TTS on Mac has a PAUSE before playing audio but iPhone plays audio instantly

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1

How to fix the Mac???

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On macOS, that delay is almost always due to how Anki/macOS handle TTS, not AnkiHub or your cards, which is why your iPhone is instant but your Mac is not.

Here are the main things you can try:

1. Check which TTS engine/voice you’re using on Mac

If this is Anki’s built‑in TTS (not pre‑recorded audio files):

  1. In Anki on Mac, go to
    Tools → Preferences → Review and look for any TTS‑related options (e.g. “Use advanced text‑to‑speech” in newer versions).
  2. Try switching to a different voice or language in macOS:
    • System Settings → Accessibility → Spoken Content → System Voice
    • Pick a locally downloaded voice (not one with a cloud icon or “Premium” that must stream).

Cloud / streaming or high‑quality voices frequently introduce a noticeable pause before playback.

2. Confirm whether your card uses TTS or audio files

Open one of the problem cards:

  1. Click Cards… and inspect the Front/Back Template.
  2. Look for:
    • {{tts ...}} or [sound:_tts...mp3] → Anki TTS
    • [sound:xxx.mp3] with a fixed filename → actual audio file

If it’s Anki TTS, the delay is expectedly worse on Mac than iOS in many setups. If it’s audio files, the delay could come from:

  • A slow or failing audio add‑on
  • Large file sizes or a slow drive

Try disabling non‑AnkiHub add‑ons (especially audio/TTS add‑ons):

  1. Tools → Add‑ons → Check all non‑AnkiHub add‑ons → Disable
  2. Restart Anki and test again.

3. Compare with a brand‑new profile

This helps tell whether it’s something in your profile or your system:

  1. File → Switch Profile → Add
  2. Create a new profile, add a simple note with just a short TTS or short audio.
  3. Test playback.
  • If the new profile is instant, something in your main profile (add‑ons, templates, media size) is causing the delay.
  • If the new profile still has a long pause, it’s likely macOS TTS or audio subsystem → see step 1 and 4.

4. macOS audio / TTS cleanup

Some users reduce the delay by:

  1. Restarting CoreAudio (by rebooting the Mac – easiest way).
  2. In System Settings → Sound, make sure output is set to a local device (built‑in speakers / wired headphones), not a laggy BT device.
  3. In Spoken Content, turn off any special processing (if enabled), then test again.

5. How this relates to AnkiHub

AnkiHub itself only syncs card content (fields, templates, etc.).
It doesn’t control how fast the TTS or audio engine starts playing on your Mac.

That means:

  • If your templates / fields from an AnkiHub deck use {{tts ...}}, AnkiHub is working as expected.
  • The latency difference between Mac and iPhone is due to Anki/iOS vs Anki/macOS and the voices/devices in use.

Next steps

To help narrow this down, please reply with:

  1. Your Anki version on Mac (e.g. 24.xx).
  2. macOS version.
  3. A screenshot of the card template where TTS is used.
  4. Whether you’re using any TTS‑related add‑ons (names or screenshots from Tools → Add‑ons).

Once you share that, I can give more specific steps tailored to your setup.

4

Hello,

Could you please specify which deck or note type you are referring to?

In the meantime, have you tried changing this setting?

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5

This is for the Anking deck, but I think it’s any deck. And yes, those are turned off. Just wanted to see if anyone else experienced the same.

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If this is happening with all decks and note types, it is not an issue specific to the AnKing deck and its note types. In this case, it would be better to contact the Anki support forums, where you can receive more specialized and technical assistance: Anki - Anki Forums

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