You can now ask Google Assistant to read aloud the text on a webpage – basically turning any webpage into a podcast! The new functionality is now available on all Android phones.
Check out the video about the new Read It feature for Google Assistant in Android phones.
Nowadays we consume so much content on our tiny smartphone screen – news, articles, stories etc.
For older folks with failing eyesight, or anybody with visual or reading difficulties, Google Assistant can now read web articles on your smartphone browsers out loud.
How to have a page read aloud
When a web article is displayed on the browser in your Android phone, you can say, “Hey Google, read it” or “Hey Google, read this page” – Google Assistant will immediately read aloud the content of the web page, using a voice of your choice.
To help you follow along, your browser will automatically scroll the page and highlight words as they’re read aloud.
You can also alter the reading speed, jump forward or backwards by 30sec and 10sec respectively or skip to any part of the web page.
I’ve always wished that I could consume web content while I’m driving.
At the moment, you can only do that if it’s a podcast, or unless you just listen to the audio of a video, because you got to keep your eyes on the road while driving.
So I listen to the news or radio, or my own music while I drive.
With the ability of Google Assistant to read aloud web pages, I don’t have to postpone perusing a web article until when I can read it myself.
I can listen to it when I’m driving, or taking a bus or train (using earphones) so that I don’t have to strain my eyes reading on a moving vehicle.
Even when I can read an article normally, I might just listen to it to give my eyes a rest – alternating listening with reading.
Listen and Translate at the same time
If the original content isn’t in your native language, Google Assistant can trigger your browser to read aloud in 42 languages.
You can also use the translation menu to select the desired language, and all pages will be automatically translated and read out in that language.
Children can now listen to bedtime stories read out from websites featuring such stories, if their parents are not free to read the stories to them.
I’ve tried this new feature out – the web pages are read aloud in expressive and natural voices, using the same intonation and rhythm that actual humans use when reading aloud.
Websites don’t need to do anything special to enable this functionality.
Webmasters that prefer not to use this feature can use the nopagereadaloud tag.
If you’re a developer, you can add the ability for Google Assistant to read aloud content in your mobile app using Actions on Google.
Tags: Android, assistant, Google, Internet, new arrivals, OS, software, voice