Listening, not scrolling
Episodes are audio. They keep playing with the screen locked, so the phone can go back in a pocket on a walk, in the car or at bedtime while everyone listens.
About HootPODS
We make an iPhone app that turns the questions your family asks into short audio episodes you can listen to together.
It starts with a question
Families ask a lot of questions. Why do volcanoes erupt? How do bees make honey? What did people eat in ancient Rome? They come up at the dinner table, in the car and at bedtime. Most of them get a quick answer, or a "let's look it up later" that never quite happens.
HootPODS is our way of following those questions up. Type the question, snap a photo of something you found on a walk, or pick a museum nearby. HootPODS writes and narrates a short podcast, story or poem about it in about a minute, at the length, reading level and voices you choose. Then you press play and listen together.
The best episodes start a conversation rather than end one. That is why every episode comes with a few questions for the grown-ups to ask afterwards.
What we care about
Reading practice that fits in
For early readers, turn on sight words. The transcript follows the audio line by line and highlights this week's words as they are spoken. Start from the Dolch lists, or scan the list that came home from school.
Made for whoever is listening
Add a child's first name, age and interests, and episodes are written for them. Or skip that and pick a general audience. Either way, you choose the reading level, from K–2 to 9–12.
Something to talk about after
Each episode has a For the grown-ups card: what it covered, a few new words, two questions for the dinner table, and a book or two to read next.
How we think about AI and safety
HootPODS uses AI to write, narrate and illustrate episodes, through outside services from OpenAI, ElevenLabs and Google. That is what makes a new episode possible in about a minute. It also means parents should know exactly what happens, so we built the app around a few rules.
- Consent comes first. Before your first episode, the app shows exactly what it sends to the AI services and asks for your OK. You can withdraw it in Profile.
- You decide what to add. Child profiles are optional. A first name, age and interests make episodes more personal, but you can leave them out.
- No ads. There are no ads in HootPODS and no advertising or analytics code, only crash reporting.
- Grown-ups first. A quick multiplication question comes before sharing, printing and links that leave the app. You can turn it off in Profile.
- Listen first. AI can make mistakes. We suggest listening to an episode first, or listening together.
- Leave whenever you like. You can delete your account from Profile at any time.
The privacy policy has the details, and the parents guide has more on getting started.
The HootPODS family
The HootPODS app
Our iPhone app for making podcasts, stories and poems from any topic, with read-along and sight words. Free to download, with 200 free credits to start.
HootPODS Originals
Our free family podcast, on Apple Podcasts and on our podcasts page. New episodes also show up in Up Next in the app.
HootRated
Our sister site, with age ratings and content guides for children's books. It also picks the book suggestions that come with each episode.
Who we are
HootPODS is made by HootPODS LLC. We would love to hear from you, whether it is a question, a problem or an idea for the app.
Email support@hootpods.com for help with the app. For privacy questions and data requests, email privacy@hootpods.com. Help with billing and your account is on the support page, and quick answers are in the FAQ.
Make your first episode tonight.
Free to download, with 200 free credits to start. iPhone, iOS 18.6 or later.