How to use the teleprompter
- Type or paste your script into the box, or open a text file. Each line stays a line on the prompter, and a blank line leaves a short gap, which is a good place to breathe.
- Check the word count and the reading time under the box. The time is how long the whole script takes at the speed you set.
- Press Start prompter. The prompter goes full screen, counts down and starts scrolling. Read the line on the green reading line.
- Tap the text (or press Space) to pause, and again to carry on. Use the minus and plus buttons, or the up and down arrow keys, to change the speed while you read.
Choosing a speed
The speed is set in words per minute, not in an abstract scroll setting. The page measures how tall your script is on the screen and divides by its word count, so a 280-word script at 140 WPM takes two minutes whatever text size, line width or screen you use. That makes the time under the script box a real estimate of your read. Start at the default, read the first paragraph out loud and adjust in steps of 10 until the line you're saying stays on the reading line. If you stumble, press Page Up or the back button to jump back three lines; it keeps running at the same speed.
Text size, margins and the reading line
Bigger text is easier to read from a distance but shows fewer words per line. Narrow the line width so your eyes move less from side to side, which also keeps them from wandering away from the camera lens. Side margins keep the text clear of a hood or bezel around a rig's screen. Move the reading line up close to the camera so you look near the lens while you read. The colours are fixed high-contrast pairs, and white or yellow on black is easiest to read in a teleprompter glass.
Mirror mode for teleprompter glass
A teleprompter rig puts a tablet or monitor under a sheet of beam-splitter glass in front of the camera. The glass reflects the screen, so text has to be shown back to front to read correctly. Tick Mirror left to right for that. Some rigs mount the screen above the glass or reflect it upside down; tick Flip upside down as well if your reflection reads that way. The controls stay readable because only the text is mirrored.
Remote control: clickers, keyboards and controllers
You don't need a special remote. Space, Page Down, the right arrow, B and the full stop start and pause; Page Up and the left arrow jump back; the up and down arrows change the speed; plus and minus change the text size; F switches full screen and Home goes back to the start. A presentation clicker or a Bluetooth page turner that sends those keys works once it's paired with the device. A game controller works as well: A or Start plays and pauses, B or the left shoulder button jumps back, the right shoulder button jumps forward and the d-pad changes the speed. To check that a controller is seen at all, use the controller tester.
Recording yourself while you read
Tick Record a video with the camera and allow the camera and microphone. You'll see yourself in a bubble in the corner, or behind the text if you choose full frame. The recording starts when the script starts, pauses when you pause, and stops when you press Finish recording or the square button. Then watch the take, cut the start and end, and download it as MP4 or WebM. The preview is shown like a mirror, as on a video call, but the video is recorded the right way round. Each second is saved in this browser as it's recorded, so a closed tab or a crash doesn't lose the take, and it's never uploaded. If the picture or sound is wrong, check them with the webcam test and the mic test. To record a presentation on your screen with your voice instead, use the screen recorder.
Using a tablet or phone as a prompter
Open this page on the device, paste the script and tap Start prompter. While the prompter is full screen you can drag the text up or down with a finger to move back or forward. The page asks the device to keep the screen on while the prompter runs, so it doesn't dim mid-take; turn this off under Speed if you prefer. On iPhone, Safari can't make part of a page full screen, so the prompter fills the browser window instead; turning the phone sideways gives longer lines.
Privacy
Your script never leaves your device. It's kept in this browser for your next visit only if you tick Keep the script in this browser; unticking it removes the saved copy. Our analytics count things like the word-count range, the speed band and which settings are used, never the words. Share result creates a link containing the script and the speed, and only when you press it: anyone with the link can read the script.