How to make Siri read iMessages without clicking the speak button ?

Hi sashton,

Thank you for participating in the Apple Support Communities. We understand you'd like Siri to read text messages without clicking the speak button. Your father may consider using VoiceOver as explained in this article: Turn on and practice VoiceOver on iPhone.

"With VoiceOver—a gesture-based screen reader—you can use iPhone even if you can’t see the screen. VoiceOver gives audible descriptions of what’s on your screen—from battery level, to who’s calling, to which app your finger is on. You can also adjust the speaking rate and pitch to suit your needs.

When you touch the screen or drag your finger over it, VoiceOver speaks the name of the item your finger is on, including icons and text. To interact with the item, such as a button or link, or to navigate to another item, use VoiceOver gestures.

When you go to a new screen, VoiceOver plays a sound, then selects and speaks the name of the first item on the screen (typically in the top-left corner). VoiceOver tells you when the display changes to landscape or portrait orientation, when the screen becomes dimmed or locked, and what’s active on the Lock Screen when you wake iPhone.

Turn VoiceOver on or off

Important: VoiceOver changes the gestures you use to control iPhone. When VoiceOver is on, you must use VoiceOver gestures to operate iPhone.

To turn VoiceOver on or off, do any of the following:

• Activate Siri and say “Turn on VoiceOver” or “Turn off VoiceOver.”
• If you’ve set up Accessibility Shortcut, triple-click the side button or Home button (depending on your iPhone model).
• Use Control Center.
• Go to Settings  > Accessibility > VoiceOver, then turn the setting on or off.

Learn and practice VoiceOver gestures

You can practice VoiceOver gestures in a special area without affecting iPhone or its settings. When you practice a gesture, VoiceOver describes the gesture and the resulting action.

Try different techniques to discover which works best for you. If a gesture doesn’t work, try a quicker movement, especially for a double tap or swipe gesture. To swipe, try brushing the screen quickly with your finger or fingers. For best results using multifinger gestures, touch the screen with some space between your fingers.

1. Go to Settings  > Accessibility > VoiceOver.
2. Turn on VoiceOver, tap VoiceOver Practice, then double-tap to start.
3. Practice the following gestures with one, two, three, and four fingers:

• Tap
• Double tap
• Triple tap
• Swipe left, right, up, or down

4. When you finish practicing, tap Done, then double-tap to exit."

With VoiceOver turned off, this article gives some additional options: Hear iPhone speak the screen, selected text, and typing feedback.

We hope this helps.

Take care.