FluentVoice Pro 1.6.3 — Attested source ZIP + portable EXE + Store MSIX

FluentVoice Pro v1.6.3

Easiest: get FluentVoice Pro from the Microsoft Store (free, signed by Microsoft, automatic updates; a new version reaches the Store after Microsoft's certification, usually within a day). Or winget install 9N293MJ0MD9F --source msstore.

Download options (pick one)

1. Recommended — Source ZIP fluentvoice-pro-1.6.3-windows.zip
   • Needs Python 3.10+ · run install.ps1
2. Portable EXE ZIP FluentVoicePro-1.6.3-portable-win64.zip
   • No Python · run FluentVoicePro.exe (tray)
3. FluentVoicePro-1.6.3-x64.msix is the package submitted to the Microsoft Store (unsigned: the Store signs it). Install FluentVoice Pro from the Store rather than this file.

All assets are GitHub Artifact Attested (green verification on this Release) and listed in SHA256SUMS.txt.
Already on v1.4.17+? Settings → About & Developer → Check for Updates downloads and SHA-256-verifies this release for you.

Verify

gh attestation verify .\fluentvoice-pro-1.6.3-windows.zip --repo nickotmazgin/fluentvoice-pro
Get-FileHash .\fluentvoice-pro-1.6.3-windows.zip -Algorithm SHA256   # compare with SHA256SUMS.txt

Windows SmartScreen / Unblock / firewall notes: see docs/WINDOWS_TRUST.md in the source ZIP.

Changelog

[1.6.3] - 2026-10-12

Fixed

• The Microsoft online voices work again. In 2026 Microsoft's classic voice server started refusing connections (HTTP 403) for many users, for every app built on edge-tts (edge-tts #490), and FluentVoice fell back to offline voices. When the classic server refuses, FluentVoice now switches by itself to Microsoft's newer server for the same voices (api.msedgeservices.com) and keeps using it for the session. All 80 online voices were tested on it.
• Chinese, Japanese and Korean text with English names is detected correctly. A product name like "FluentVoice Pro" in a Chinese sentence made it count as English, because one Chinese character was weighed like one Latin letter; each CJK character now counts like a short word. A test checks that every language's sample sentence is detected as that language.
• Languages FluentVoice has no voices of its own for (Dutch, Polish, Turkish, Swedish, Vietnamese, Finnish, Greek and more) are read by a Multilingual voice instead of the selected single-language voice, and Settings (Lang: …) and notifications show the real language name instead of "English". Short snippets (under 6 words) keep the current voice, and text the detector isn't sure about is still treated as English.

Added

• Settings → About & Developer → Components & sources:
  • Test providers: a live check of the Microsoft online voices, offline HD voices, Windows voices, tray and hotkeys, audio output and the errors in the tray log from the last 24 hours. Each problem comes with a plain-language diagnosis, what to do, and the alternatives (e.g. no internet vs. a firewall blocking the voice server vs. an outage on Microsoft's side; a hotkey owned by another app; no offline voice for your language).
  • Verify / repair offline voices: checks every downloaded Piper / Kokoro file against its pinned SHA-256 and offers to download damaged ones again, only from the official sources.
  • Components: the version, licence and source of each component FluentVoice is built from, and Open log folder.

FluentVoice Pro 1.6.2 — Attested source ZIP + portable EXE + Store MSIX

FluentVoice Pro v1.6.2

Easiest: get FluentVoice Pro from the Microsoft Store (free, signed by Microsoft, automatic updates; a new version reaches the Store after Microsoft's certification, usually within a day). Or winget install 9N293MJ0MD9F --source msstore.

Download options (pick one)

1. Recommended — Source ZIP fluentvoice-pro-1.6.2-windows.zip
   • Needs Python 3.10+ · run install.ps1
2. Portable EXE ZIP FluentVoicePro-1.6.2-portable-win64.zip
   • No Python · run FluentVoicePro.exe (tray)
3. FluentVoicePro-1.6.2-x64.msix is the package submitted to the Microsoft Store (unsigned: the Store signs it). Install FluentVoice Pro from the Store rather than this file.

All assets are GitHub Artifact Attested (green verification on this Release) and listed in SHA256SUMS.txt.
Already on v1.4.17+? Settings → About & Developer → Check for Updates downloads and SHA-256-verifies this release for you.

