Listen Instead of Reading — Updated for 2025
Below, you’ll find the current names, where they’re available, and how they behave as of late 2025 (mobile and desktop).
On Your Mobile Phone
Chrome (Android & iOS)
Feature Name:
Listen to This Page (primary)
Audio Overviews (new podcast-style summary)
Where:
Android (widely rolling out; may not be on every device yet)
iOS availability varies
What it does:
• Listen to This Page — classic text-to-speech that reads a page aloud with play/pause and speed controls. This is the baseline read-aloud tool built into Chrome. Android Police
• Audio Overviews — an AI-generated, podcast-style summary that doesn’t read every word but instead gives you a conversational digest of long articles with two voices. It’s designed to highlight key points rather than verbatim reading. Android Central
How to use:
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Open a webpage in Chrome.
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Tap the three-dot menu.
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Choose Listen to This Page.
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From the player controls, switch to “Audio Overview” for summaries (where available).
Notes:
• Availability is rolling out and may depend on your version of Chrome.
• Some phones may still only show the original “Listen to This Page”.
• iOS support for full Audio Overviews is more limited than on Android.
Safari (iPhone & iPad)
Feature Names:
Listen to Page (primary in Safari)
Speak Screen / Speak Selection (system-level fallback)
Where:
iPhone & iPad
What it does:
• Listen to Page — Safari’s built-in TTS that reads page content aloud. Apple Support
• If a webpage doesn’t support “Listen to Page” or you want system-wide control, you can use Speak Screen or Speak Selection from iOS’s Accessibility settings. These will read anything on screen or any selected text aloud. Apple Support
How to use:
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Open a web page in Safari.
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Tap the Page/Reader menu button and choose Listen to Page.
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OR enable Speak Screen via Settings → Accessibility → Spoken Content and trigger it by swiping down with two fingers. Apple Support+1
Microsoft Edge (Android & iOS)
Feature Name:
Read Aloud
Where:
Mobile apps on both Android and iOS
What it does:
Built-in text-to-speech that reads web pages aloud. You can start it from the menu and adjust voices and speed. Microsoft
Notes:
• Works in both Immersive Reader (where available) and the normal browser.
• Immersive Reader can declutter pages and then read them aloud too.
Firefox (Android & iOS)
Feature:
No universal built-in TTS on all versions
What it does:
• Firefox doesn’t yet offer a fully consistent built-in read-aloud feature across all platforms.
• On desktop, many people use extensions such as Read Aloud: Text to Speech from the add-ons store to get TTS. Firefox Add-ons
Mobile notes:
• TTS behavior on Firefox mobile varies by platform and updates. Extensions aren’t always available or supported on mobile.
On Desktop/Laptop Computers
Chrome (Windows/Mac)
Status:
Chrome’s mobile read-aloud features don’t yet have full parity on desktop.
• Chrome on desktop includes a “Reader Mode” (to simplify pages) — but native read-aloud is still limited unless you use extensions. TechBloat
• Extensions like “Read Aloud: A Text to Speech Voice Reader” add playback with voices and controls. Chrome Web Store
Summary:
• Built-in read-aloud (like mobile) isn’t fully rolled out yet on desktop Chrome.
• Best results on desktop Chrome often come from extensions.
Safari (Mac)
Feature:
Start Speaking / Reader → Listen to Page
What it does:
Safari on Mac can read webpages aloud via built-in Speech or its Reader view. You can start it from the Edit → Speech menu or from Reader controls in the address bar. Peech
Notes:
• Works best when you enable Reader view (cleaner text).
• You can adjust system voices and speed in macOS settings.
Microsoft Edge (Windows & Mac)
Feature:
Read Aloud (native)
What it does:
Edge has one of the strongest built-in read-aloud tools:
• Access it from the menu or by right-clicking and choosing Read Aloud.
• It works on full pages and selected text.
• You can also use Immersive Reader to declutter and then read aloud with natural voices. Microsoft
Shortcuts:
• Keyboard: Ctrl + Shift + U (Windows) to start/stop the tool. NinjaOne
Firefox (Windows & Mac)
Feature:
No built-in TTS in core browser (as of late 2025)
What it does:
Firefox desktop does not include native read-aloud functionality across all platforms. Users typically add a text-to-speech extension like “Read Aloud” from Mozilla Add-ons. Firefox Add-ons
Summary Table
| Browser | Mobile Read Aloud | Desktop Read Aloud | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome | Listen to This Page + Audio Overviews (Android, limited iOS) | Via extensions; full native TTS still rolling out | Audio Overviews summarise content as podcast-style rather than word-for-word |
| Safari | Listen to Page + Speak Screen | Native via Speech/Reader | Works best with Reader view |
| Edge | Read Aloud | Read Aloud (strong native support) | Works with Immersive Reader and text selection |
| Firefox | Limited built-in | Use extensions (e.g., Read Aloud) | No universal built-in on any platform |
Tips for Everyone
Adjust voices and speed:
Most browsers let you choose voice styles and speed either within the player or in your device’s accessibility/speech settings.
Fallbacks:
If a browser doesn’t show built-in tools, you can use system accessibility features (e.g., Android’s Select to Speak or iOS’s Speak Screen) to have pages read aloud.
Use extensions on desktop:
Chrome and Firefox desktops often rely on add-ons for the most consistent read-aloud experience.
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