Google rolls out new AI and accessibility features to Android and Chrome

Google Adds New AI and Accessibility Features to Chrome and Android
Google today announced a suite of new AI-powered and accessibility-focused features that will be available on Android and Chrome, further demonstrating its dedication to inclusivity and utilizing the power of artificial intelligence. On Global Accessibility Awareness Day, these updates were released with the goal of improving technology's usability and accessibility for all people, especially those who are blind or hard of hearing.
Improved Image Interpretation with Gemini and TalkBack
TalkBack, the built-in screen reader on Android, is getting a major upgrade thanks to a deeper integration with Google's cutting-edge AI model, Gemini. Users who are blind or have low vision can now ask Gemini follow-up questions about images and even their entire screen content, building on the AI-generated image descriptions that were introduced last year.
For example, a user can ask TalkBack (powered by Gemini) about the make, model, or even other details of a new musical instrument if a friend sends them a picture of it. Richer context and more dynamic engagement with visual information are made possible by this improved interaction.
Emotional Captions for Complex Audio Interpretation
Expressive Captions is another innovative accessibility feature being unveiled. Beyond just transcribing words, this AI-powered tool offers real-time captions for any audio that is playing on an Android device. The subtleties of speech, including long words ("nooooo"), vocal sounds like sighs and laughter, and even background noises like applause or bird chirping, can now be identified and conveyed by expressive captions.
Beyond just transcribing words, this AI-powered tool offers real-time captions for any audio that is playing on an Android device. The subtleties of speech, including long words ("nooooo"), vocal sounds like sighs and laughter, and even background noises like applause or bird chirping, can now be identified and conveyed by expressive captions. For people with hearing impairments, this extra layer of information offers a more thorough comprehension of the audio content. Additionally, to provide more context, a new "duration feature" will highlight words that are lengthy.
Increasing the Accessibility of Chrome
Additionally, Google is working to make its Chrome browser more accessible on desktop and Android devices. The incorporation of optical character recognition (OCR) for PDF documents is a significant advancement.
Beyond just transcribing words, this AI-powered tool offers real-time captions for any audio that is playing on an Android device. The subtleties of speech, including long words ("nooooo"), vocal sounds like sighs and laughter, and even background noises like applause or bird chirping, can now be identified and conveyed by expressive captions. For people with hearing impairments, this extra layer of information offers a more thorough comprehension of the audio content. Additionally, to provide more context, a new "duration feature" will highlight words that are lengthy.
Increasing the Accessibility of Chrome
Additionally, Google is working to make its Chrome browser more accessible on desktop and Android devices. The incorporation of optical character recognition (OCR) for PDF documents is a significant enhancement. In the past, screen readers frequently failed to decipher the text within.
Increasing the Accessibility of Chrome
Additionally, Google is working to make its Chrome browser more accessible on desktop and Android devices. The incorporation of optical character recognition (OCR) for PDF documents is a significant enhancement. In the past, screen readers frequently had trouble deciphering the text in scanned PDFs. These documents' text can now be automatically recognized by Chrome, enabling users to search, highlight, copy, and have a screen reader read the content aloud. For users who depend on screen readers to access information, this removes a major obstacle.
Additionally, Chrome for Android now has the Page Zoom feature, which desktop Chrome users are already accustomed to. This makes it possible for users to enlarge text on webpages without affecting the way the page looks or how they browse it.
Users have more control over readability because they can apply their chosen zoom level to all websites or just particular pages.
Providing Speech Recognition Tools to Developers
Google is extending its Project Euphonia initiative by making open-source resources for developers available in recognition of the significance of diverse speech patterns. They will be able to further reduce barriers to communication by using these tools to create more inclusive speech recognition models that are better able to comprehend non-standard speech.
Accessibility
Beyond just transcribing words, this AI-powered tool offers real-time captions for any audio that is playing on an Android device. The subtleties of speech, including long words ("nooooo"), vocal sounds like sighs and laughter, and even background noises like applause or bird chirping, can now be identified and conveyed by expressive captions. For people with hearing impairments, this extra layer of information offers a more thorough comprehension of the audio content. Additionally, to provide more context, a new "duration feature" will highlight words that are lengthy.
Increasing the Accessibility of Chrome
Additionally, Google is working to make its Chrome browser more accessible on desktop and Android devices. The incorporation of optical character recognition (OCR) for PDF documents is a significant enhancement. In the past, screen readers frequently failed to decipher the text within.
Increasing the Accessibility of Chrome
Additionally, Google is working to make its Chrome browser more accessible on desktop and Android devices. The incorporation of optical character recognition (OCR) for PDF documents is a significant enhancement. In the past, screen readers frequently had trouble deciphering the text in scanned PDFs. These documents' text can now be automatically recognized by Chrome, enabling users to search, highlight, copy, and have a screen reader read the content aloud. For users who depend on screen readers to access information, this removes a major obstacle.
Additionally, Chrome for Android now has the Page Zoom feature, which desktop Chrome users are already accustomed to. This makes it possible for users to enlarge text on webpages without affecting the way the page looks or how they browse it.
Users have more control over readability because they can apply their chosen zoom level to all websites or just particular pages.
Providing Speech Recognition Tools to Developers
Google is extending its Project Euphonia initiative by making open-source resources for developers available in recognition of the significance of diverse speech patterns. They will be able to further reduce barriers to communication by using these tools to create more inclusive speech recognition models that are better able to comprehend non-standard speech.
Accessibility
For devices running Android 15 and later, the improved Expressive Captions and the new TalkBack features with Gemini integration are first being made available in a few English-speaking nations, such as the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. In the upcoming weeks, it is anticipated that Android Page Zoom and Chrome OCR for PDFs will be widely accessible.
Google's most recent developments mark a major advancement in using AI to build a more inclusive and accessible online environment. Google is enabling people to engage with technology in more meaningful and thorough ways by concentrating on the unique requirements of users who are blind or hard of hearing. An even more smooth and intuitive experience is anticipated in the future as AI is further incorporated into accessibility features.