and push your enterprise subscription key to Edge and Chrome across your Windows devices.
- Schools & IT
Deploy with Windows Group Policy
Force-install Helperbird in Google Chrome on domain-joined Windows PCs with Group Policy and the Chrome ADMX templates, then push your key to unlock Pro.
- Apps
Describe Pictures in a PDF
Add a description to pictures pasted into Helperbird PDFs, mark decorative images correctly, and resolve missing-description prompts before downloading work.
- Apps
Dictating an Equation
Learn how to speak a maths equation into Helperbird's Equation Editor instead of typing it, and what the Listening and Hearing messages mean.
- Features
Dictating into the Page
Learn how to make Helperbird's voice typing put your words directly into the box you are typing in, including Google Docs, instead of into a separate panel.
- Apps
Dictionary
Look up a word, hear it aloud and choose how its definition appears in Helperbird Dictionary.
- Troubleshooting
Disable Edge Mini Menu
Learn how to disable the Edge mini menu. Improve accessibility and user experience by removing the popup menu from display.
- Schools & IT
Disable Helperbird Features with JSON Policy
Hide individual Helperbird features from your users with a managed JSON policy, with the policy code for every feature you can disable.
- Schools & IT
Disable Helperbird on Specific Websites
Stop Helperbird loading on named websites across your organization with a managed JSON policy, using the excluded domains keys.
- Settings
Disable on Specific Websites
Learn how to use Helperbird's disable helperbird on specific websites. Complete guide for improving web accessibility and reading support.
- Features
Display
The Display panel holds five tools that make a page easier to see: High contrast, Highlight links, Saturation, Cursor size and Magnifier. Learn what each does.
- Schools & IT
District-Wide Deployment
One subscription key covers a whole district. How to structure organizational units, cover a mixed fleet of Chromebooks, Windows, Macs, iPads, and new students.
- Schools & IT
Domains to Whitelist
A quick reference for IT admins showing which domains need to be whitelisted for Helperbird to work in your school or organization.
- Phones & tablets
Download on iPad
Install Helperbird for Safari on an iPad, including a school, work or child's iPad, then find the puzzle piece icon in Safari that opens the Helperbird panel.
- Phones & tablets
Download on iPhone
Install the Helperbird app on your iPhone from the App Store, see what the app itself does and does not do, then turn the Safari extension on in Settings.
- Apps
Downloading Your Work
Learn how to download your Helperbird Notepad writing as a Word file, a Markdown file, a Google Doc or a plain text file.
- Apps
Drawing with the Keyboard
Learn how to add, move, resize and delete shapes on a PDF in Helperbird using only the keyboard, without needing a mouse or a steady hand.
- Features
Dyslexia Fonts
Helperbird has 32 fonts, including OpenDyslexic, six Lexend widths, Andika and Atkinson Hyperlegible. See which to try first and where fonts do not work.
- Features
Dyslexia Ruler
Set up the Dyslexia ruler in Helperbird. Park a colored bar on the page or set it to follow your mouse, and change its height, width, color and opacity.
- Phones & tablets
Enable Helperbird in Safari
Learn how to enable the Helperbird Safari extension on your iPhone or iPad. Follow these simple steps to start using Helperbird while browsing in Safari.
- Apps
Equation Editor
Learn what every button in Helperbird's Equation Editor toolbar does, what the Menu button holds, the limits worth knowing, and the guide for each job.
- Features
Equations in a Screenshot
Learn how the Helperbird Screenshot Reader picks up maths from a picture automatically, with no mode to choose, and what to do with the result.
- Features
Explain mode in Screenshot Reader
Get a plain-language explanation of a chart, picture or paragraph. Turn on Explain mode in Helperbird's Screenshot Reader, then capture the area you need.
- Settings
Export Your Notes
Back up your saved Helperbird notes, highlights, NotePad documents and reading-list pages in a .helperbird file, then learn how to restore them later.
- Settings
Export Your Settings
Learn how to export your Helperbird settings so you can back them up or transfer them to another device or browser.
- Troubleshooting
Feature Not Supported
One Helperbird feature greyed out with a red badge? Learn what Unavailable means, which features switch off on Google Docs and PDFs, and what to use instead.
- Troubleshooting
Firewall and Network Check
Check whether your school or work network is blocking Helperbird, see what to ask your IT team to allow, and find out what stops working when it is blocked.
- Schools & IT
Floating Button
Learn how to enable a floating Helperbird button on every page using managed JSON policy.
- Features
Font Color
Learn how to change the color of text on any website using Helperbird. Choose a text color that is easier for you to read and reduces eye strain.
