Google is bringing a new twist to how users interact with Search results… by letting them listen instead of read. Yes, really. The company has announced an experimental feature called “Audio Overviews” that offers short, spoken summaries of certain search queries using its latest Gemini models. It is limited to English language for US users only for now.
Available now through Google’s Labs program, this test aims to provide a convenient, conversational experience when researching unfamiliar topics. Rather than skimming through articles, users can opt to generate an audio summary of a subject, giving them a quick verbal rundown of what they need to know.
It’s clearly designed for multitaskers, such as people who might be cooking, commuting, or just prefer audio over reading. When available, the option appears right in the search results interface. Once tapped, a summary begins to play, accompanied by links to relevant web pages in the player so users can dig deeper as they listen.
Participation requires opting into Labs, Google’s public testbed for new features. Users can rate the usefulness of both individual audio responses and the experiment overall. Google says these ratings will help shape the future of the feature.
This move feels like another attempt to expand the Gemini brand while also pushing AI deeper into everyday experiences. Whether people actually want their Google results read to them remains to be seen, but it’s yet another example of Google trying to keep Search fresh in the age of AI fatigue and information overload.
