u/CarlitoLaf

Hi everyone,

I built a simple Android utility app called BigText, designed to type and display text as large as possible on your screen in real-time. 

While I initially built it for general use (like turning your phone into a sign), I’ve recently received feedback from people around the world telling me this app helped them communicate with people around them when talking was impossible. Some of them described themselves as non-verbal autistic individuals. A friend of mine who got sick and lost her ability to speak also started using this app for her daily communication with her friends and family.

Out of curiosity I recently looked into some of the dedicated AAC apps out there. They are incredibly comprehensive, but I realized that BigText offers a very different approach exactly because it wasn’t built as a 100% specialized tool. It’s just a blank slate that focuses purely on immediate, simple text display. I thought this lightweight, straightforward approach might appeal to some of you who just want a quick way to get a message across without navigating complex menus.

Here are some tools in the app that people seem to enjoy:

• Text-to-Speech: to read your message aloud with one tap.
• Saved texts: to save and restore your most used phrases instantly, with categories to organize them.
• Themes: to change the vibe of your screen.
• Sign/Banner Mode: featuring horizontal scrolling (banner style) and vertical scrolling (teleprompter style).

I know self-promo is a sensitive topic here, and I'm always hesitant to share my work because the app does have a small ad banner (that you can get rid of), to support development, although all the features are free. But after seeing how it helped my friend and from the feedback I’ve been receiving, I genuinely thought it might be a useful tool for some of you to express yourselves.

Do you see this app as something that could actually help you?

Note: I’d completely understand if you feel this post doesn’t belong here. Just let me know and I will remove it immediately, no questions asked!

Hi everyone! 👋

I built a simple utility app called BigText, to type and display text as large as possible on your screen. It's great for turning your device into a sign and making sure your message is impossible to miss. Beyond that, I’ve seen firsthand how useful it is for quick face-to-face communication, especially for people who unfortunately can’t speak or hear, or in any situation where talking is impossible.

Unlike every other app I’ve seen on the store, there’s no jumping between screens or navigating complex menus. You open the app, you type… that’s it 😄 The text scales in real-time as you write.

I've also added some handy tools that seem appreciated by people based on their feedbacks:

• Sign/Banner Mode: featuring horizontal scrolling (banner style) and vertical scrolling (teleprompter style) to catch everyone's eye from afar.
• Text-to-Speech: to read your message aloud with one tap.
• Saved texts: to save and restore your most used texts instantly.
• Themes: to change the vibe of your screen.

Of course every text you type or save stays on your device, privacy first 🔒

I attached a video to this post showing it in action (it’s my Play Store preview video, so it’s a bit « marketing », but it shows the features well! 😅)

The app is free, with just a small ad banner to support development.

Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=carlitolaf.bignotepad

Hope this little app can be a useful tool for you, or maybe your friends and family? I’d love to hear your feedback! 🚀