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Google Chrome Aims to Enhance Accessibility with 'Read This Page' Feature

Wednesday 26 June 2024 - 13:55

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Google continues to innovate in terms of accessibility with a new feature integrated into its web browser, Chrome. Dubbed "Read This Page," this option offers users the ability to listen to web pages read aloud, thereby making browsing more accessible and convenient for everyone.

According to Google Chrome's help document, initially spotted by 9to5Google, "Read This Page" is currently available on Android. This mobile integration allows users to benefit from this handy feature while on the go.

It's important to note, however, that this option is not yet compatible with all websites. Google is likely working to extend this compatibility for an even smoother user experience.

This new option offers controls similar to those found on YouTube, allowing users to play, pause, scroll, adjust playback speed, and skip 10 seconds forward or backward in the page's reading. It provides a fluid and convenient user experience thanks to its intuitive control bar, which remains anchored even when users open other tabs, ensuring easy access to playback controls. Additionally, the reading continues even if they lock their screen, as long as Chrome is in the foreground, ensuring uninterrupted continuity.

Currently, Google offers this functionality in 12 languages: Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. This linguistic diversity ensures wide accessibility for users around the world. Moreover, Google has included different voices for each language to offer a more personalized listening experience. For example, users in the United States can choose from four different voices, while those in the United Kingdom have two options available. This variety of voices allows catering to individual preferences, making the feature even more effective and tailored to each user's needs.

By incorporating these multilingual controls and options, Google Chrome enhances the browsing experience, making it not only more accessible but also more user-friendly and adaptable to individual user needs.

Google has been working on refining the read-aloud functionality for documents and web pages for some time, and this new Chrome feature is a tangible testament to that effort. With the launch of "Read This Page," Google reinforces its commitment to accessibility and digital inclusion.

This development is a continuation of the efforts already undertaken, as evidenced by the "read aloud" function integrated into the latest Google Pixel 8, highlighted by 9to5Google. By combining these innovations, Google continues to transform the way users interact with digital content, making information more accessible to a diverse audience.