A little help.
A whole new page.
Listen to the words. Follow the yellow highlight. Take your time. Vexa stays beside you while you read.
Download Vexa for WindowsWebsite download starts, counted from launch of this counter.
Version 1.14.5 · Windows 10/11, 64-bit · Chrome & Opera
One setup for new installs and updates. No separate Python install.
Every story starts somewhere.
Let’s find out what happens next.
Section highlighting illustration. Read at your own pace.
Hear the words
Read a page or just the paragraph you choose. Adjust speed and volume to suit you.
Follow along
A yellow highlight follows the current section on the webpage. Make the text bigger without squeezing it down.
Keep your place
Keep Vexa above ordinary windows, pause for a break, and come back when you’re ready.
Why I built Kantu’s Toolbelt
I started building tools for my family. When my ten-year-old son could use Vexa Reader, I wanted to share it with other families too.
My goal is simple: make useful tools that are easy to understand and easy to use. With Vexa, that means hearing the words, following along on the page, and keeping your place.
I’m building, listening, and improving as we go—one useful tool at a time.
One setup. Then you’re together.
- Download and open Setup. An adult can help with the first installation.
- Choose Install or Update Vexa. Setup includes the reader and speech components.
- Click Set up Chrome. In Chrome, turn on Developer mode and click Load unpacked.
- Paste into the folder address bar. In the folder window, press Ctrl + L, then Ctrl + V, then Enter. Click Select Folder.
- Pin Vexa in Chrome. Open Chrome's extensions menu and click the pin beside Vexa Reader.
Need the address again? Click Copy folder address in Vexa Setup. You can also type %LOCALAPPDATA%\VexaReader\extension into the folder window's address bar. Opera/GX users can choose the manual Opera option in setup.
Already have Vexa? Choose Update Vexa or Uninstall Vexa on the setup screen. Setup keeps the same extension folder and makes a backup. Reload the extension and fully restart your browser after updating.
Install, reinstall and runtime checks passed in an isolated Windows test. Browser-store approval and trusted installer signing are still pending.
Updates without starting over
Vexa checks this release page at most once a day when you open it. When a newer version is ready, choose Update Vexa. It checks the download before opening Setup. You decide when to install.
Older ZIP versions need this setup once to enable online updates. No update is silently installed.
A few things to know
Does it work with pictures and PDFs?
Vexa reads accessible webpage text. It cannot recognize words inside pictures or scanned PDFs yet. Some pages need you to select the paragraph yourself.
Where does the text go?
Text you ask Vexa to read goes to Microsoft’s online speech service. Internet is required. Vexa does not create an account or upload reading history to Kantu. Adults should help children decide what text to send. Read the privacy explanation.
Why does adding the extension need a few clicks?
This early release is not in the browser stores yet. Browser approval keeps users in control. Once added, updates use the same extension folder.
What’s new in 1.14.5?
Webpage highlighting that follows the source passage, a plain reader preview, clear Chrome setup steps with a visible folder address and Copy button, an Uninstall Vexa button beside Update Vexa, a single install-or-update setup, bundled speech runtime, guided Chrome/Opera setup, backups, a desktop setup shortcut, and online update checks. Includes section highlighting, main-page text filtering and Keep on top.