Change 270557 had a related patch set uploaded (by Florianschmidtwelzow):
WIP: Implement Text to speech functionality for pages

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/270557

Change 270557 abandoned by Florianschmidtwelzow:
Implement Text to speech functionality for pages

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/270557

Hi @Dbrant, taks for taking care of this task.
I was on the page https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/270557 and I've seen the mention "abandoned" in this change than you are author. Is that means than noboby take care about the issue of a text to speech functionality for the android app ?
The implementation of this functionality should be not so complicate.
The Kiwix app already fixed it and @Kelson could probably share some information for accessing to the code making this feature possible.
Also, I'm wondering if it wouldn't be interesting to coordinate the development of the android or smartphone in general Wikipedia app with the Kiwix one.
Indeed, the two apps are complementary :

• Kiwix have the text to speech feature but not the possibility to save off line a compilation of selected articles.
• Wikipedia app can do it but don't have the text to speech implementation.

Probably a collaboration between developers of each app could be make easy to make both of this apps completed in term feature ?
Cheers,

This has been requested via Android feedback email again today.

Has been requested via email again today:

Dear Wiki members you should add listening facility for all articles listed this is sure going to be a boost for wiki earnings and helpful alot to wiki users. If it's introduced please reply me. It might be a huge boost to Wiki.

And in previous chore wheels multiple times:

• Read text out loud feature (2020-02-27, Link)
• Fully support the Arabic language and add a voice for audio reading (2021-01-06)
• Implement text to speech support (2020-12-19)

CC @JTannerWMF

@JTannerWMF , we got a new request for the same feature through the Android support email.

+1:
An accessibility feature that would be very welcome to the Wikipedia android app is some way to read-aloud articles. For those, like myself, with vision issues read-aloud within the app could be a way of reproducing the benefits of browsing on a desktop browser with read-aloud extensions.

+1:
Please bring 'read aloud' option to the app so that I can hear Wikipedia articles while doing mundane tasks. Thank you.

+1 user through the Android support email on the date of 26th of Nov. 2023.

+1 user:
"Could you please add a text-to-speech feature? Thank you!"

@Dbrant and I worked on the design for this a bit during the hackathon in Tallinn. And here's where we landed:

• A tap on the "listen to article" button in either the context menu or the toolbar would launch a floating action button
• The FAB has a graphic EQ animation that responds to the audio being played.
• The FAB opens to show transport controls, speed controls, and an affordance for stopping playback.
• Stopping playback dismisses the FAB.
• Speed increments in 0.25x increments between 0.25x speed and 2x speed.
• The FAB includes all the normal Android transitions/animations. Tapping away from the FAB minimizes it.
• Pausing playback does not dismiss the FAB, and pressing play while playback is paused will continue playback from where it left off when pause was pressed.

CC @OTichonova if you want to "iOS-ify" it.

Figma file with the designs is here.

Added an article thumbnail to the open FAB. FAB persists until it is dismissed. If you navigate away from the playing article or close the app, playback and the FAB persists. If you are on another page in the app, tapping the article thumbnail brings you back to the article that is currently playing. Thumbnail includes title only, which includes up to 2 lines of the title then truncates.

One more enhancement. If you're in another part of the app while listening to an article, a reader may want to know how much of the playing article has elapsed and how much remains. I added a 1px stroke in the progressive blue colour as a progress indicator beneath the thumbnail.

Also tweaked the FAB icon to be a "volume" icon instead of the Graphic EQ.

Demo video from the hackathon Showcase. Here are the showcase notes.