Android’s underrated ‘Reading mode’ beats Pixel 8 ‘Read aloud’

With the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, Assistant gained a new “Read aloud” feature that uses the “same text-to-speech model that Google uses in data centers.” It’s meant to be a showcase of Tensor G3 improving the Pixel’s speech capabilities.

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In reviewing the phones, we quickly bumped into limitations like how text-to-speech (TTS) stops if you leave Chrome. While you can navigate to other tabs (in the browser) or turn off the screen and have playback continue, this general multitasking restriction is quite annoying.

Assistant’s previous Read aloud command, which is still available on other Pixel and Android devices, does not have that limitation.

Old vs. new

I — and others who don’t like the Pixel 8 experience — have switched over to the “Reading mode” app that Google released last December.

Despite the name, it has full TTS capabilities that work in the background following an update earlier this year. Like the original Read aloud (but not the Pixel 8 version), you can follow along on the screen. With only 100,000+ downloads on the Play Store, Reading mode feels like a hidden gem.

As the name suggests, providing a simplified, clutter-free reading experience is the main appeal of this app, which is a standalone download from Google Play. Visual customization options include the font, text size, line spacing, and bolding, as well as background color.

This app is “designed for and with people with low vision, blindness and dyslexia.” As part of Accessibility system settings, you can launch it by holding down both volume keys, while there’s also a floating accessibility button and the ability to “swipe up from the bottom of the screen with two fingers.” Another option is a QS (Quick Settings) Tile, but I’ve found that it takes a second or two to launch the Reading mode panel this way, while the other methods are instantaneous.

In terms of TTS quality, I find that I’m not particularly picky between Reading mode, which uses the Android default, and the new offering. That said, Google should really update the new Read aloud experience on Pixel before bringing it to future devices. The UI does look quite modern and minimal, but the implementation is just lacking and is a regression despite the AI it introduces.