- Features
Font Size
Learn how to increase or decrease the font size on any website using Helperbird. Make text larger for easier reading or smaller to fit more content on screen.
- Features
Fonts
Learn how to change the font on any website using Helperbird. Choose from dyslexia-friendly fonts like OpenDyslexic, Lexend, and more to make reading easier.
- Schools & IT
Force Install Helperbird
Install Helperbird for everyone you manage. The extension ID for each browser, the tool to set it up in, and why force install alone does not give you Pro.
- Schools & IT
Force Pin Helperbird Extension
Pinning is not a separate Helperbird setting. It comes with one installation policy value, and there is another answer when the browser toolbar is hidden.
- Google Workspace
Google Classroom
Install the one Helperbird Workspace add-on and it works on the Classroom assignments that open in Google Docs, Slides and Sheets. Plus what to do with PDFs.
- Google Workspace
Google Docs add-on
Use Helperbird in Google Docs to translate selected text, listen aloud, change fonts and spacing, and check the whole document. Follow the illustrated guide.
- Troubleshooting
Google Docs Permission Error
Restore the Helperbird sidebar in Google Docs. Learn how your Google Workspace admin grants missing access and what staff and students may need to approve.
- Google Workspace
Google Drive files
Install the one Helperbird Workspace add-on and it works on the Drive files you open in Google Docs, Slides and Sheets. Plus what to do with your PDFs.
- Google Workspace
Google Sheets add-on
Use Helperbird in Google Sheets to translate selected cells, listen aloud, change fonts, wrap text, and resize rows and columns. Follow the illustrated guide.
- Google Workspace
Google Slides add-on
Use Helperbird in Google Slides to translate selected text, listen aloud, adjust fonts and spacing, and check text statistics. Follow the illustrated guide.
- Features
Grammar Checker
Helperbird's Grammar Checker corrects grammar, spelling and punctuation across a whole passage. Learn how to use it, and how it differs from spell check.
- Features
Grammar Options
Learn how to split words into syllables and color the nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs in Immersive Reader, so difficult text is easier to break down.
- Apps
Hearing a Word Aloud
Learn how to use the speaker buttons in the Helperbird Dictionary to hear a word pronounced, or to hear an example sentence read aloud.
- Apps
Hearing an Equation
Learn how to have Helperbird read a maths equation out loud, so you can check it says what you meant rather than trying to read the symbols.
- Features
Hearing Your Writing
Learn how to turn on Read sentence in Helperbird, so each sentence is read back to you as soon as you finish it and you can hear whether it makes sense.
- Exams & locked devices
Helperbird During Locked Quizzes
What to do in the minutes before a locked quiz starts. Turn your Helperbird features on first, and know how to reach Helperbird once the screen is locked.
- Guides for your situation
Helperbird for ADHD and Focus
Cut the clutter when ADHD makes online reading hard. Hide images and GIFs, keep your place with Line Focus, and read in Reading Mode or Immersive Reader.
- Guides for your situation
Helperbird for Dyslexia
A complete guide to using Helperbird if you or someone you support has dyslexia.
- Guides for your situation
Helperbird for Teachers
A practical guide for teachers on using Helperbird in the classroom.
- Exams & locked devices
Helperbird in ChromeOS Kiosk Mode
Google Admin's Kiosks tab rejects Helperbird. Learn what "Selected app is not enabled for kiosk mode" means and what to set up on exam Chromebooks instead.
- Exams & locked devices
Helperbird in Locked Mode
The admin setup that lets Helperbird run inside a locked mode quiz on a managed Chromebook, and how students reach it once the shelf and toolbar are hidden.
- Apps
Helperbird Notepad
Learn about the Helperbird Notepad's writing tools, autosave, captured notes, reading list, and Word, Markdown, and text downloads.
- Phones & tablets
Helperbird on Android (Edge)
Add Helperbird to Microsoft Edge on Android, check whether your build of Edge can run extensions at all, and unlock Pro with a Microsoft account or a key.
- Phones & tablets
Helperbird on Android (Firefox)
Add Helperbird to Firefox 128 or later on Android, unlock Helperbird Pro with your subscription key, and find the one feature the Firefox build hides.
- Guides for your situation
Helperbird on iPad in the Classroom
Set up Helperbird in Safari on classroom iPads, choose reading tools, and configure managed subscriptions and feature restrictions with your school's MDM.
- Troubleshooting
Helperbird Running Slow
Troubleshoot helperbird running slow - how to fix performance issues. Get help with common Helperbird issues and find solutions quickly.
- Features
Hiding Your Highlights
Learn how to switch your saved Helperbird highlights out of view and back again, so you can read a clean page without losing what you marked.
