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Google is rolling out a text-to-speech (TTS) feature, dubbed ‘Listen to this page’ to enhance accessibility and user convenience while browsing Chrome’s Android application.
Users can find the ‘Listen to this page’ option in the overflow menu, accessible via the three-dot icon, between the Translate and Add to Home screen options.
Google has added the following languages for users’ convenience: Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.
As with many Google features, the rollout of ‘Listen to this page‘ is behind handled in phases. Currently, it is available to users running the beta version of Chrome.
Once a webpage is fully loaded, selecting this option activates a mini-player at the bottom of the screen. The mini-player includes essential controls such as play/pause, a progress indicator, and a close button.
Users can also navigate the content with a scrubber and 10-second rewind/forward buttons. Playback speed can also be adjusted with options ranging from 0.5x to 4x.
The feature also offers customisation through the overflow menu, allowing users to enable or disable ‘Highlight text and auto scroll’ and choose different voice options, as noted by 9to5 Google. Available voice options for English (United States) include:
- Ruby: Mid-pitch, warm
- River: Mid-pitch, calm
- Field: Low-pitch, bright
- Moss: Low-pitch, peaceful
Additionally, it displays the page name and the website from which the content is being read.
While Google Assistant already offers a similar capability, it requires switching out of Chrome and into the Google app. The new ‘Listen to this page’ feature keeps users within the Chrome browser, providing a more streamlined and integrated experience, notes The Verge.
Google is reportedly testing this feature for Chrome for desktop users, indicating a potential expansion beyond mobile devices. Meanwhile, Apple’s Safari browser on iPhone offers a comparable ‘Listen to this page’ feature, leveraging Siri’s voice to read webpages with similar control options.
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