Verify

gh attestation verify .\fluentvoice-pro-1.6.2-windows.zip --repo nickotmazgin/fluentvoice-pro
Get-FileHash .\fluentvoice-pro-1.6.2-windows.zip -Algorithm SHA256   # compare with SHA256SUMS.txt

Windows SmartScreen / Unblock / firewall notes: see docs/WINDOWS_TRUST.md in the source ZIP.

Changelog

[1.6.2] - 2026-10-10

Fixed

• No more silent "reading". When the online voices failed, Hebrew, Thai, Japanese… text was handed to the English Windows voice (Zira), which says nothing for those scripts, while FluentVoice reported that it had read the text. Now the reading continues only with a voice that can read the text: an offline HD voice of that language, else a Windows voice of that language, else the English Windows voice for Latin-script text. When no voice on the PC can read it, FluentVoice stops and says exactly what to install (Settings → Voice Providers, or Windows Settings → Speech → Add voices).
• The hotkey reads the selected text, as the README says. It now copies the selection first (Ctrl+Insert, which is safe in terminals, then Ctrl+C outside terminals); with nothing selected it reads what you copied. Auto-Read on Copy doesn't read that copy a second time. Settings → Global Hotkey has a switch to turn this off.
• Direct Text Reader: the Change Voice button shows at the default window size. A long voice name pushed it off the right edge until the window was enlarged; the voice line now wraps instead.
• Hotkeys without Ctrl / Alt / Shift / Win are refused (a lone space or r stopped that key from working in every other app); F1–F24 may still be used alone. Settings says why a chord is refused and suggests one with a modifier.
• A hotkey taken by another app is reported with a notification and in Settings (it used to fail silently, only in tray.log).
• Notification and Settings messages name the voice that takes over and the reason (online service not responding, voice returned no audio, audio playback problem, offline HD voice failed).

Added

• When a voice fails, FluentVoice keeps reading and tells you why:
  • A part that fails online is tried once more before switching voice (a dropped request is common).
  • When one online voice returns no audio while the service works, another online voice of the same language takes over.
  • When the online service fails, it is paused for 1 minute (then 5, then 15 if it keeps failing), so the next readings start at once with the offline voice instead of waiting for a dead service.
  • The reading switches back to the online voice by itself as soon as the service responds again ("🌐 Online voice is back").
• Stop hotkey (optional): a second hotkey that only stops speech (Settings → Global Hotkey → Stop only).
• More hotkey keys: Insert, Delete, Home, End, Page Up / Down, Pause, Backspace and F13–F24.
• The tray's Local Windows Voices menu updates when you add a Windows voice (no tray restart needed) and has an Add Windows voices… item that opens Windows Settings → Speech.
• 39 new tests.

Changed

• Faster start with offline HD voices: the selected Piper / Kokoro voice is loaded in the background when the tray starts or the voice changes, so the first words don't wait for the model to load (Kokoro: first words after 1.1 s instead of 3.8 s). Their parts now grow gradually (each at most 2.5× the one before), so each part is ready before the previous one ends: a long part right after two short sentences used to leave a 4–5 s pause.
• A connection that opens but sends nothing now fails after 7 seconds instead of 15, so the offline voice takes over sooner.
• Shorter pause between parts: playback checks more often near the end of each part.
• The tray's Offline HD Voices menu lists only voices that can speak on this PC (a voice whose speech engine is missing is left out).
• README and the GitHub release notes show the official Get it from Microsoft badge and a Microsoft Store link at the top.

FluentVoice Pro 1.6.1 — Attested source ZIP + portable EXE + Store MSIX

FluentVoice Pro v1.6.1

Easiest: get FluentVoice Pro from the Microsoft Store (free, signed by Microsoft, automatic updates; the Store moves to 1.6.1 once Microsoft's certification finishes). Or winget install 9N293MJ0MD9F --source msstore.

Download options (pick one)

1. Recommended — Source ZIP fluentvoice-pro-1.6.1-windows.zip
   • Needs Python 3.10+ · run install.ps1
2. Portable EXE ZIP FluentVoicePro-1.6.1-portable-win64.zip
   • No Python · run FluentVoicePro.exe (tray)
3. FluentVoicePro-1.6.1-x64.msix is the package submitted to the Microsoft Store (unsigned: the Store signs it). Install FluentVoice Pro from the Store rather than this file.