- Features
High Contrast
High contrast recolors any web page so text stands out. Compare the five themes, find the one that suits your eyes, and see how it differs from Dark Reader.
- Features
Highlight color
Choose a color from Helperbird’s Highlighter palette to mark selected text. Turn Highlighter on or off to show or hide your saved marks.
- Features
Highlight Links
Learn how to make links more visible on any website using Helperbird. Highlight links with underlines and styling to make them easier to find.
- Getting started
Highlight Menu
Select text to open Helperbird’s reading tools above it. Learn to use Play, Dictionary, Search Web, Immersive and Translate alongside the separate Highlighter.
- Features
Highlighter
Select text on any website and mark it in one of six colors. Your highlights are saved, come back on your next visit, and collect in Notes to export.
- Features
Highlighting Words
Learn how to turn on word highlighting in Helperbird, so each word lights up as it is spoken and your eye can follow along with the voice.
- Account & billing
How to Cancel Your Helperbird Pro Subscription
Cancel your Helperbird Pro subscription in the billing portal, and find out what happens to your Pro access, your plan and your saved settings afterwards.
- Settings
How to Enable and Use Sync in Chrome or Edge
Turn browser sync on or off in Chrome and Edge, and include extensions in what syncs, so the settings Helperbird saves reach all your other computers.
- Account & billing
How to Log in to Helperbird
Learn how to log in to Helperbird. Access your account and settings for accessibility tools Support accessibility for everyone.
- Account & billing
How to Manage Your Helperbird Pro Subscription
Check which Helperbird plan you are on, read what every subscription status in the Billing section means, and see what changes after you cancel Helperbird Pro.
- Getting started
How to turn Helperbird on
Find the Helperbird owl icon after you install it, pin it to your toolbar, open the popup and switch Helperbird on. Plus what to do if the icon is missing.
- Account & billing
How to Update Your Credit Card Information
Change the card that pays for your Helperbird Pro subscription in the billing portal, then fix a payment that has already failed so Pro features unlock again.
- Account & billing
How to Use Your Subscription Key for Helperbird
Enter your Helperbird subscription key on the settings page, confirm that Pro unlocked, and change or remove the key later. Covers Chrome, Edge and Firefox.
- Features
Images and GIFs
Learn how to hide images and animated GIFs on any website using Helperbird. Removing images can help you focus on text and reduce distractions.
- Features
Immersive Reader
Learn how to use immersive reader on any website. Text-to-speech and reading tools for accessibility Support accessibility for everyone.
- Settings
Import Your Settings
Learn how to import a previously exported Helperbird settings file to restore your preferences on a new device or after a reset.
- Google Workspace
Install Google Docs/Slides Add-on
Add the Helperbird sidebar to Google Docs, Slides and Sheets. The install steps, the two permissions it asks for, and how to open the sidebar afterwards.
- Schools & IT
Install Helperbird for Specific Users
Give Helperbird to some of your users and not others. Pick between force install and allow install, then scope the policy to an organizational unit or a group.
- Schools & IT
Install Helperbird Through G Suite
Add Helperbird to an organizational unit in the Google Admin console, force install it for everyone in that unit, then push your subscription key to them.
- Schools & IT
Install the Google Add-on
Install one Helperbird add-on for your whole school from the Google Admin console, and it appears in Docs, Slides and Sheets. It is separate from the extension.
- Phones & tablets
Install with Screen Time On
Install Helperbird on a child's iPhone or iPad when Screen Time blocks the App Store. Turn restrictions off, install, approve Ask to Buy, then put them back.
- Getting started
Installing Helperbird
Install the Helperbird extension from the Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari store. The store link, the steps for each browser, and where to go once it lands.
- Phones & tablets
iOS vs Desktop Differences
Compare Helperbird in Safari on iPad and iPhone with desktop browsers. Learn how to open the tools, use your Pro key, and manage settings on each device.
- Schools & IT
iPhone and iPad App Configuration
Set up Helperbird managed app configuration on iPhone and iPad. Deploy subscription keys and feature settings, refresh the app, and troubleshoot MDM delivery.
- Settings
Keyboard Shortcuts
Learn about Helperbird keyboard shortcuts. Speed up your accessibility workflow with quick keys Support accessibility for everyone.
- Features
Letter Spacing
Learn how to use Helperbird's change letter spacing. Complete guide for improving web accessibility and reading support.
- Features
Line Focus
Learn how to use line focus on any website. Highlight one line at a time for better reading. Support accessibility for everyone.
- Features
Line Height
Learn how to adjust line height on any website for better reading comfort and accessibility Support for all learners and educators.
