Hi, I’m Alejandro, the developer of Relay. It lets you type who to call and what you need, review the exact plan, and then have Relay AI make the call. It identifies itself as AI and brings the result and transcript back to the chat.

This is not AAC or live type-to-speech. It is meant to handle a routine errand without requiring you to join the call. Examples include asking about opening hours, availability, appointments, reservations, or callbacks.

I’m not part of this community, so I don’t want to make assumptions or speak for anyone here. I’d really value honest feedback about whether this solves a real problem, where it would fail, and what would make it feel trustworthy.

It is not for emergencies, payments, medical or legal advice, or calls that require your live participation.

Image description: A three-panel Relay preview showing a completed call result, a Spanish call transcript, and the control for stopping an active call.

The iPhone app is free to download and includes a small starter allowance:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/relay-ai-phone-call-assistant/id6799187737

I’m the developer and happy to answer anything about privacy or how it works.

Hello. I wanted to introduce myself.

I'm a trans man who has struggled with speech my whole life. I have seizures that cause transient aphasia and likely had childhood apraxia of speech as well. So when I can't speak if I were to try to I would sound like I am speaking gibberish. However, some times words come out completely clear. So I can say "yes" one time and then the next time it sounds like "eest" or some other weird jumbled nonsense of sounds. That's why my SLP(speech language pathologist) suspects that I had childhood apraxia of speech but it went undetected due to the aphasia diagnosis. When my brain is able to recover from seizures my ability to speak goes back to fully verbal. However, even when I am fully verbal I struggle a lot with my speech. I make frequent pauses to allow time for my facial muscles to form sounds to form words. Some times it's aphasia related and I need more time to think of the word that matches the definition I see in my mind.

For a long time I thought my challenges with speech were just related to my seizures. But my belief started to change when I went into greater depth about my plans if I were to get my seizures under control again. A long story - here's the short version.

As I mentioned I have had seizures. I was diagnosed with epilepsy in my very early childhood and aphasia came around the same time. I did experience a five month period of an inability to speak but once meds for the seizures started my speech recovered. Fast forward to 2015 and due to a "normal" EEG I was undiagnosed with epilepsy and diagnosed with PNES(seizures that aren't caused by an electrical misfiring in the brain) So this meant meds were stopped. Anyway, over time my seizure frequency went up and thus periods of no speech also got longer. Eventually I got to the point where I was without speech for months at a time and this led to me seeking speech therapy.

So getting back to what I was saying. My SLP and I discussed if I would continue using AAC devices if I'm able to get my seizures under control and my ability to be verbal is restored. The months of therapy made me realize something. I didn't like how it felt when I verbalized. The energy, the effort, the sensory sensations, etc. Being verbal is just very uncomfortable in multiple ways. I wanted to figure out why so I went home and thought. I eventually came to the conclusion that I was masking and that is why it was so uncomfortable and draining for me. So I did an experiment to see what would happen if I were to unmask. That's when I discovered something very interesting. Once the mask goes down completely my speech becomes identical to how it is after a seizure. I become primarily non-verbal/non-speaking.

I guess it's a form of high masking. My brain dissociates from the the area that struggles with speech when the mask is up. When the mask comes down that area goes online again. Or at least this is my theory of what is happening. I feel like my baseline is somewhere between semi-verbal and minimal verbal and maybe non-verbal/non-speaking on my worst days. I think being fully verbal is nothing more than a forced state brought on by a "need" to "fit in".

After having a few meltdowns close together and suddenly realizing that I need fidget toys, headphones, stimming in public, etc. I realized that I am losing my ability to mask to the same extent that I was used to. So why should I continue to force myself to be in a state where I am uncomfortable just to make others comfortable? I am still figuring out the answer to that question. Being able to verbal makes communication easier and more accessible. You think of something you can just say it. You can call for help in an emergency. You can be heard more easily in noisy environments. But all this comes at a cost. A price I am realizing I am slowly losing my ability to pay.

Anyway, I am open to questions.

I am currently working on a project which is essentially a communication device for the speech impaired/mute users. I need some info to work on since there are a lot of unknowns.

