On Monday, insiders reported that Google silently released its Listen to This Page tool, which can read Chrome pages verbally.
The new feature increases the accessibility of the world’s most popular browser, used by 64.47% of internet users as of May 2024. Moreover, it furthers Google’s commitment to multitasking by allowing users to access information while their eyes and hands are busy.
Listen to This Page provides podcast-like controls, accepting voice commands for play, pause, scrub, and skip forward or backward by 10 seconds. The initial version of the tool supports six languages, namely English, Spanish, German, French, Arabic, and Hindu.
In addition, users can choose from different voice options, including four for American English and two for British English. Google promised to add new voice models regularly to make it easier for listeners to find one that matches their preferences.
Furthermore, the control bar shifts to dock mode when the user switches to another tab. It will also keep reading even when the page is minimized and pause automatically when a different audio source is opened.
Lastly, Listen to This Page will continue playing even if the listener locks their screen with Google Chrome in the foreground. Market experts emphasize that the free tool offers enough features to rival paid audiobook services like Audible.
Android Gains the Feature with Google Chrome 125
Users can access the Listen to This Page tool by upgrading their Google Chrome browser to version 125. The tech giant began rolling out Chrome 125 gradually on May 14, so access to the update remains limited to selected regions.
Android enthusiasts welcomed the update, which promised improved protection from hacking and other malicious online activities. Furthermore, Chrome 125 offered several new features, including the Compute Pressure API, CSS Anchor Positioning API, and an expanded Storage Access API.
These three API improvements increase the browser’s storage and computing capacity, making it ideal for AI-powered add-ons. Tech experts claim Chrome 125 lays the groundwork for upcoming Google GenAI extensions.