- Features
Link Color
Learn how to change the color of links on any website using Helperbird. Make links stand out more or choose colors that are easier for you to see.
- Apps
Listen to Your NotePad Document
Listen to your NotePad document, pause when you need to and choose a comfortable reading speed.
- Account & billing
Login vs Subscription Key
Email login or a subscription key? Compare the two ways to unlock Helperbird Pro, see which browsers each works on, and use one subscription in every browser.
- Apps
Look Up from the Toolbar
Learn how to select a word on any page and look up its meaning straight from Helperbird's floating toolbar, without leaving what you are reading.
- Apps
Looking Up a Word
Learn how to search for a word in the Helperbird Dictionary and read its definitions and example sentences, grouped by part of speech.
- Schools & IT
Mac Configuration Profiles
Create a Helperbird mobileconfig profile for Safari on managed Macs. Set a subscription key, control features, and verify deployment with Jamf or another MDM.
- Features
Magnifier
Learn how to use Helperbird's zoom in and magnify any website. Complete guide for improving web accessibility and reading support.
- Apps
Manage Notes & Highlights
Create, edit, search and export saved notes and highlights from the Highlights & Notes card in Helperbird NotePad.
- Exams & locked devices
Managed Guest Sessions
Deploy Helperbird on shared Chromebooks using Managed Guest Sessions, so students get accessibility tools during exams without signing in.
- Schools & IT
Managed Keys
Every managed storage key Helperbird reads, what each one does, the JSON to paste into the Google Admin console, and which browsers can read a policy at all.
- Account & billing
Managing Your Billing
Open your Helperbird billing portal from the settings page or with an email code, then update your card, download an invoice or receipt, or cancel Pro.
- Features
Math Mode (Speech to Math)
Learn how to turn on Math Mode in Helperbird's voice typing and dictate equations out loud. Say 'x squared plus y squared' and get x² + y².
- Features
Math Reader Is Now Automatic
The Math Reader is no longer a mode you pick. Helperbird's Screenshot Reader now reads equations automatically, in the same capture as the words around them.
- Features
Media Controls
Media controls is the Helperbird panel for video. It holds two settings, Playback speed and Video volume. Learn what each does and where to read more.
- Account & billing
Microsoft 365 SSO
Learn how to set up Helperbird with Microsoft 365 SSO.
- Getting started
Offline Mode
Learn how Helperbird works offline without an internet connection. Most Helperbird features continue to work when you are not connected to the internet.
- Getting started
Open Helperbird in Chrome or Edge Side Panel
Dock Helperbird in the Chrome or Edge side panel so it stays open beside the page you are reading. What you need, two ways to open it, and what is inside.
- Getting started
Open Helperbird in the Firefox Sidebar
On Firefox the owl icon opens Helperbird in the sidebar rather than a popup. How to open it, the other ways in, and what to check if the owl does nothing.
- Google Workspace
Open PDFs with Helperbird
Helperbird cannot open a PDF from Google Drive, Classroom or Gmail. Download the file to your computer first, then open it in the Helperbird PDF Reader.
- Apps
Opening a Saved Document
Learn how to find and reopen a document you saved earlier in the Helperbird Notepad using the View button.
- Apps
Opening a Saved Page
Learn how to open a page you saved to your Helperbird Reading list, and how to read it with Helperbird's reading tools once you are there.
- Apps
Opening a Word on Wikipedia
Learn how to jump from a word in the Helperbird Dictionary to its Wikipedia page, for when a short definition is not enough.
- Features
Opening Immersive Reader
Learn how to send a page, or just the text you selected, into Immersive Reader straight from Helperbird's floating toolbar.
- Features
Opening Reading Mode
Learn how to strip a cluttered web page back to just the article with Reading Mode, straight from Helperbird's floating toolbar.
- Settings
Opening Settings
Open the Helperbird Settings page to manage your subscription, apply a profile, choose options, import or export a backup, and find help and version details.
- Apps
Opening the Dictionary
Open Dictionary from Helperbird, or look up a word directly from a webpage.
- Apps
Opening the Equation Editor
Learn how to open Helperbird's Equation Editor from the extension popup, so you can write, hear and copy maths equations in your browser.
- Apps
Opening the Notepad
Learn how to open the Helperbird Notepad from the extension popup in four steps, so you have a clean, distraction-free place to write inside your browser.
- Apps
Opening the PDF Reader
Get a PDF into Helperbird. Open the reader from the popup, load a file from your computer, use the message on a PDF page, and fix a file that will not open.
- Apps
Opening Your Reading List
Learn how to open the Helperbird Reading list from the extension popup in three steps, and what you see on the list page before you have saved anything.