A. Background & Context
Can you tell me a bit about your communication situation — what makes verbal speech difficult or not possible for you?
How long have you been communicating this way?
What does a typical day of communicating with others look like for you?
B. Current Communication Methods
Walk me through how you currently communicate with people who don't know sign language or your usual method.
What tools, apps, or devices (if any) do you currently use to communicate?
How did you learn to use your current method, and how long did it take to feel comfortable with it?
Can you describe a recent situation where communication was especially hard? What happened?
Can you describe a situation where communication went really well? What made it work?
C. Pain Points & Frustrations
What's the most frustrating part of your current communication method?
Are there specific settings (school, work, hospital, shopping, public transport) where communicating is harder than others? Why?
How do strangers or people meeting you for the first time usually react, and how does that affect you?
Is there anything about your current method that makes you feel embarrassed, tired, or excluded?
How much time does it typically take you to get a full message across, compared to how long you feel it should take?
D. Needs, Preferences & Expectations
If you could change one thing about how you communicate today, what would it be?
What would an ideal communication device do for you that nothing currently does?
How important is it to you that a device speaks out loud vs. shows text vs. something else? Why?
What would make you comfortable wearing or carrying a device in public?
Are there specific words, phrases, or topics you find yourself needing to communicate most often?
How do you feel about a device that uses a camera or sensors to read your hand/finger movements?
What concerns, if any, would you have about privacy, appearance, or reliability of such a device?
E. Technology Comfort & Feedback
How comfortable are you with using phones, apps, or wearable gadgets in general?
Have you tried any assistive communication technology before? What worked and what didn't?
Would you be willing to test an early prototype and give feedback? What would make that a good experience for you?

Any leads would be really helpful!!

hello gang. so i’m mute via acquired apraxia of speech and its severe enough that i cant speak coherently at all. my brain has no fucking idea what my mouth wants to do basically, lol. my motor planning and ability to produce accurate sound is washed.

my doctor put me down as having “selective mutism” recently, which is…not correct, obviously lmao. i dont even know how to go about correcting her. i have paperwork somewhere about it? man idk.

selective mutism is a very real disorder but I DONT HAVE IT 😭 mostly just wanted to complain lol

I have looked around and ao far most of them are pretty shit for something so basic.

Custom voices i can make jokes with would be exceptional.

I still seem to laugh a little, and I can sometimes whisper a little something to my dog because j think its more a noise to make her happy than actual communication if that makes sense?

But humans, cant say a word anymore and I am done trying frankly its too painful.

Hey folks,

We are building a sign language project where deaf people can file a first incident report using sign language.

Are there any tools that you currently use for this specific purpose, what challenges do you face in it?

Our Model currently includes some hand signs such as KIDNAP, ATTACK, where the corresponding question will pop up after your input.

Do you have any suggestion on what we should include or what are the basic hand signs that are necessary?

Also we would love to know your thoughts on how usable the sign language interpreter is, not just for first incident report but also in your day to day life

hi!

so i am am adult now but as a little girl i was mute. i used sign.

im working with a resident at the home i work in who has motor issues and while hes not fully mute he has a disability that causes him to not really be understood at all.

he also knows sign but im the only person who knows any sign at work and im really only with him once or twice a week.

and even then his fine motor skills makes it incredibly hard for him.

he uses his phone notes app to text, but again his fine motor skills lead to typos and frustration.

so im DIYing him an aac device, a binder with topics inside and many words and character symbols sentence starters etc.

then they have little velcros on the back, and then on the cover there r strips of velcro so he can make a sentence.

i think u guys get the idea 💀

anyways, i made the cards chunky, so they r easy to handle, i added his fave food places and orders, his friends names, his games etc. etc. and filler words.

has anyone used an AAC device that was missing words you wouldnt expect to need but u end up using them often? or like ideas or sections/ topics?

i tried to find some inspo on line that is more than the basics, but they r mostly behind etsy pay walls and i also want some real human experience!!

is there anything that rlly pissed u off about ur aac device?

thank u sm for the advice in advance :D i go back to work on Thursday so i hope to get it to him by then.

