Your morning commute has become more efficient with Google News introducing a text-to-speech feature. This new capability allows the app to read headlines and full articles aloud, activated by a speaker icon on stories. Utilizing enhanced Gemini AI voices, it offers natural-sounding narration in multiple languages, with adjustable speeds ranging from 0.5x to 2x.
The audio feature is available on both Android and iOS Google News apps (version 6.5 and above) and supports background play, automatically pausing when the screen is locked to conserve battery. Unlike YouTube, where ads can interrupt playback, this feature pulls stories from publishers like Reuters without commercial breaks, making it convenient for users to catch market updates while exercising or doing chores.
The Gemini voices include emotion detection, making headlines more engaging for seniors or drivers. This feature is completely free and tailored to individual news feeds, providing an important accessibility boost for visually impaired users who previously relied on less effective screen readers.
Background audio can sync with Wear OS watches or CarPlay, allowing users to stay informed while running errands without needing to handle their phones. Users can opt to enable audio for specific stories or set it as the default in the app settings, giving them control over when to listen versus read silently.
Google also shares listening statistics with publishers, which may help increase subscriptions as users discover stories through voice during their daily routines. While the feature is not yet available globally, international users can access it by changing their region settings to the United States in the News settings menu.
This development is part of Google’s broader efforts to integrate AI across its applications, enhancing everyday news consumption with conversational features.
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