- Features
Overlay & Tints
Add a color overlay or tint to any website with Helperbird. Pick a color, set the strength, and use Blend mode to cut glare and make reading easier.
- Features
Paragraph Background Color
Learn how to use Helperbird to add a background color to paragraphs on any website. Make text easier to read by highlighting paragraph blocks with color.
- Features
Paragraph Borders
Helperbird can draw a colored outline around every paragraph, so you can see where each one starts and ends. Here is how to turn it on and pick the color.
- Features
Paragraph Features
Learn what the Border, Background and Width controls in Helperbird's Paragraphs panel do, and which one to try first if you lose your place when reading.
- Features
Paragraph Width
Learn how to use Helperbird's adjust paragraph width. Complete guide for improving web accessibility and reading support.
- Apps
Paste onto a PDF
Paste copied text, links or images onto a PDF page in Helperbird. Move and resize the new boxes, keep editing your notes, and download a copy with your changes.
- Settings
Pause and Resume Helperbird
Learn how to use Helperbird's pause and resume helperbird. Complete guide for improving web accessibility and reading support.
- Apps
PDF Annotations
Learn how to add text boxes and annotations to any PDF using Helperbird's PDF Reader. Write notes, format text, add comments, and download your annotated PDF.
- Apps
PDF Drawing Tools
Learn how to draw on PDFs with Helperbird's pen, shape, arrow, and line tools. A step-by-step guide to marking up any PDF document.
- Apps
PDF Reader on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
Open, read aloud, annotate, translate, and export PDFs in the free Helperbird app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
- Apps
PDF Search and Zoom
Search the current PDF page, move between matches and adjust zoom in Helperbird. Use Fit width or Fit page to read comfortably. These PDF tools are all free.
- Privacy & compliance
PHIPA & MFIPPA Compliance
Learn how Helperbird complies with PHIPA and MFIPPA privacy requirements for Ontario school boards and public sector organizations.
- Getting started
Pin an Extension
How to Pin the Helperbird Extension. Learn more about Helperbird features and how to get the most from your accessibility tools.
- Troubleshooting
Pro Features Still Locked
Helperbird says Pro but a feature shows a badge, or has gone from the menu? Learn what each badge means and why some features are hidden rather than locked.
- Schools & IT
Pro Unlimited Usage Dashboard
How to get your Helperbird usage dashboard. Which plan includes it, how to request your link from support, how to open it, and what to do if the link is lost.
- Schools & IT
Provisioning & Rostering
Learn how to deploy and provision Helperbird across your school or district using Google Admin, Microsoft Intune, SDS, SFTP, or Clever.
- Getting started
Quick Actions
Quick Actions are the round buttons at the top of the Helperbird menu. Learn how to use them for one-click access and add or remove the tools you use most.
- Getting started
Quick Start Guide
Get started with Helperbird in under 2 minutes. Learn how to install, pin, and use your first accessibility feature on any website.
- Settings
Read Text in Online Lessons
Hear selected lesson text with Helperbird. Learn how to turn on Read text in online lessons, choose a passage and troubleshoot unsupported lesson content.
- Features
Reading a Page Aloud
Learn how to use the Play and Stop buttons on Helperbird's floating toolbar to have a web page, or just the part you selected, read out loud.
- Apps
Reading a PDF
Read a PDF that is already open in Helperbird. Turn the pages, listen to any page with the text to speech player, and take notes in the panel beside it.
- Google Workspace
Reading Google Slides
Learn how to turn on the Helperbird beta setting that makes a view-only Google Slides deck readable, so fonts, rulers, colors and read aloud all work on it.
- Features
Reading Guide
Follow text with a colored reading guide in Helperbird. Adjust its height, width, color and opacity, and keep your place as you move or scroll through a page.
- Apps
Reading List
Learn the difference between Helperbird's two reading list rows, how your saved pages are grouped on the list page, and which guide covers each job here.
- Guides for your situation
Reading Long PDFs with Helperbird
Read long PDFs with Helperbird. Search and zoom, listen to a page, take notes, translate text and add equations. Download a PDF with your annotations included.
- Features
Reading Mode
Learn how to use Helperbird's Reading Mode to create a clean, distraction-free reading experience. Reading Mode removes ads, sidebars, and clutter.
- Features
Reading Preferences
Learn how to use Line Focus and the Picture Dictionary in Immersive Reader, so you can keep your place and see what an unfamiliar word means.
- Account & billing
Redeem a Helperbird Pro Voucher
Learn how to redeem a Helperbird voucher. Activate your Pro subscription with your code Support accessibility for everyone.
- Features
Reduce Motion
Learn how to stop animations on any website. Disable moving content for better focus and accessibility Support accessibility for everyone.
