Google Docs Gets a Voice! Gemini-Powered Text-to-Speech Feature
Google Docs Gets a Voice! Gemini new AI-powered feature in Google Docs. With this update in place, Gemini will turn written documents into spoken audio. If you’re tired of staring at walls of text in Google Docs, here’s some exciting news — Google Docs can now read your documents aloud. Yep, thanks to Gemini AI, your docs are getting an audio superpower that turns boring reading into a smooth listening experience. This is not the old-school robotic text-to-speech you might remember. Google says the voices are clear, natural, and realistic, almost like you’re listening to a podcast.
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How to Use the Audio Feature in Google Docs
It’s super simple:
- Open your doc.
- Go to Tools > Audio.
- Click on “Listen to this tab.”
Boom — your document starts reading itself aloud. You can customize the voice and speed to match your preference.
Features You’ll Love
Multiple voice styles → Choose the tone you like (formal, casual, male/female voices).• Adjustable speed → Listen faster for quick skims or slower for detailed understanding.
• Support multitasking → Work, walk, or cook while Docs reads for you.
• Error spotting → Hearing words aloud often reveals awkward sentences you might miss while reading.
Google Docs can now read your documents aloud to you with natural-sounding AI voices
This new feature uses clear, natural-sounding AI voices to read your documents aloud, providing a great way to absorb information while multitasking, improve comprehension, or even help catch errors in your own writing by hearing it read back to you. The Gemini-powered model will offer a variety of voices and playback speeds to give you some room for customization.
You can now create and listen to audio versions of your documents using Gemini directly in Google Docs.
Availability
Google Docs is no longer just about writing — now it’s about listening too. With Gemini AI voices, documents feel more interactive, easier to proofread, and way more accessible.
Whether you’re a student, a writer, or just someone who prefers listening while multitasking, this update is a real game-changer. Google basically turned Docs into an audiobook creator — and it’s just the beginning.
The rollout for most users (Scheduled Release domains) will be a full rollout starting on August 25, 2025. This feature is available to most paid Google Workspace customers, including: Google Docs work, essentially letting users listen to tabs without them having to first generate an audio version manually. Authors will be able to add relevant chips by heading to Insert → Audio buttons → Listen to tab. Gemini Business, Gemini Enterprise add-on, and Google AI Pro and Ultra plans will also gain access to the feature.
Two New Ways to Listen
Google built this feature for two types of users:
• 👓 For readers → Hit “Listen to this tab” to have the whole document read aloud.
• ✍️ For writers → Play back your draft to polish flow, catch typos, and make your writing sound more natural.
And since you can personalize it with different voice styles and playback speeds, the listening experience feels flexible — whether you want calm and slow or quick and focused.As previewed earlier this year, Gemini in Google Docs will now let you “create audio versions of your documents.”
On the web, go to the Tools menu for a new “Audio” option in-between Voice typing and Gemini. Tapping “Listen to this tab” will open a pill-shaped player, with the duration noted. You can move this floating window anywhere on the screen.
Besides play/pause and a scrubber, available controls include playback speed and changing the “clear, natural-sounding voices.” Options include:
