Screen Reader

Name: Screen Reader
Rating: 2.509695290858726 (1083 reviews)
Author: http://chrome.google.com/

A web-powered screen reader

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The Screen Reader Chrome extension is a fully featured screen reader built entirely with web technologies like HTML and JavaScript. Designed to read content aloud directly within the Chrome browser, it enhances web accessibility for users who need audio assistance. Although a useful web-based solution, it is currently in maintenance mode with no new updates planned and is scheduled for deprecation.

For more robust accessibility needs, users are advised to use comprehensive system screen readers such as ChromeVox on Chrome OS, VoiceOver on macOS, JAWS, NVDA, or Narrator on Windows. By installing this extension, users agree to Google's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Extension Accessibility Productivity Utilities

By:

http://chrome.google.com/

Users:

100,000

Rating:

2.51

(1,083)

Version:

53.0.2784.15 Last updated: 2024-04-21

Creation date:

2019-09-05

Risk:

Permissions:

accessibilityPrivate
history
notifications
storage
tabs
tts
<all_urls>

Size:

4.76MB

Email:

ch*****@google.com

URLs:

Website ,Privacy policy

Full description:

Source:

Chrome Web Store

Data ingested on:

2025-07-09

Ranking

# 1,551 ▲ 29

Other rankings

#2633 in Developer Tools

#2 in screenshot reader keyword 50

#7 in screen keyword 92

#8 in reader keyword 69

#59 in extension keyword 84 ▲ 5

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User reviews

Users find the Screen Reader extension functional for basic accessibility needs but report major usability issues. The extension often breaks the Chrome Extensions tab, making it hard to disable. There is no straightforward pause or off toggle, causing frustration. Lack of clear instructions and incompatibility with some platforms add to users' difficulties. Despite these drawbacks, some users utilize it for accessibility testing and appreciate the limited functionality it provides.

Pros

Serves its basic purpose of reading screen content for accessibility testing and usage.
Announces status changes, such as turning on/off, when used with keyboard shortcuts.
Works to verify minimal support for screen readers during development.

Cons

No easy or intuitive way to pause or toggle off the extension once activated.
Breaks the Chrome Extensions tab's appearance and usability, making it difficult or impossible to disable the extension.
Lack of clear controls, settings, or instructions for operation, including hotkeys and customization.
Incompatibility or lack of clarification regarding usage on Windows systems and other platforms.
The extension is perceived as buggy and frustrating, with multiple users reporting that it damages the browsing experience or UI.

Recent reviews

This screen reader works terribly!

Je*****, 2025-04-26

This is absurd. Why can't my computer do the same as my Android phone and read the sceen? Esp. at 2.5x speed? Accessibility? No, this extension hasn't been developed beyond the 1 star drive a user crazy point.

je*****, 2025-03-23

I like the extension; it seems fine and does exactly what it's supposed to. I use it to test accessibility during development, at least to ensure minimal support for screen readers. However, the most recent update of this extension, when turned on, breaks the Extensions tab's CSS styling, making it practically impossible to turn off - unless you use the keyboard. Since the screen reader extension is on, it announces "ON," which can be toggled with the spacebar, thus turning off the extension and fixing the Extensions tab's CSS. So, it's really a fine extension - it broke everything around it, but was able to announce invisible element that could be toggled with the keyboard to un-break everything it broke.

Ri*****, 2025-02-12

View all user reviews ›

Extension safety

Risk impact

Risk impact measures the level of extra permissions an extension has access to. A low risk impact extension cannot do much harms, whereas a high risk impact extension can do a lot of damage like stealing your password, bypassing your security settings, and accessing your personal data. High risk impact extensions are not necessarily malicious. However, if they do turn malicious, they can be very harmful.

Screen Reader requires some sensitive permissions that could impact your browser and data security. Exercise caution before installing.

Risk impact analysis details

Critical Grants access to browser tabs, which can be used to track user browsing habits and history, presenting a privacy concern.
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High ****** ********* ** * ****** ******** ******** ********** * ******* ******* *****
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Risk likelihood

Risk likelihood measures the probability that a Chrome extension may turn malicious. This is determined by the publisher and the Chrome extension reputation on Chrome Web Store, the amount of time the Chrome extension has been around, and other signals about the Chrome extension. Our algorithms are not perfect, and are subject to change as we discover new ways to detect malicious extensions. We recommend that you always exercise caution when installing a Chrome extension.

Screen Reader is probably trust-worthy. Prefer other publishers if available. Exercise caution when installing this extension.

Risk likelihood analysis details

High This extension has low user count. Unpopular extensions may not be stable or safe.
Medium **** ********* *** *** **** *******
Low **** ********* *** ******* **** **** * ****** **** ***** ******** *** **** ****** ** ** ****** *** *****
Low **** ********* *** ***** **** **** * ****** **** ***** ********** *** **** ****** ** ** ****** *** *****

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