wikiRead is a premium, open-learning Wikipedia reader built for Android power users. It transforms any Wikipedia URL into a distraction-free, interactive "listening" experience through a local Flask server running in Termux.
wikiRead is designed as a Headless Hybrid App that balances power between your phone and the cloud:
- The Interception (
termux-url-opener): A bash script "hook" that catches URLs shared to Termux. It launches the local server and opens your browser instantly. - The Engine (Python/Flask): A lightweight backend that uses Wikipedia's REST API. We fetch clean JSON data instead of bloated HTML, making it 10x faster and data-efficient.
- The Brain (Direct AI REST): Instead of using heavy AI libraries, we talk to Google Gemini 1.5 Flash using direct HTTP requests. This keeps the app tiny and eliminates the need for complex "Rust/C++" compilation on your phone.
- The Voice (Browser Native): Audio is handled by your browser's Web Speech API. No extra CPU-heavy audio generation occurs on your phone's processor.
- The Storage (LocalStorage): Your recently read articles and settings live in your browser's persistent memory, keeping the backend database-free.
- ✨ AI Summarization: Tap the AI button to get a 3-bullet summary plus a creative mnemonic or heuristic generated by Gemini 1.5 Flash.
- 📝 Double-Tap to Journal: Quick double-tap any paragraph to trigger a prompt for exporting snippets to your notes.
- 🌊 Fluid Navigation: A top progress bar tracks your reading depth, and a floating "↑ Top" button allows for instant resets.
- Persistent History: Browsing history survives server restarts and tab closes.
- Tap-To-Listen: Tap any paragraph to start/stop the high-quality TTS engine.
- ⚡ Concept Capture: A dedicated TL;DR card at the top of every article.
- Lock-Screen Controls: Play, pause, and skip articles directly from your Android lock screen or notification shade.
- Pro Audio Settings: Fine-grained speed control (0.5x to 2.5x) with snapped intervals.
Run these commands inside your Android Termux app to install:
# 1. Update and install core dependencies
pkg update && pkg upgrade -y
pkg install python git -y
# 2. Clone the repo
cd ~
git clone https://github.com/Mrswami/wikiRead.git
cd wikiRead
# 3. Install lightweight requirements
pip install -r requirements.txt
# 4. Setup your AI key
echo 'GEMINI_API_KEY="your_api_key_here"' > .env
# 5. Link the custom URL opener
mkdir -p ~/bin
cp termux-url-opener ~/bin/termux-url-opener
chmod +x ~/bin/termux-url-openerSince this entire stack runs strictly locally via localhost on your device, your reading habits and credentials never leave your hardware (except for article text sent for AI summarization).
Enjoy learning. 🚀