Search
Find a gentle way in
Topics, suggestions, and clear entry points help you start listening without friction.
Public beta · iPhone via TestFlight
Knowledge to fall asleep to
Wikipedia, read aloud. Search any topic and have it read to you — calm, hands-free, and made for falling asleep.
Free on iPhone via TestFlight · Sourced from Wikipedia
Why umbra
A quieter way to explore.
For people who reach for their phone at night and end up on feeds they did not want. umbra gives you something better to do with that impulse.
Audio-first
Wikipedia, read aloud — on any topic you can think of.
umbra does not feel like an article with a play button attached. The flow is built for calm listening from the start: low friction, smooth transitions, and quick orientation.
Discover gently
Search directly, follow themed chips, or begin with something random when you want discovery without effort.
Keep going without scrolling
Suggestions, next articles, and smooth transitions keep curiosity moving without feeling like a feed.
Follow along lightly
Short transcript sections keep you oriented and let you tap directly to the part you want.
How it works
Begin with ease.
You do not need to know exactly what you want. A topic, a chip, or a random start is enough.
01
Search for a topic
Type any topic — from black holes to Roman bread — and start listening in seconds.
02
Tap a themed chip
Use themed chips when you want to browse without needing the perfect search term first.
03
Start somewhere unexpected
Open something unexpected and let the next suggestions carry you forward.
Transcript
Stay oriented in the text
Short transcript sections keep the experience grounded and let you jump to the right moment with one tap.
Flow
Keep moving without effort
Soft suggestions and smooth transitions turn one article into the next without making the app feel like a feed.
About me
Why umbra exists.
I’m August Ellison, a digital brand manager based in Vienna, working at the intersection of design and technology. I created umbra for my girlfriend, who would reach for her phone at night and end up wide awake. She needed something calming to listen to, not a podcast, not music, just something gently interesting.
What began as a simple personal idea gradually became umbra: a calmer, quieter way to explore knowledge and wind down.
FAQ
The essentials.
Answered clearly.
Try it tonight.
The public beta is available on iPhone and free to try.
Still evolving, already useful
The beta is still evolving, but the core is there: pick a topic, put your phone face-down, and let Wikipedia send you to sleep.
Directly on iPhone via TestFlight. Feedback to hi@augustellison.com.