Revolutionary Text-to-Speech Feature Rolls Out for Google Chrome on Android

Google Chrome for Android is introducing a new functionality known as Listen to this Page. This feature allows the browser to read any text-heavy webpage aloud. The text-to-speech (TTS) integration is part of the Android app, accessible via the three-dotted menu icon. The feature opens a miniplayer with controls for play/pause, a progress bar, playback speed options, and more. Moreover, individuals can choose to have a webpage read aloud to them in a selection of different voices and a variety of languages.

According to its dedicated support page, the feature can be utilized to read the text on a website when using an Android device. Users can continue listening to the audio while switching to another tab or even when the screen is locked. Although the feature has started rolling out, a wider release may take a few weeks. It is being introduced with the Google Chrome version 125. The Gadgets 360 team has discovered this feature on the newest version of Chrome for Android.

The Listen to this Page functionality supports multiple languages, including Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. It also offers various voice types. For English (US), the TTS feature includes Ruby (mid-pitch, warm), River (mid-pitch, calm), Field (low-pitch, bright), and Moss (low-pitch, peaceful) voice options. In English (UK), it provides Cloud (mid-pitch, soothing) and Dale (low-pitch, calm), while in English (India), it offers Lake (mid-pitch, calm).

Upon activation, a miniplayer appears at the bottom of the screen featuring play/pause, a progress bar, 10-second fast forward/rewind, and playback speed options. The overflow menu also auto-scrolls as the voice reads the text. If the app is closed, the voice pauses and upon reopening, it resumes from where it was paused.