- Schools & IT
Remove Helperbird for Everyone
Remove Helperbird from every managed device in Google Workspace, and what happens to the settings your users have saved.
- Apps
Removing a Page
Learn how to remove a page from your Helperbird Reading list once you have finished with it, using the Remove button beside each saved page.
- Troubleshooting
Report an Issue
Learn how to report a bug or issue with Helperbird and share debug information with the support team to help resolve your problem faster.
- Account & billing
Request a Refund
Request a refund from Helperbird. Learn our refund policy and how to process your return Support for all learners and educators.
- Troubleshooting
Reset All Settings
Learn what the Delete and Reset buttons in Helperbird settings each do, what each one removes, and which one to press before you lose any of your data.
- Settings
Restore Notes and Saved Pages
Restore saved notes, highlights, NotePad documents and reading-list pages from a Helperbird backup. Review what will be replaced before confirming the import.
- Troubleshooting
Resync Your Subscription
Helperbird still showing Free after you paid? Press Check so it looks your subscription up now, and find that button on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari and iPad.
- Getting started
Right-Click Context Menu
Learn how to access Helperbird features by right-clicking on any webpage. Use text-to-speech, translate, dictionary, and more from the right-click menu.
- Features
Saturation
Learn how to use Helperbird's adjust color saturation. Complete guide for improving web accessibility and reading support.
- Apps
Save and Download PDFs
Download a PDF you marked up in Helperbird, and find out exactly which of your text boxes, drawings, notes and highlights end up in the downloaded file.
- Apps
Saving a Page
Learn how to save the web page you are reading to your Helperbird Reading list, so you can come back to it later.
- Apps
Saving as an Image
Learn how to save a maths equation from Helperbird as an image file, and when a picture is the right choice rather than copying the maths itself.
- Apps
Saving Your Work
Learn how to save your writing in the Helperbird Notepad, where it is stored, and what to do if a long document will not save.
- Features
Screenshot Reader
Read, copy or save text from a picture with Helperbird's Screenshot Reader. Learn to select an area, crop the visible page and use keyboard controls.
- Features
Screenshot Reader with a keyboard
Capture text from a picture without a mouse. Open Helperbird's Screenshot Reader, choose a capture type, and move or resize the box with your keyboard.
- Features
Screenshot Tool
Save the visible part of a webpage as a PNG with Helperbird Screenshot. Find the capture action, locate your download, and learn when to use Screenshot Reader.
- Getting started
Search & Filter Features
Learn how to use Helperbird's search and filter features in helperbird. Complete guide for improving web accessibility and reading support.
- Apps
Searching Your List
Learn how to search your Helperbird Reading list to find a saved page quickly once the list has grown too long to scan.
- Schools & IT
Set Helperbird JSON Policy for Individual User
Give one person the Helperbird policy in Google Admin without touching anyone else, check it reached only them, and take it back when they are done with it.
- Schools & IT
Set Helperbird JSON Policy for User Group
Target a Google group in the Admin console instead of an organizational unit, so a Helperbird policy reaches one team, and take it back when the pilot ends.
- Schools & IT
Set Helperbird JSON Policy in Google Admin
Push Helperbird's JSON policy to everyone by setting it on your top organizational unit in Google Admin, and see how it flows down to the units below.
- Schools & IT
Set Up a Child OU for Helperbird
Create a child organizational unit in Google Admin, move users into it, and give that group its own Helperbird policy and license.
- Schools & IT
Setting Policies in Enterprise
Configure Helperbird policies on Windows, macOS and ChromeOS, and what each policy setting controls once it reaches a device.
- Troubleshooting
Settings Not Syncing
Fix Helperbird settings that are not reaching your other devices. Check both sync switches, the browser profile, and what to do when notes stay behind.
- Apps
Share and Export PDFs
Send a PDF you marked up in Helperbird to a teacher, a class or a colleague. Download it first, then share the file through Drive, Classroom, email or your LMS.
- Features
Show Descriptions
Turn on Helperbird's Show descriptions toggle to see an image's alt text or a link's title in a tooltip when you hover over it, on any website you visit.
- Apps
Similar and Opposite Words
Learn how to use the Similar words and Opposite words lists in the Helperbird Dictionary, and how clicking one looks that word up straight away.
- Features
Simplify Text
Learn how to use Helperbird to simplify complex text into plain, easy-to-understand language. A complete guide to the Simplify feature.
- Apps
Smaller PDF Text Boxes
Make text and text boxes smaller in Helperbird's PDF Reader. Follow the screenshots to resize and move your answers into the spaces on a worksheet.
