Google Chrome can now read web pages aloud on Android

Google Chrome for Android is getting a new feature called Listen to this Page, which allows the browser to read any text-heavy web page aloud. The text-to-speech (TTS) feature will be integrated into the Android app, and users can access it via the three-dot menu icon. The feature will launch a mini player with play/pause, a progress bar, playback speed controls, and more. Users will also be able to listen to a web page in multiple voices and different languages.

Google Chrome’s ‘Listen to this page’ feature

According to a devotee support page for the feature, it can be used to read the text on a website while using an Android device. The feature can play the audio while the user switches to another tab. The audio can also be played while the screen is locked. While the feature has started rolling out to users, a wider release may take a few weeks. The feature is rolling out with Google Chrome version 125. Gadgets 360 staff was able to find this new feature in the latest version of Chrome for Android.

Google Chrome’s Listen to this page feature supports multiple languages ​​including Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Furthermore, there are also multiple voice types available for users to choose from. The TTS feature has Ruby (mid-pitch, warm), River (mid-pitch, calm), Field (low-pitch, bright), and Moss (low-pitch, peaceful) voice options in English (US). It offers Cloud (mid-pitch, soothing) and Dale (low-pitch, calm) in English (UK) and Lake (mid-pitch, calm) in English (India).

Once the feature is enabled, users will find a mini player at the bottom of the screen with play/pause, progress bar, 10 second skip forward/backward, and playback speed controls. The overflow menu will also scroll automatically as the voice reads the text. Once the app is closed, the voice will pause. Google Chrome will remember where it was paused, and when the app is reopened, playback can resume where it left off.

How to Use Google Chrome’s ‘Listen to This Page’ Feature

1. Open the Google Chrome app on your Android device.
2. Open a web page with text. The page should be text-heavy.
3. Once the page has fully loaded, tap the three vertical dots icon at the top right.
4. To search Listen to this page. Tap on it.
5. To change the playback speed: Tap the mini player.
6. In the player window, tap the three horizontal dots at the bottom right.
7. Tap on Playback speed.
8. To change the voice, tap Vote. Crane Preview to try out the voice.
9. Crane Highlight text and auto scroll to enable the function.