Many of us face the challenge of discovering a fascinating article but lacking the time to read it right away. We often save these pieces for later, only to forget about them entirely. In recognition of this widespread issue, Google has introduced a feature in Chrome that allows you to listen to articles, facilitating multitasking and enhancing productivity.
Listening to Articles on Chrome for Android
Currently, the article-reading function is exclusively available on Android devices. If you’re an iOS user, don’t worry—there are alternative methods available, which we will explore shortly.
Please be aware that this feature supports only English articles; attempting to utilize it on pages with other languages will not be successful.
To get started, open the Chrome application on your Android device and navigate to the desired article. Tap the three dots located in the upper right corner to open the menu.
Select the option labeled Listen to this page.
Chrome will then start reading the article aloud, providing a word-for-word narration. A playback interface will appear at the bottom of the screen. You can tap on this player to enlarge it for a more comfortable listening experience.
The player allows you to pause or play the audio and skip forward or rewind by 10 seconds. Additionally, you can adjust the playback speed by tapping on the 1x option at the bottom of the player.
If the default reading voice isn’t to your liking, you can change it easily. Tap the three dots located in the lower right corner to access the Options menu.
Now select Voice.
From here, you can choose from several available voice options (voices in languages other than English are not supported).
In the Options menu, you can also decide if you’d like Chrome to highlight text while reading and enable auto-scrolling through the article.
Listening to articles in Chrome is a valuable feature, and Google is continuously working to enhance it. An exciting development is that Google is testing an AI component in its experimental Canary app, allowing for audio summaries of articles. In the future, users will also be able to switch seamlessly between standard playback and AI-generated audio summaries.
Additionally, the NotebookLM app from Google includes an Audio Overview feature that recently added the ability to create video presentations based on article content.
Alternative Method: Using Gemini to Listen to Articles
If you’re using an iPhone, or simply prefer an alternative solution for listening to articles, consider using Gemini. This application is available on both Android and iOS, and the method can be applied to articles opened in any browser on your mobile device.
Start by launching Chrome and navigating to an interesting article.
Invoke Gemini by saying “Hey Google” on your Android device, or by opening the Gemini app on iOS. Once in the app, tap the Live icon located in the bottom bar.
On the screen that appears, select the second button from the bottom menu.
Allow Gemini access to your screen on Android or broadcast on iOS so it can interact with the content displayed on your device.
Once you have the Chrome app open with the article displayed, you can start your conversation with Gemini and request it to “read this article out loud to me.” Gemini will immediately begin narrating the article.
This method generally works effectively, though I occasionally needed to remind Gemini to continue reading, as it might pause at the end of paragraphs. It becomes less of an issue with articles containing longer paragraphs. After initiating the reading, you can simply say “Continue” whenever there is a pause to resume the narration.
Another benefit of using this approach is the ability to ask Gemini to create quick audio summaries of the articles. For example, I requested a summary of my article regarding creating iPhone-like Calling Cards on Android. It performed well, though it initially failed to provide alternatives when asked. A second query yielded the correct information.
As with any AI interaction, it is crucial to verify the information and not rely solely on the AI’s responses.
Upon concluding your interaction with Gemini, access the Dynamic Island feature showing Gemini’s activity or swipe down from the top-right corner on older iPhone models to bring up the Gemini Live interface. For Android users, simply swipe down from the top to reveal the notification shade.
Press the X icon to hang up the conversation.
After hanging up, you will be able to view a transcript of your live conversation with Gemini.
If you prefer Safari on your iPhone, don’t forget that there is also a Listen to Page feature available within that browser.
Chrome is packed with many useful features that often go unnoticed, such as the ability to listen to articles. Speaking of enhancements, have you considered using Chrome tab groups to organize your browsing more effectively? If not, be sure to explore this feature.
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