Chrome for Android Introduces AI-Powered Audio Overviews
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This new Chrome trick turn any web page into a podcast - how it works
Chrome for Android has a new feature in "Listen to this page."Instead of traditional audio, you can hear a two-host podcast.The feature is now rolling out on a wide scale. If you use Chrome's read aloud feature to listen to articles instead of reading them, you're about to notice a big upgrade. First spotted by Android Authority, Google has unveiled a new AI-powered feature for Chrome that takes any web page and turns the text into podcast-style audio. There is an existing "Listen to this page" feature, but it's a standard computer-style voice. The new version has two hosts reading the text, making for a much more entertaining experience. Also: I tested this new AI podcast tool to see if it can beat NotebookLM - here's how it did The feature seems to work a lot like Google's audio summaries in NotebookLM. In an X post showing it in action, two voices banter back and forth about the content of a web page, even asking and answering questions. Instead of reading it straight through like the existing option, the new way is much more conversational. It still sounds very much like AI, but it's a lot more pleasant to listen to. This reveal comes just after Google brought Gemini to Chrome for desktop, introducing a feature that lets you ask Gemini to summarize the content on a page. To see if you have the new feature, tap the three-dot menu and choose "Listen to this page." You'll see media control buttons and hear a voice reading the article. If you have the new option, there's a small button on the bottom left of the player to toggle standard mode or AI mode. You can be sure about which mode you're on because small text above the controls says "standard playback" or "AI playback." Also: I used NotebookLM for an entire month - here's why it really is a game changer I didn't have the new audio option yet on any of my devices when I checked, so I can't attest to the quality, but people who have it report that it's a noticeable difference. Google is rolling out the feature on a wide scale, so if you don't see it now, you should soon. The official support page for "Listen to this page" doesn't have any information about the upgraded audio. I've reached out to Google to see if it can offer an official explanation or more details about the feature.
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Chrome for Android can now read webpages like a podcast
It was previously available in the experimental version of Chrome, but now seems to be rolling out widely. Chrome for Android is now getting a new AI-powered upgrade for its Read Aloud feature. Instead of just reading out the full text of a webpage, the browser can now use AI to generate an Audio Overview for the content that works like a podcast. Android Authority's Mishaal Rahman spotted the feature on the stable version of Chrome for Android, suggesting it's starting to roll out more widely. When enabled, the AI creates a summary of the webpage and plays it back like a podcast conversation between two AI hosts. The point is to turn any article or boring block of text into a quick, interactive listening experience. To access Chrome's read-aloud feature on the Android app, open a web page, tap the More icon (three dots) at the top right, and select Listen to this page. The new Audio Overviews feature is available here. A new button in the Reading Mode overlay next to the playback speed option lets you toggle AI playback on or off. We previously reported on this feature months ago when it was available in Chrome Canary, an experimental version of the browser that Google uses to test new features. After that, we also spotted AI audio overviews for Chrome on Android in a beta build of the app. Now, it looks like Google is finally rolling out the feature for regular users in the stable version. Notably, the feature is borrowed from Google's NotebookLM app, which was the first to offer AI-generated Audio Overviews to turn long-form content into digestible podcasts. Back in March, Google also introduced Audio Overviews in Gemini, and now with its inclusion in Chrome, it's great to see the useful feature getting a wider audience.
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Chrome for Android can now turn web pages into podcasts
Chrome for Android can already read aloud web pages. On paper, it sounds like a handy accessibility feature, but in practice, the robotic voice makes it hard to stay engaged. In June, Google was spotted testing a useful AI-powered upgrade for Chrome -- one that turns the experience into something closer to a podcast, rather than just machine voice reading out the page aloud. It seems the feature is finally ready to go public, with the option appearing on Chrome for Android's stable channel. Android Authority's Mishaal Rahman spotted the new AI-powered Read Aloud feature in the latest stable release of Chrome for Android (v140.0.7339.124). The feature uses AI to transform a web page's content into a podcast-style experience, complete with two AI voices delivering it like a natural conversation. This makes listening to a web page far more engaging than the current implementation, where a flat machine voice simply reads the text aloud. Close To check if you have the AI-powered Audio Overview feature in Chrome for Android, open a web page, tap the 3-dot icon on the top-right, and select the Listen to this page option. You can turn off the AI-powered audio by tapping the icon next to the playback speed option. I have the latest Chrome for Android build on my phone, but the new AI-powered Audio Overviews feature hasn't shown up for me yet. But it should go live soon, especially since the feature was spotted working in Chrome for Android's Canary build just a few weeks ago. The feature is similar to NotebookLM's AI Overview, which uses AI to turn the source content into a podcast-style audio. Audio Overviews expand to more Google products If you rely heavily on Chrome for Android's Read Aloud feature, the new AI-powered Audio Overviews should feel far more useful. Admittedly, Chrome can still take more cues from NotebookLM and add support for playing back content in more languages, voices, and tones. That would make the feature even more intuitive. Google also rolled out Audio Overviews as an experimental Search feature in June this year. So, it's clear that the company wants to integrate Audio Overviews into as many of its services as possible.
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Google has rolled out a new AI-powered feature for Chrome on Android that transforms web pages into podcast-like audio experiences. This upgrade to the 'Listen to this page' feature offers a more engaging and natural way to consume web content.
Chrome for Android Introduces AI-Powered Audio Overviews
Google has rolled out a significant upgrade to Chrome for Android's "Listen to this page" feature, transforming it from a simple text-to-speech function into an engaging, podcast-like experience. This new AI-powered feature, called Audio Overviews, is now being widely distributed to users of the stable version of Chrome for Android
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Source: Android Authority
How It Works
The new Audio Overview feature uses artificial intelligence to convert web page content into a conversational format, simulating a podcast with two AI-generated hosts. Instead of a monotonous computer voice reading the text verbatim, users can now enjoy a more natural and interactive listening experience
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.To access this feature, users can tap the three-dot menu in Chrome for Android and select "Listen to this page." A new toggle button allows switching between the standard playback and the AI-powered audio mode
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Source: Android Police
Enhanced User Experience
The AI-generated voices engage in a back-and-forth dialogue, asking and answering questions about the content. This approach makes the listening experience more engaging and easier to follow, especially for longer articles or complex topics
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Source: ZDNet
While the voices still sound artificial, they offer a significant improvement over the previous text-to-speech technology. The conversational style helps maintain user interest and improves content retention
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.Rollout and Availability
The Audio Overview feature is currently rolling out on a wide scale to Chrome for Android users. It was initially spotted in experimental versions of Chrome, such as Chrome Canary, before making its way to the stable release
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.Users should note that the feature may not be immediately available on all devices, as Google is gradually implementing it across its user base
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Integration with Other Google Services
The Audio Overview feature is not unique to Chrome. It has its roots in Google's NotebookLM app, which first introduced AI-generated audio summaries for long-form content. Google has also integrated this technology into its Gemini AI model and is testing it as an experimental feature in Google Search
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.This widespread implementation across various Google products indicates the company's commitment to enhancing content accessibility and user engagement through AI-powered audio features.
Future Improvements
While the current version of Audio Overviews in Chrome for Android is a significant step forward, there is still room for improvement. Potential enhancements could include support for multiple languages, a wider variety of voices, and different tones to suit various content types
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.As Google continues to refine this technology, users can expect an increasingly natural and versatile audio experience when consuming web content through Chrome for Android.🟡agnet.
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