Reading by the Google Assistant is easier on Pixel

The Google Assistant is not only useful for requesting things like funny jokes or what the weather is going to be: you can also ask her to read something. That feature is never very easy to find, but that is about to change on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

Lens and Reading

When you read an article on your Pixel (in Android 12), you will see two shortcuts appear in the slider at the bottom. One is ‘Lens’, which is useful if you want to translate something, for example, but the other is ‘Read’. If you choose that, you will be given the option to have Google Assistant read aloud.

Reading this can be very helpful. Firstly, it is very nice if you are sitting in the car or on your bike, for example, where you are not supposed to hold your phone in your hand, let alone read an entire article. It’s also useful if you just want to hear what to do while cooking. It is also more pleasant for people with a visual impairment to have something read to them.

Only on Pixel

All in all, a very welcome feature that now seems to be getting even more attention on Pixel. By the way, it is already available on all Android phones, you just have to look for it. For example, you can also ask Google to read it aloud while reading an article.

It’s unclear if this capability is coming to other Pixels or is a new capability in Android 12. It’s a new shortcut discovered by Androidpolice. If you want to check if your phone has it, make sure you have the Google app completely up to date and your phone itself.

Did you know that the Google Assistant can also read your WhatsApp messages? All you have to do is activate the Google Assistant by saying ‘Ok, Google’ and ‘Read my apps’. The voice assistant then reads you unread messages on WhatsApp.

Do you ever use this feature of the Google Assistant? Leave your comment below this article.