🔊ACTIVATE VOCAL MODE

 Instructions for Vocal Mode Activation

Get this page in your language: Choose your own language in the Select Language rectangle box at the bottom left of the picture of Chicago on the top of this page. However, the Oral Mode remains in American English.

You have now vocal access to this site with Chrome on an Android device. Follow these instructions.

• Open any page of this site with Chrome

• Click on the ••• at the right top of your windows

• In the drop-down menu, choose: 

Listen to this page

For all Operating Systems, here's a guide provided by Gemini:

To use the "vocal" features (Read Aloud/Listen to this page) in Chrome, your device must meet the following Operating System (OS) version requirements.

1. Android: "Listen to this page"

The built-in feature that lets you play articles like a podcast is available on most modern Android devices.

 * Minimum OS: Android 5.0 (Lollipop) or higher.

 * Current Standard: For the best experience (including the new AI Audio Overviews and high-quality voices rolling out in late 2025), Android 14 or 15 is recommended.

 * Chrome Version: You need at least Chrome 125 for the native browser feature.

2. Desktop: "Reading Mode" (Read Aloud)

For the side-panel "Read Aloud" feature on computers:

* Windows: Windows 10 or Windows 11. (Chrome no longer supports Windows 7, 8, or 8.1).

* macOS: macOS 12 (Monterey) or later.

* ChromeOS: Version 114 or later (typically found on Chromebooks from the last 5–6 years).

* Linux: 64-bit Ubuntu 18.04+, Debian 10+, openSUSE 15.5+, or Fedora 39+.

3. iOS (iPhone/iPad): "Listen to Page"

Chrome on iOS does not have a native "Listen to this page" button in the same way Android does, due to Apple's browser engine restrictions. Instead, it relies on system-level features:

 * Minimum OS: iOS 17 or iOS 18.

 * The Alternative: Most users use the Siri "Read Aloud" feature or the Google App (rather than the Chrome App) which has a dedicated "Listen" button.

 PRO TIP: On Android, if you have a very old OS, you can still use the Google Assistant to read pages by saying "Hey Google, read this page," which works on almost any device running Android 5.0+.