With the release of the iOS 17 update, Safari has introduced a host of new improvements and features, including useful tools like locking private Safari tabs, setting different private search engines, and more. Among these innovations is the “Listen to Webpages” feature, designed to allow users to listen to webpages.
For instance, if you’re engaged in activities like walking, yoga, or working out at the gym, you may find it difficult to read the information on a screen. That’s where the “Listen to Webpage” feature comes in handy. By utilizing this function, you can have the website read aloud to you, ensuring that you can still access the information you need even while on the move.
Quick overview: Use the “Listen to Webpages” feature to hear the contents of a page read on your device. To use it, Go to Safari > navigate to the webpage you want to hear > click the Aa button > select Listen to Page.
What is Listen to Webpage in iOS 17?
iOS 17 introduces an unprecedented feature called “Listen to Page” in the Safari app. As the name implies, this feature allows users to turn web pages into an auditory experience. This innovative tool enables you to hear the text of a webpage in your chosen Siri voice, providing a convenient way to absorb information without having to read it.
The “Listen to Page” feature is a valuable addition to your browsing experience on iOS 17, integrating seamlessly with Safari’s Reader View mode. Designed to work on web pages with substantial text content, this function reads the content word by word, offering controls for play/pause, narration speed, and voice selection.
Ideal for text-rich webpages, “Listen to Page” furnishes a user-friendly interface for controlling playback, accessible directly from the Lock Screen and Notification Center.
How to Use Listen to Page in Safari
To use this feature on your iPhone, please follow the steps below. Ensure that your iPhone is running on the latest version of iOS 17 before using this feature.
- Open the Safari app on your iPhone to begin listening to web pages.
- Navigate to the webpage you want to hear, then tap on the Aa icon on the left side of the Tab Bar.
Note: The webpage must be rich in text content, or the “Listen to Page” feature won’t be accessible.
- From the overflow menu that appears, select “Listen to Page.”
Safari will then read the contents of the page in your default Siri voice, or you can change the Listen to Page voice. You can adjust your device’s volume to make the spoken audio more or less audible as needed.
How to Control Listen to Page features
To use the “Listen to Pages” option in Safari, tap the “Aa” icon on the tab bar, then select “Listening Controls” to pause or resume. Safari will read the rich text content of the selected webpage, and you can pause at any time.
To resume, tap the “Aa” icon again and choose “Resume Listening.” Safari will continue from where you last stopped.
Please note, the pause/resume control only applies to the last webpage you listened to. If you navigate to another page and start listening, you can’t resume the previous page.
In addition to in-app controls, iOS 17 includes an audio interface on the lock screen and Notification Center, similar to music or media app controls.
This interface shows elapsed and remaining time on either side of a seek bar. You can use this bar to seek backward or forward during a session or tap the + and – icons to jump forward or backward for 10 seconds with each tap.
Listening to the web…
That’s it! The “Listen to Webpages” feature in iOS 17’s Safari brings reading to your ear, turning web content into an auditory experience. Whether it’s multitasking, resting your eyes, or simply enjoying content in a new way, this feature elevates the way you engage with the web.
