Google is rolling out a major update to Chrome on Android, introducing a more refined text zoom feature that allows users to enlarge text without distorting the webpage layout.
Users can now adjust text size via a slider and apply their preferences site-wide or on a single page — a significant upgrade from the previous zoom function that enlarged the entire page, often breaking site formatting.
To access the new text zoom feature, users can tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of Chrome and select their preferred text size. This enhancement makes browsing more accessible without compromising design or navigation.
On desktop, Google is also expanding the availability of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for scanned PDFs in Chrome. This feature, which was previously in beta, now allows all users to highlight, copy, search, and use screen readers with scanned PDF text — significantly improving accessibility and usability.
In addition, Google is enhancing accessibility tools on Android. TalkBack, the screen reader for visually impaired users, now integrates with Gemini AI to provide more intelligent image descriptions. Users can even ask follow-up questions, such as the color or material of an object in the image.
Google is also launching Expressive Captions, an AI-powered feature that adds real-time captions to any sound across most apps. It captures not only what is being said but how — for example, distinguishing between “no” and “noooooo.” The feature supports additional sounds like whistling and throat clearing and is currently rolling out in English in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia on devices running Android 15 or later.
