Danny Weber
00:56 19-12-2025
© B. Naumkin
Google News debuts audio summaries with a new Listen tab, full player controls, and linked sources. Available in the US now; switch region to access elsewhere.
Google has begun rolling out audio summaries in the Google News app for people who prefer listening to reading. The new option adds a dedicated Listen tab with a full-featured audio player and automatically narrated digests of timely stories.
These aren’t just text read aloud—they arrive as a standalone listening interface. Each digest lists its sources and includes direct links to the full articles, which open with a single tap. Users can stay with the short audio briefing or jump straight to the original piece.
The player offers familiar controls: play and pause, a 30‑second skip forward, a 15‑second skip back, and adjustable speed from 0.75x to 2x. That flexibility makes it easy to fit news into a commute or a quick break without losing the thread.
There is, however, a regional catch. For now, audio summaries are officially available only to users whose regional settings are set to the United States. Access is still possible elsewhere by manually choosing United States in Google News settings under Languages and regions of interest.
Google has not said when the audio format will go global. For now it remains experimental and sits within the company’s broader strategy for news services, including AI summaries, roundups, and integration with Search and Gemini.