Google Search is testing a new ‘Audio overviews’ experiment in Labs

Have you ever been in the middle of a task – maybe you’re cooking, working out, or just walking the dog – and wished you could have Google give you a quick verbal rundown on a topic without having to stop and read your screen? Well, Google is thinking along the same lines, and today they’ve launched a new experiment in Search Labs that does just that. It’s called “Audio overviews,” and it’s a convenient, hands-free new way to absorb information.

A quick, audible lay of the land

This new experiment uses Google’s latest Gemini models to generate short, conversational audio overviews for certain search queries. So, if you’re searching for a topic you’re not super familiar with, this feature can help you “get a lay of the land,” as Google puts it.

When the system determines an audio overview might be useful for your search, you’ll see an option on the results page to tap and generate the short audio summary. It’s a great option for multitasking or for anyone who simply prefers to listen rather than read.

It’s not just audio

What makes this feature particularly cool is that it’s not just a text-to-speech summary. Google has built interactivity right into the experience. While you’re listening to the audio overview, the player itself will display helpful web page links related to the topic. This allows you to easily pause the audio and dive deeper into the source material if a particular point catches your interest. It’s a smart way to blend the convenience of audio with the depth of web-based articles.

How to try it out

Since this is an experiment, you’ll need to opt-in to give it a try.

1. Head over to Search Labs (you can usually find it in the Google app or on the desktop Google search page).
2. Find the Audio overviews experiment and turn it on.
3. Start searching! When you search for a topic where Google thinks an audio summary would be helpful, you’ll see the option to generate one.

Google is also asking for feedback, so you can give a thumbs up or down on each audio summary to help them refine the experience. This is another great example of Google pushing Search to be more than just a list of blue links. By integrating conversational, AI-powered audio directly into the results, they are making information more accessible and convenient. We’re excited to see how this evolves and hope it’s a feature that eventually makes its way out of Labs for everyone.