Google Chrome is trying a new feature to make the browser read text out loud. People testing it found this tool in the app’s reading mode. It’s like how some other browsers also have this feature.
The voice on Chrome sounds a bit robotic and not very natural. It’s mainly made to help people who might have trouble reading. You’ll see a “Play” button at the top of an article while in reading mode if you can use it.
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, in this link you can see a video with the feature in action:https://t.co/UMAzrWKaWo
.https://t.co/Wha3AzI9gf pic.twitter.com/z8KMvtUsLI— Leopeva64 (@Leopeva64) August 25, 2023
Right now, you can’t do much with this tool – you can only start it or stop it. It’s pretty basic and not as good as what other browsers like Firefox and Microsoft Edge offer. Those browsers have had a similar tool for years, which works much better.
Even though Chrome’s tool isn’t fancy, it’s still helpful, especially for people with difficulty hearing. With some improvements, it could become more like listening to an audiobook. It might work for almost any article you find online.
This new tool is still being tried, so it’s not final yet. It might go through some changes before it’s officially released. We don’t know precisely when that will be, but since they’re testing it on Chrome Canary, it might be a few months before everyone can use it.