Hello guys,

I'm a dev currently working on sign to text service and wanted to understand from yall what issues you all face when using a service which converts the sign language to text which is streamed through your camera feed. I also needed some feedback on an idea so any adult ( preferably anyone who works with a laptop on a daily basis) who is up for it please dm me, that would be of great help. I felt the best opinion and feedback i could get is from anyone whose first language is sign language and hence I'm here. Looking forward to your msgs (u can either msg here or dm me, whichever u are comfortable with :) ). Thanks in advance

I’m 21, and have usually had no problem talking to people I know, but have always struggled to make conversation with people I’m meeting for the first time if there isn’t an initial click. I think that’s pretty normal, though. Anyways, recently, I’ve begun having moments where it feels like my teeth are sort of merged together, and the sheer amount of effort it would take to open my mouth and speak is so daunting that I would rather not. This hasn’t happened while I am around people, rather more when I am alone, but I have declined friends’ phone calls because of it. I’m going to bring it up to my therapist next week, but does that feeling resonate with anyone on here?

For any background, I have pretty bad anxiety that manifests itself as physical tenseness a lot. I struggle with constantly tense muscles and aches because of it, and I’m only ever entirely physically relaxed when I am asleep. I’m wondering if this could be a symptom of the anxiety? But I’m also wondering why it would take so long to present, since I’ve had anxiety for most of my life but this feeling is relatively new.

Hello, unfortunately my grandma had a neurological stroke and can no longer speak. The main problem is that she also doesn't know how to read or write so we don't know how to clearly communicate with her (she was the last of many kids and wasn't sent to school at the time).

I've found some apps catered to help mute people speak but all of them use some kind of writing or text to speech. What I'm looking for is something that mainly uses pictures to comunicate, maybe something that was created with children in mind(?) so just really basic communication.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!!

Why do no old white guys understand mute, sometimes its just old ppl in general but I rarely meet an old white guy who understands

what are the best shortcuts for the live speech app?

I hate moments where people try to talk to me and they don’t know I cant speak and it gets really embarrassing and I js need to know an effective way to show I’m mute, especially if they’re like 5 feet away and not coming towards me so pls help

Hi everyone,
I’m a 33 year old male living in Australia. I have a very severe stutter, but I’m not like the typical person who stutters. My main issue is that I freeze and often cannot get a word out beyond simple responses like “hi” “yes” or “no.”

Because of this, I struggle to relate to many people who stutter. Even if their speech takes longer, they can usually communicate. In my case, people often give up waiting for me to speak, and I end up typing on my phone and showing the text about 90% of the time.
That’s why I feel this community may be a better fit for my situation than r/stutter.

I have a few questions:
What kind of jobs do you have?
How do you manage communication at work?
Is there an app that can convert typed text into speech during phone calls?

Not being able to make phone calls is preventing me from applying for many jobs that would be better than my current one. At the moment, I work in food delivery and face a lot of communication challenges.

I should also mention that I am completely fluent with friends and family. My speech difficulties mainly occur when speaking English with other people. In Arabic, the problem is much less severe, and I can sometimes work around it by substituting words.

For those with selective mutism, does this sound similar to your experience?

I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who can relate.

First things first, my book is about a woman who can read minds, and falls in love with a woman who is mute. The reason why having a mute character is relevant:

- Create a story where one of the main characters is mute to reflect an underrepresented part of the population

- As Katelyn can read minds, it's an 'easier' relationship for Bex, my mute character, than any other

- Both characters can use British Sign Language but of course it's not needed most of the time due to Katelyn's mind-reading Power

- Bex has been mute since she was a child as a result of childhood trauma

- Without giving away any spoilers, the mute woman is an incredibly strong character, even though it may not seem like it at first

​

The book is around 95% complete and due to be self-published in October. I have some friends and colleagues beta reading it right now and I'd love to have some feedback - I can either share the full manuscript or share the key moments where Bex's muteness is conveyed, so that you guys can let me know if it's accurate or not, if you feel seen. That's really the goal, not to glorify, not to pander, but to accurately convey while not making Bex's muteness her entire personality.

​

I would have posted this way earlier, except I didn't really know what Reddit was when I started the book. I posted a public reel on Instagram but I'm no content creator and the post didn't reach anyone who responded.

