Google is launching new updates across Android and Chrome to make technology even more accessible, especially for people with vision, hearing, and speech-related challenges. These updates also include helpful tools for developers working on speech recognition.

Smarter, More Helpful Android Features with AI

TalkBack + Gemini: Get More from Your Screen

Last year, Google added Gemini (its AI assistant) to TalkBack, the screen reader for Android. It helped people who are blind or have low vision by describing images, even without alt text.

Now it’s even better — you can ask Gemini questions about what’s in the image or even your entire screen. For example, if someone sends you a photo of a guitar, you can ask about its model, color, or what else is in the image. This works while browsing, too — like asking if a product has a discount or what material it's made of.

Expressive Captions: Hear the Emotion

Expressive Captions give real-time subtitles for anything playing on your phone. Now, it not only shows what someone says but how they say it, like when someone says “Amaaaazing!” or “Noooo!” It even labels sounds like whistling or throat clearing. This update is available in English in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia on Android 15+ devices.

Improving Speech Recognition for Everyone

Helping Developers Build for All Voices

Through Project Euphonia, Google is helping people with non-standard speech by providing open-source tools and resources. Developers can use these to create custom audio tools or train speech models for diverse speaking styles.

Supporting African Languages

Google has teamed up with the University College London to launch the Centre for Digital Language Inclusion. The project is focused on improving speech recognition for non-English speakers in Africa by building tools and datasets in 10 African languages.

Helping Students with Built-In Tools

Google’s accessibility features are especially useful for students with disabilities. With tools like Face Control on Chromebooks (for hands-free navigation) and Reading Mode (for focused reading), students have more ways to learn comfortably.

Now, students using the Bluebook app to take the SAT or AP exams on Chromebooks can also access Google’s built-in tools like ChromeVox (a screen reader) and Dictation.

Making Chrome Easier for Everyone

Smarter PDF Access with OCR

In the past, screen readers couldn’t read scanned PDFs in Chrome. Now, thanks to Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Chrome can convert scanned PDFs into readable text, letting you search, copy, and use screen readers with ease.

Page Zoom on Android

Page Zoom now works better on Android! You can enlarge text on websites without breaking the layout. Customize your zoom level for all pages or just specific ones. Just tap the three-dot menu in Chrome and adjust your zoom settings.