Reading mode is Google’s best text-to-speech offering and has just gained the ability to work in Gmail, as well as social media apps.
Google previously said Reading mode “doesn’t support PDF files, emails, chat messages, and social media feeds.”
As spotted by Artem Russakovskii, Reading mode now works in email apps, like Gmail. This includes the simplified reading view and TTS, but not all emails are supported.
We’ve also gotten it to work in Threads and X (formerly Twitter), though it’s not ideal. In fact, Google warns that “Reading mode may not work well with social media/email apps” and provides the option to provide thumbs up/down feedback.
It still doesn’t work in Google Messages or with PDFs. Reading mode was last updated in November 2023, so this looks to have been a server-side addition.
Google released Reading mode in December 2022 and updated it with background (and screen off) playback last year. Meanwhile, the Google Assistant Read aloud feature introduced with the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro lacks this capability. That’s also the case for the upcoming Chrome on Android version.
As a tip, you can launch Reading mode by holding down both volume keys, a floating accessibility button, “swipe up from the bottom of the screen with two fingers,” or the QS (Quick Settings) Tile.
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