SpeechBee

Guide

Google text to speech on a Mac

Google text to speech means a few different things on a Mac. Chrome can read web pages aloud. Extensions can use Google's voices. And Google Cloud sells its voices to developers. Here's how to use whichever one you're after.

By the SpeechBee team, who make SpeechBee. Checked on 12 October 2026

On this page
  1. Chrome's reading mode
  2. Extensions with Google voices
  3. Google Cloud Text-to-Speech
  4. Reading in any Mac app
  5. Questions
  6. Keep reading
  7. Sources

Chrome's reading mode

  1. Open a page in Chrome.
  2. Press Command-Option-R, or right-click and choose Open in reading mode.
  3. Press play. Choose a voice and speed in reading mode's settings.

Google notes reading mode isn't available on every website, and that its settings apply only to text in reading mode. More detail: read aloud in Chrome on a Mac.

Extensions with Google voices

The Read Aloud extension, for example, reads articles, PDFs and Google Docs with browser voices for free, and offers AI voices from cloud providers including Google; those may need a purchase or your own API key. Cloud voices send the text to the provider.

Google Cloud Text-to-Speech

This is Google's voice service for developers building apps. Google lists 380+ voices across 75+ languages and variants, and offers new customers free credits. It's an API, not an app you open to listen to a document.

Reading in any Mac app

Chrome's tools work in Chrome. For Mail, Pages, Word, PDFs and everything else, macOS Speak selection reads selected text with Option-Esc, free. SpeechBee, which we make, does the same with natural voices that run on your Mac, so your text isn't sent to Google or anyone else.

Voice to text
New message

Hi Maya, I'll send the revised proposal tomorrow morning.

SpeechBee's listening indicator on Mac
Hold your key, talk, let go. The text lands at the cursor.
Text to speech
Article

Most people read faster than they speak. SpeechBee reads the sentence you selected out loud, while you keep working.

SpeechBee's Read Aloud player on Mac
Select text, press your reading key, listen.

Natural voices in every Mac app. Free for 7 days.

Voice to text and Read Aloud on your Mac, iPhone and iPad. After the week, $9 a month, $79 a year, or $99 once. Every plan has every feature.

Download for MacGet it for iPhone & iPad

Questions

Does Google have a free text to speech for Mac?

Chrome's reading mode reads web pages aloud for free on a Mac. Press Command-Option-R.

Can Google Docs read aloud on a Mac?

The Read Aloud extension lists Google Docs among what it can read. You can also select text in a Doc and press Option-Esc with macOS Speak selection on.

Is Google Cloud Text-to-Speech free?

Google offers new customers free credits; after that it's a paid developer service. See Google's pricing page.

Keep reading

Sources

All checked on 12 October 2026.