Google Experiments with Text-to-Speech Feature for Chrome’s Reading Mode on Desktop
San Francisco, Aug 26 – Google is reportedly testing a text-to-speech feature for Chrome’s reading mode on desktop, allowing the browser to read articles aloud for users.
According to a post by Leopeva64 on X (formerly Twitter), this feature can be found in Chrome Canary, Google’s experimental version of Chrome.
Leopeva64 mentioned, “Chrome for desktop will also have the option to ‘read aloud’ articles. The initial implementation of this feature (in the Canary version) is pretty basic but it works.” Users can activate the feature by clicking a play button at the top of an article in reading mode. A video demonstrating the feature was shared on Reddit.
However, the report notes that Google still has some improvements to make, particularly regarding the robotic voice and the way it reads headers.
In related news, Google’s AI-powered Search Generative Experience (SGE) is introducing a significant new feature aimed at summarizing articles for users while they browse the web.
Currently in the experimental phase, “SGE while browsing” is designed to help users quickly grasp the key points of lengthy or complex web pages. Google stated in a blog post that this feature is available in the Google app on Android and iOS, with plans to roll it out to Chrome on desktop in the coming days.
