Google Docs can now read your documents aloud to you with natural-sounding AI voices

For those who prefer to listen to content, or for anyone who wants a new way to proofread their own writing, Google is rolling out a fantastic new feature. You can now create and listen to audio versions of your documents using Gemini directly in Google Docs.

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.

Two new ways to listen

This new audio feature includes two distinct capabilities for both readers and authors. First, readers can now go to the Tools > Audio menu and select the “Listen to this tab” option to quickly listen to the contents of the current document. You can customize the experience by choosing from a variety of voices and adjusting the playback speed to match your personal preference.

Second, authors can now embed this functionality directly into their documents. From the Insert > Audio buttons menu, you can add a customizable “Audio button” directly into the document. This inserts a play button that readers can click to easily listen to the document’s content with a single click. Authors can even change the label, color, and size of the button to match their document’s style.

Availability

This new audio feature is a great way to engage with content in a new way and significantly improves the accessibility of documents created in Google Docs. For now, it is only available in English and on desktop.

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:

• Business Standard and Plus
• Enterprise Standard and Plus
• Customers with the Gemini Education or Gemini Education Premium add-on
• Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers

This is a fantastic and practical new tool, and we’re excited to see how it improves the Google Docs experience for everyone.