Updating Chrome for Android will allow you to listen to online articles even when the Chrome app isn’t open or inactive. The “Listen to this page” feature in Chrome on desktop has been available for some time.
New “Listen to this Page” Feature
In Google Chrome for mobile devices, the “Listen to this page” option allows you to open a web page and listen to its content, similar to an audiobook. When you select this option, a mini-player appears at the bottom of the screen, allowing you to adjust the reading speed, change the voice, and go back or forward through the content. The app also highlights text being read aloud, helping you visually follow the text.
The only real limitation was that this feature required the Chrome app to be open and active for playback to continue. This means that if you switch to another app or lock the screen, playback will stop.
Significant Update to Read Aloud Feature
This Read Aloud feature has received quite a significant update. The Google Chrome app on Android phones is expected to support background playback soon. Essentially, this means that users will be able to listen to articles even if their Chrome app is not open or active, notes NIXsolutions. There’s a read-aloud-background-playback flag for this, with a description that says “Add support for background playback for reading aloud,” indicating that the feature is currently being tested by the search engine giant.
This isn’t surprising given that Chrome on desktop supports background playback even when the online article tab is minimized or another app is in use. However, it’s interesting to see Chrome for Android catching up with this feature. We’ll keep you updated on further developments.