- Apps
Speed Reading
Read one word at a time in Reading Mode or PDF Reader. Play, pause, move between sentences and adjust your pace with the same simple controls in both readers.
- Apps
Speed Reading Shortcuts
Use Space, arrow keys and Home to control Speed Reading in Reading Mode and PDF Reader. Play, pause, move between sentences and change speed with the keyboard.
- Features
Spell Check
Learn how to turn on your browser's spell checker for every text box on a page with Helperbird, from the Quick actions grid or with a keyboard shortcut.
- Troubleshooting
Start Here
Start here when Helperbird is not working. Three checks to run first, then the guide that matches your problem, from locked Pro features to silent speech.
- Apps
Starting a New Document
Learn how to start a fresh document in the Helperbird Notepad without losing the one you were already working on.
- Features
Sticky Notes
Add a sticky note to a web page with Helperbird, write a title and reminder, choose its color, and find it again when you return or open your saved notes.
- Features
Sticky Notes on Desktop
Put a shortcut to your Helperbird sticky notes on your desktop, taskbar, Dock or Chromebook shelf, so your notes open in their own window with one click.
- Settings
Storage Options
Decide whether Helperbird keeps its data on one device only. What stays behind, what is unaffected, and how to move settings between computers without sync.
- Exams & locked devices
Student Accommodations for Testing
Give each accommodation group its own Helperbird feature set with organizational units and JSON policy, so an IEP or 504 plan is what a student actually sees.
- Troubleshooting
Subscription Not Activating
Rechecked and Helperbird still shows Free or No active subscription? Work through the five causes, from a browser you never activated to a blocked network.
- Features
Summarize Text
Learn how to use Helperbird to summarize long articles, web pages, and text into short, easy-to-read summaries. A complete guide to the Summarize feature.
- Settings
Supported Languages
Helperbird is translated into over 65 languages and matches your computer or browser language. See the full list and how to change it on Windows, Mac or Chrome.
- Guides for your situation
Switching from Read&Write
Coming from Read&Write by Texthelp? This guide maps Read&Write features to their Helperbird equivalents so you can find your favorite tools right away.
- Settings
Sync Your Settings
Turn on sync in Helperbird so your fonts, colors, spacing and feature settings are the same on every computer your browser is signed in to.
- Features
Text Alignment
Learn how to use Helperbird's change text alignment. Complete guide for improving web accessibility and reading support.
- Features
Text and Style
Learn how to change the text size, spacing, font and background color in Immersive Reader, so the page is comfortable for you to read.
- Apps
Text Boxes with the Keyboard
Learn how to position, resize and delete a text box on a PDF in Helperbird using only the keyboard, without dragging anything with a mouse.
- Features
Text Settings
Learn what each control in Helperbird's Text settings panel does, and which one to change first. Spacing helps more readers than changing the font does.
- Features
Text to Speech
Learn how to use Helperbird's Text to Speech feature to have any text read aloud. Listen to articles, emails, documents, or any written content on the web.
- Google Workspace
Text to Speech in Google Slides
Capture slide text with Screenshot Reader to hear it read aloud or translate it in Immersive Reader, or use the Helperbird add-on inside Google Slides.
- Features
Text to Speech in Word Online
Learn how to use Helperbird's Text to Speech feature in Microsoft Word Online. Have your documents read aloud while you follow along with word highlighting.
- Troubleshooting
Text to Speech Not Working
Text to Speech silent? Check volume and tab mute, allow audio for the site, try another voice, select text first, then refresh, restart or update Helperbird.
- Features
Text to speech settings
Choose a voice, hear a live sample, and set your reading speed in Helperbird's shared Text to speech settings.
- Apps
The PDF Tools Menu
The Tools menu in the Helperbird PDF Reader. Reach Immersive Reader, Translate, Summarize and Screenshot Reader on your document without leaving the tab.
- Features
Topic Dictionaries
Learn how to use topic dictionaries in Helperbird's word prediction, so subject words for Science, History, Space, or the page you are on appear as you type.
- Features
Translate
Translate a webpage or selected passage with Helperbird. Choose a language, press Translate, and learn how free, Pro and PDF translation results are displayed.
- Apps
Translate PDFs
Translate the current PDF page, compare the original and translation, and use Helperbird's reading tools on the translated text.
- Features
Translating
Learn how to translate a page in Immersive Reader, either the whole document or one word at a time, so you can read in your own language.
- Features
Turning On the Reading Guide
Learn how to switch on Helperbird's reading guide from the floating toolbar, so a bar follows your place down the page and you stop losing your line.
- Features
Turning On Word Prediction
Learn how to switch on Helperbird's word prediction from the floating toolbar, so suggestions appear as you type into any box on the page.
