The feature is reportedly launching server-side with Chrome 125 and will let you listen to the content of the web page in the background.
Prakruti Mishra New Delhi
Chrome for Android has been testing its own text-to-speech (TTS) capability for the last few months, and the “Listen to this page” feature is reportedly being rolled out server-side with Chrome 125. According to 9To5Google, the feature is not accessible to all and is expected to be released to more users in the coming days.
The TTS can be utilised on web pages that have a lot of text and when the user wants the content to be read. To use the “Listen to this page” feature, users have to tap the three-dot menu at the top right corner of Chrome for Android. This will display a drop-down menu, and between Translate and Add to Home Screen, users will be shown the option to listen to the page.
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On tapping the option, an audio player will be shown at the bottom of the page with a play/pause button, indicating how much of the audio has been listened to. A button to close the audio player is also present. The audio player will display the name of the page and the site. On tapping the audio mini-player, you can choose to rewind or forward the audio by 10 seconds or change the playback speed. You will also have the option to change the voice and turn on or off “Highlight text & auto scroll.” The options for voice change available are:
Ruby: Mid-pitch, Warm
River: Mid-pitch, Calm
Field: Low-pitch, Bright
Moss: Low-pitch, Peaceful
The playback will continue even after you open other web pages or lock your device, but if you exit the Chrome browser, the TTS will stop. When you relaunch the mini-player, it will start from where you left off.
Users can also add a shortcut in the Toolbar that is next to Omnibox. To do that, go to Settings, scroll to Advanced, and then select Toolbar shortcut. This will allow users to play audio with one tap and is also available in Chrome Custom Tabs.
Deepak Sen is a tech enthusiast who covers the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets. His articles provide readers with a glimpse into the ever-evolving world of technology.
