Google launches web version of Read Along

Google has released a website version of Real Along which was only available as an Android app until now. The website is still in its beta version. Tasnim Khan, software engineer for Read Along, said that the move was made to make it more accessible.

The website is supported in browsers like Firefox, Chrome and Edge. Google is working towards making it available for other browsers, including Safari.

What is Read Along?

Read Along was initially released as “Bolo” in India in 2019. The following year it was released globally with its current name. The app helps kids to read independently with the help of a virtual assistant named Diya.

The website consists of hundreds of illustrated stories across several reading levels. After selecting a story, kids can start reading into their device's microphone. After you read a word correctly, it is highlighted in blue. If mispronounced, words are underlined in red. By clicking on the underlined word, users can learn the correct usage when Diya pronounces the word for you.

Google also announced that it has added new stories to Read Along. The stories will be available in both the Android and web versions later this year. New additions include adaptations of content created by famous children's video creators such as ChuChu TV and USP Studios. Alphabet and phonics books by Kutuki have been added, too. Stories are available in English, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati, Spanish and Portuguese.

The Android version of Read Along has been used by more than 30 million kids worldwide. The move to a website gives kids more device options and access to bigger screens. Teachers have consistently reiterated the need for larger screens for visually impaired learners.

The web version will use the same privacy policy as the app, thus, speech recognition happens in the browser and children's voice data won't be sent to any servers.