Helperbird 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.

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Step 1: Install Helperbird

Go to your browser's extension store and search for Helperbird, or use one of these links:

Click Add to browser and follow the prompts to install.


Step 2: Pin Helperbird to Your Toolbar

After installing, pin the Helperbird icon so it is always visible:

  • Chrome — Click the puzzle piece icon in the top-right corner, find Helperbird, and click the pin icon
  • Edge — Click the three dots menu, go to Extensions, and pin Helperbird
  • Firefox — Click the hamburger menu, go to Add-ons, and pin Helperbird

For detailed steps, see our full pinning guide.


Step 3: Turn Helperbird On

Click the Helperbird icon (a small owl) in your toolbar. The Helperbird menu will open. Make sure the main toggle at the top is turned on — it will turn green when active.


Step 4: Try Your First Feature

Here are three great features to try first:

Text-to-Speech — Select any text on a webpage and have it read aloud to you. Find it in the Helperbird menu or use the Highlight Menu that appears when you select text.

Reading Mode — Click Reading Mode in the Helperbird menu to strip away ads and distractions from any article. Just the content, clean and easy to read.

Font Size — Increase the text size on any page to make it more comfortable to read. Find it in the Helperbird menu and use the slider to adjust.


Step 5: Explore More Features

Helperbird has over 40 features. To see them all, scroll down in the Helperbird menu and click All Features to expand the full list. You can also use the search bar at the top of the menu to find a specific feature by name.

Tip: Click the star icon next to any feature to add it to your favorites for quick access at the top of the menu.


What's Next?

Now that you are up and running, here are some helpful guides:


Video Tutorial

Coming soon


Need Additional Help?

If you have any questions about getting started, reach out to our Helperbird support team. We are happy to walk you through anything!

What People Are Saying

Join over 1,000,000 people who use Helperbird every day.

It was helpful at all times for me! I love this tool!

Heather Shepard

Heather Shepard

Helperbird user

Helperbird is a very useful and smartly designed tool that will most definitely make the browsing life of any user suffering from from dyslexia or is even remotely visually impaired a lot easier. It’s very easy to use, has the ability to synchronize settings on multiple devices, and is very efficient thanks to a useful set of straightforward customization options.

Vladimir Ciobica

Vladimir Ciobica

Helperbird user

Immersive Reader from Microsoft is amazing, but my friends in Google districts were missing out until I found Helperbird. Great for proofreading! Simply highlight the text and have it read back to you, change the spacing in your view, highlight parts of speech, even translate by word or by document to have it read to you and adjust the speed! So amazing that I posted a YouTube tutorial within days of installing it. Plus, unlike many extensions, it didn't ask for obnoxious permissions like asking to delete everything in my Google Drive. #Winner #a11y

GK Techies

GK Techies

Helperbird user

Fantastic! Great software and simple to use even for kids new to the computer. Provides the option to tailor every variable to make any page easier to read. Really excellent. Super helpful support too. Great job!

Rebecca Meldrum

Rebecca Meldrum

High School teacher

Wow what great tool, I love it! Keep up the excellent work. Add more fonts in the future and cant wait for the ios version!!

A Google User

A Google User

Helperbird user

Amazing tool, love the new overlay feature!!

James Connel

James Connel

Helperbird user

Helperbird logo: Stylized owl with large yellow eyes and a beige face, against a green background.

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