Chrome for Android has recently rolled out a new feature, “Listen to This Page,” which allows users to convert web pages into audio files. This feature is available in over 25 languages and can be customized to play at different speeds.
One of the notable changes in the latest update is the ability to play the text-to-speech audio in the background. This means that if you minimize the browser or switch to another app, the audio playback will continue, and the browser will display a media player in the device’s notification panel.
The media player will show the page title, website name, and basic controls to fast-forward, rewind, and pause/resume playback. If you tap the “More” icon in the top-right corner and select “Listen to This Page,” you can access the text-to-speech feature.
Interestingly, the mini-player will stay docked at the bottom of the browser even when you switch to other tabs. The feature offers ten voice options and eight playback speeds (0.5x – 4x), and you can also configure it to highlight text and auto-scroll the webpage as it reads the content.
The “Listen to This Page” mode is available in the latest version of Google Chrome, which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. However, Google notes that the feature does not yet work on all websites. If you find that the feature is not available for a particular website, make sure your Chrome and device are updated to the latest version, and then check again. You can learn more about the “Listen to This Page” mode in Chrome on the Google Help Center page.