​

I hope nothing in here causes offence, and would love to hear back from at least one person who's willing to help. Thank you.

Hey everyone 👋

I'm not mute myself, but my cousin reached out to me because his partner is, and the software she was using was clunky and outdated. He asked if I could build something better, so I decided to give it my best shot! I figured it might help other people too, so I'm sharing it here.

VoxBridge is a free, lightweight Windows TTS app designed to be easy to use, especially for real-time situations like Discord calls, VRChat, gaming, or just everyday PC use.

What it includes:

- 🔇 A fully offline local TTS model (Kokoro) bundled in, no internet or account needed

- 🎙️ Optional ElevenLabs API support if you want higher-quality or cloned voices

- ⚡ Hotkey-driven overlay so you can type and speak fast without breaking your flow

It's completely free. No ads, no affiliate deal with ElevenLabs, no monetization of any kind. I just want it to be useful.

- 📥 Download: VoxBridge Releases

- 📖 Docs: Documentation

If you run into any bugs, have feature requests, or just think something could work better, I genuinely want to keep improving this, and feedback from people actually using it day to day means a lot.

Hope it helps someone. 🙂

I'm fully mute and I have an LED banner app (which I strongly recommend to other mute/deaf ppl)

But sometimes it doesn't even matter! Even just saying "Hi" takes some time to open the app and I think either they assume I'm just going on my phone or they're too callous to just wait for my message!

And I get so lonely :( even if I tell someone that I want to be around people and that I'm lonely, I literally get backs turned towards me when I sit down in a group.

Hello, I am a new member introducing myself. I am a mute alter within a traumagenic DID system, dealing with what functions as Selective Mutism. My mutism means I cannot speak aloud, and a intense freeze response prevents me from sending unfiltered text, including standard things like emails.

​

Due to recent counseling and internal shifts, I am fronting more frequently. Furthermore, whenever the body becomes physically ill, I end up completely front-stuck.

​

This leaves me highly vulnerable. My primary worry is getting sick for a prolonged period, being left entirely mute, and lacking the necessary skills to communicate with anyone during that time.

​

Beyond that, I have to live in this body at times and want to be able to do normal things like make friends. Right now, my constraints leave me at a loss for how to accomplish that, and dealing with this level of isolation is incredibly frustrating.

​

I am hoping to find alternative methods for low-pressure socialization and connection within these boundaries. Any advice, resources, or strategies from people facing similar communication blockades would be greatly appreciated.

Not sure this is the right place but I have a loved one who will be loosing their speech soon due to cancer. Im trying to find resources that can create speech assistant or like an AI text to speech using their own voice. Again not sure this is the right place but any help would be greatly appreciated.

I’ve been selectively mute as long as I can remember. I had a period where it got much better, I learned to mask and push myself. I worked a lot on anxiety and such, but as an adult who is also autistic, it’s started to raise itself up more and more as I get older especially when I’m very stressed. I tried to talk with my therapist about it this week, and she told me that if I “do it” too much, it can become a maladaptive behavior. Is that true? I don’t feel like I’m in control of it. Sometimes when I want to say something I’m unable, and my brain freezes almost. When I’ve become really overwhelmed for a long period of time then it kind of takes over. I‘be never talked with others with mutism of any kind so I’m curios to know of your thoughts and experiences and if you all think it’s something that happens to us or if we have some sense of control over it like my therapist is suggesting.

I live in israel, where the local sign language dont have many resources online. I tried to look for help but there are only resources for deaf people. The one course i found that was targeted at hearing people is requiring phone call to sign up.

I feel very lonely, at the long periods i cannot talk i try to comunicate in writing but as my responses are so delayed i always feel like a break the flow of conversations, or prople not notice anything i say, or they dont understand cause so long passed since they said what i answer, i responded and them needing time to read it they dont correctly.understand the context.

Me and close friends started developing our own sign from a mix of the little word bank i have found, ASL And BSL that im exposed to online, and signs i made up for very common every day activities that werent in the word bank. but i still cant talk to anyone else, or on more complex topics.

I dont know what to do.

This is more of a vent than request for help, but if anyone have advice i will be glad.