All assets are GitHub Artifact Attested (green verification on this Release) and listed in SHA256SUMS.txt.
Already on v1.4.17+? Settings → About & Developer → Check for Updates downloads and SHA-256-verifies this release for you.

Verify

gh attestation verify .\fluentvoice-pro-1.6.1-windows.zip --repo nickotmazgin/fluentvoice-pro
Get-FileHash .\fluentvoice-pro-1.6.1-windows.zip -Algorithm SHA256   # compare with SHA256SUMS.txt

Windows SmartScreen / Unblock / firewall notes: see docs/WINDOWS_TRUST.md in the source ZIP.

Changelog

[1.6.1] - 2026-10-09

Added

• FluentVoice Pro is in the Microsoft Store: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9N293MJ0MD9F (or winget install 9N293MJ0MD9F --source msstore). The README has a Store badge and install option.

Fixed

• Store version: Settings no longer shows options it doesn't use. Found by running the Store package on a real PC:
  • The greyed-out "Start with Windows" switch looked off although Windows starts the app; it is gone (the Open Windows Startup Settings button and the note stay).
  • The "Check for updates automatically (anonymous GitHub request)" switch is gone: the Store version never contacts GitHub.
  • Check for Updates no longer flashes "Checking GitHub…" before opening the Store page.
  • The Updates hint and the "How to Trigger" tips describe the Store version (no desktop or Explorer shortcuts there).
• Release ZIPs use forward slashes in their file paths, as the ZIP format requires. Compress-Archive in Windows PowerShell 5.1 wrote backslashes, which made winget's local archive scan report a false "malware" result when testing the manifest with winget install --manifest. Both ZIPs are now built by scripts/make_zip.py.
• 3 new tests (1 for the Store version, 2 for the release ZIPs).

FluentVoice Pro 1.6.0 — Attested source ZIP + portable EXE

FluentVoice Pro v1.6.0

Download options (pick one)

1. Recommended — Source ZIP fluentvoice-pro-1.6.0-windows.zip
   • Needs Python 3.10+ · run install.ps1
2. Portable EXE ZIP FluentVoicePro-1.6.0-portable-win64.zip
   • No Python · run FluentVoicePro.exe (tray)
3. FluentVoicePro-1.6.0-x64.msix is the package submitted to the Microsoft Store (unsigned: the Store signs it). Install FluentVoice Pro from the Store rather than this file.

All assets are GitHub Artifact Attested (green verification on this Release) and listed in SHA256SUMS.txt.
Already on v1.4.17+? Settings → About & Developer → Check for Updates downloads and SHA-256-verifies this release for you.

Verify

gh attestation verify .\fluentvoice-pro-1.6.0-windows.zip --repo nickotmazgin/fluentvoice-pro
Get-FileHash .\fluentvoice-pro-1.6.0-windows.zip -Algorithm SHA256   # compare with SHA256SUMS.txt

Windows SmartScreen / Unblock / firewall notes: see docs/WINDOWS_TRUST.md in the source ZIP.

Changelog

[1.6.0] - 2026-10-08

Added

• Microsoft Store package (MSIX). Each release now also builds FluentVoicePro-<version>-x64.msix, the package submitted to the Microsoft Store (the Store signs it). It is attested and listed in SHA256SUMS.txt like the ZIPs.
• In the Store version:
  • Updates come from the Microsoft Store. Check for Updates opens the Store page instead of downloading from GitHub.
  • Start with Windows is managed by Windows. It is on after the first launch, and you turn it on or off in Settings → Apps → Startup (Settings → Automation & System has a button that opens it).
  • The app appears in the Start menu, so no Desktop / Start Menu shortcuts are created.
  • Clicking FluentVoice Pro in the Start menu while the tray is already running opens Settings.
• scripts/build_msix.ps1 and scripts/make_msix_layout.py build the package from the portable EXE folder; a new MSIX Build workflow checks packaging changes on pull requests.

Notes

• The source ZIP and the portable EXE work exactly as before.