Google Chrome for Android gets new AI powered features that can turn webpages into audio podcasts

Chrome

Google has rolled out a new AI-powered feature for Chrome on Android that transforms webpages into podcast-like audio experiences. The update expands the browser’s Read Aloud function by introducing Audio Overviews, a capability that summarizes and narrates online content through conversational voices.

Unlike the standard Read Aloud option, which simply reads articles verbatim, Audio Overviews use artificial intelligence to condense and present key points in the form of a dialogue between two AI hosts. This makes long articles or text-heavy content easier to consume on the go, offering users a podcast-style playback of web pages.

To use the feature, Chrome users on Android can open a page, tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, and select Listen to this page. Within the Reading Mode overlay, a new button appears next to the playback speed controls, allowing users to toggle AI-powered narration on or off.

Reports suggest that the feature is appearing in Chrome’s stable build (version 140.0.7339.124) for Android devices, indicating that Google is moving beyond experimental and beta testing phases. The capability was first spotted in Chrome Canary months ago before making its way to beta builds. Its arrival in the mainstream release suggests a broader rollout has begun.

The inspiration for this update comes from Google’s NotebookLM app, which first introduced Audio Overviews as a way to simplify dense information into conversational summaries. A similar approach was later adopted in Google’s Gemini AI platform. Now, by integrating the functionality directly into Chrome, Google is making AI-generated audio more widely accessible.

With this addition, Chrome for Android positions itself as more than just a browser. It doubles as a personalized audio companion, turning any webpage into a quick listening experience for users who prefer podcasts over long reading sessions.