- Schools & IT
Unlimited License Management
Manage Helperbird Unlimited licenses for your organization Deploy, assign, and track accessibility tools across your team
- Phones & tablets
Unlock Pro on iOS
What is different about unlocking Helperbird Pro on iPhone and iPad. No in-app purchase, where the key box lives in Safari, and why Login keeps showing.
- Guides for your situation
Use Helperbird at Home
Learn how students can use Helperbird on their home computer or personal device, even if their school provides Helperbird through a district account.
- Phones & tablets
Using Helperbird on iOS
Use Helperbird in Safari on iPad and iPhone. Follow screenshots to find reading tools, change text spacing, choose a reading guide, and adjust color overlays.
- Apps
Using the PDF Reader
The Helperbird PDF Reader in one page. What it is, what the toolbar buttons do, what the reader cannot do, and which guide covers each job.
- Schools & IT
Verify & Troubleshoot Deployment
Check Helperbird managed subscriptions and feature settings in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari, including Mac and iPhone/iPad configuration problems.
- Features
Video Playback Speed
Speed up or slow down videos with Helperbird. Learn how to choose a pace from 0.1x to 2x on YouTube, Vimeo and other websites that use standard HTML5 video.
- Features
Video Volume
Learn how to mute every video on a web page at once with Helperbird, or set them all to a quieter level, without using each player's own controls.
- Getting started
View the Roadmap
Learn how to access the Helperbird roadmap to see upcoming features, vote on ideas, and follow the development of Helperbird.
- Settings
Voice & Language Settings
Choose a Standard or Natural voice and a reading speed for Text to Speech, and set the language Voice typing listens for. Over 60 languages are supported.
- Features
Voice Typing
Use Helperbird Voice typing, choose a language, control spoken punctuation, and copy, listen to, or print your draft.
- Settings
Voice typing settings
Choose your Voice typing language, mode and spoken punctuation in Helperbird Settings. Try your microphone and set up dictation into supported page fields.
- Features
Volume Booster
Learn how to use Helperbird's Volume Booster to control the volume of every video on any website with one simple slider.
- Getting started
What is Helperbird Free?
Learn about Helperbird Free. Core accessibility features included. No credit card required Support accessibility for everyone.
- Getting started
What is Helperbird Pro Unlimited?
What is Helperbird Pro Unlimited? Discover what features are included in this plan designed for schools, districts, and businesses.
- Getting started
What is Helperbird Pro?
See which reading and writing tools Helperbird Pro adds, how it differs from Free, and which PDF and Notepad tools you can use without a paid subscription.
- Features
Where Word Spotlight Works
Where Word spotlight works, what it will not highlight, what a screen reader hears, and how it differs from the other two ways Helperbird highlights.
- Troubleshooting
Why Helperbird Doesn't Work on Certain Pages
Helperbird does nothing on this page? Find out which page addresses block every browser extension, and the three other reasons Helperbird is not there.
- Schools & IT
Why Helperbird Is Greyed Out on iPad
Work out why the Safari extension toggle is greyed out on a Jamf-managed iPad, what your MDM can and cannot control on each iPadOS version, and what to do.
- Troubleshooting
Why Immersive Reader Does Not Always Work
Learn why Immersive Reader sometimes does not load on certain websites like National Geographic, and what you can do to keep reading.
- Apps
Word and Character Count
See how many words and characters you have written in the Helperbird Notepad. The Text stats window also shows sentences, reading time and speaking time.
- Features
Word Prediction
Learn how to use Helperbird's Word Prediction feature to get word suggestions as you type. Word prediction helps you write faster and spell words correctly.
- Features
Word Prediction Layout
Show Helperbird's word suggestions across a row or stacked in a vertical list. Choose a layout and keep your usual prediction tools.
- Features
Word Spacing
Learn how to increase the space between words on any website using Helperbird. Word spacing makes text easier to read by giving each word more breathing room.
- Features
Word Spotlight
Word spotlight colors the word your mouse pointer is on. What it does, and how to switch it on from the Helperbird menu.
- Apps
Writing an Equation
Learn how to write a maths equation in Helperbird's Equation Editor, either by typing the LaTeX yourself or by picking symbols from the math keyboard.
- Apps
Writing and Formatting
Learn how to write in the Helperbird Notepad and use the formatting toolbar for headings, bold, lists, color, links and images.
- Guides for your situation
Writing Essays with Helperbird
Draft with voice typing, find words with word prediction, check spelling and grammar, look up words, and proofread by listening, with a step-by-step workflow.
A little more help.
Your way.
Follow a lesson, or watch a tool in action.
a real person, a little help