Last updated on 2 January 2025
On December 10, 2024, Google TTS, officially branded as Speech Recognition & Synthesis on the Play Store, rolled out its latest update: V20241125.02_p2.702443970. This release introduces a significant upgrade for accessibility users—new high-quality voices, reportedly US English only at the time of this writing. While previous high-quality voices had limitations, the new release promises notable improvements, albeit with some quirks.
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Breaking Barriers (Mostly): The New High-Quality Voices
One standout feature of the update is its compatibility with Android Accessibility Suite, better known as TalkBack, which is Google’s own screen reader for Android. Unlike the older high-quality voices, which required a workaround via apps like Auto TTS or Voicify which comes bundled with Tech Freedom, these new voices integrate seamlessly with Google TalkBack and Samsung TalkBack.
Another long-standing issue with older high-quality voices was their performance at increased speech rates. Once users hit a certain percentage when increasing the speech rate, the voices would degrade into their low-quality variants, making them less appealing for fast listeners. Thankfully, the new voices retain their quality at higher speeds, allowing users to crank up the pace without losing clarity. Moreover, another difference between the old high-quality voices and the new high-quality ones is that the new voices apply to all eight US English variance whereas the old high-quality voices only applied to voice 2 through voice 8. To our ears, the new voices also sound clearer and a bit less monotone.
But Wait, There’s a Catch (or Three)
For all the fanfare, this update is far from perfect. In a surprising twist, accessibility-oriented apps and screen readers like Auto TTS, Jieshuo, and Prudence are unable to use the new voices. While TalkBack users gain a seamless experience, these third-party tools, relied upon by many, remain incompatible. More generally, most TTS-oriented apps which utilize TTS engines can’t use these new voices: apps like Speech Central and @Voice Aloud Reader.
Additionally, the rollout has left users scratching their heads. Despite the global availability of this update, not every phone with the December 10 version of Google TTS has access to the new high-quality voices. Why? Only Google knows—assuming even they do.
To compound the mystery, Google’s app page on the Play Store offers no insight. New features? Bug fixes? Changes? The update notes are the equivalent of a shrug emoji, leaving users to discover changes on their own or, worse, remain unaware of them entirely.
The Google TTS Rollercoaster: Thrills, Spills, and Shrugs
Google has long been a key player in accessibility, but this update exemplifies their unique ability to take one step forward and two steps into uncharted territory. By giving users high-quality voices compatible with TalkBack, they addressed a critical need—only to leave third-party screen readers, most TTS-oriented apps, and some devices out in the cold.
While Google excels at creating innovative features, their communication and rollout strategies seem as enigmatic as ever. Maybe it’s time they added a high-quality voice to their release notes, so users can hear exactly what’s new. Until then, we’ll keep guessing—and perhaps let out a collective groan of exasperation. Because if there’s one thing Google does consistently, it’s remind us that with great tech power comes great…confusion.
I use TB at a pretty high speed and to me the new voices all sound too quiet (I have to struggle harder to understand the words than I did with the old voice). I’m not sure why this is, since they’re supposed to be higher quality even at high speeds.