If you’ve ever wished your browser could read text aloud or catch spelling slip-ups, Read&Write for Chrome is built for exactly that. Texthelp’s toolbar sits in your Chrome browser with text-to-speech, word prediction, and other tools for students, educators, and text-heavy workers. This guide covers features, setup, and whether the free version or premium tier makes sense for you.

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Developer: Texthelp ·
Platforms: Chrome, Android, Google Drive ·
Key Features: Text-to-speech, writing tools ·
Free Access: Available for teachers ·
Supported Files: Google Docs, PDFs, web

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Exact premium pricing for non-teacher individual subscriptions
  • Whether the $7.99 charge appears for premium users who exceed trial limits
  • Compatibility details with very recent Chrome version updates
3What’s next
  • Teacher free signup process involves form submission on Texthelp website
  • Free version remains accessible after trial expires, with core TTS and dictionary
  • Students without teacher activation revert to basic tier after 30 days
4User groups
  • Students needing reading and writing support
  • K-12 teachers with free premium access
  • Dyslexia support users benefiting from TTS and prediction tools

The table below shows key facts about Read&Write for Google Chrome, including extension details and access tiers.

Attribute Value Source
Type Chrome extension and Android app Chrome Web Store
Developer Texthelp Texthelp Support
Primary Use Assistive reading and writing Chrome Web Store
Free Tier Teachers eligible Everway
Extension ID inoeonmfapjbbkmdafoankkfajgd Plano ISD
Icon Appearance Purple puzzle piece Texthelp Support
Student Trial 30 days premium Plano ISD
Educator Free Period 1 year (via Texthelp form) Georgia Southern University

What is Google Read and Write about?

Read&Write for Google Chrome is an assistive technology toolbar that integrates directly into your Chrome browser and Google Workspace apps. According to the official Chrome Web Store listing, it provides “personalized support to make documents, web pages, and common file types in Google Drive accessible.” The extension appears as a purple puzzle piece icon in your Chrome toolbar after installation.

Overview of features

The toolset spans both reading and writing assistance. For reading, text-to-speech lets you listen to documents, web pages, and PDFs read aloud with adjustable speed and voice options. A screen mask feature simplifies web pages by removing ads and distractions. The screenshot reader can extract text from images on screen.

  • Text-to-speech for Google Docs, PDFs, and web content
  • Word prediction while typing in Google Docs
  • Picture dictionaries for visual word lookup
  • Highlight and collect tool for research summaries
  • Dictation for speaking words directly into documents
  • Translation across multiple languages
  • Screen mask to reduce visual clutter

Supported platforms

Read&Write works across multiple platforms and device types. The Chrome extension runs on Chromebooks, Windows PCs, and Macs as long as you’re using the Chrome browser. An Android app extends functionality to mobile devices, while the Google Drive integration means your settings and data sync across devices when signed into the same Google account.

The upshot

For students with dyslexia or reading difficulties, Read&Write functions as a low-profile safety net—you can activate TTS on any webpage or document without switching apps or formatting documents specially.

How do I use Google Read and Write?

Once installed and activated, the extension sits in your Chrome toolbar and provides access to its full suite of tools through a dropdown menu. Using it effectively means understanding how to trigger different features depending on what you’re trying to accomplish.

Basic toolbar functions

Click the purple puzzle piece icon in your Chrome toolbar to open the Read&Write menu. From here, you can toggle individual tools on or off. For reading web content, highlight any text passage, right-click, and select “Read This” for immediate text-to-speech playback. The toolbar also provides quick access to dictionary lookups, translation, and the highlighting collector.

  • Text-to-speech: Select text → right-click → choose “Read This” or use the toolbar play button
  • Dictionary: Highlight a word → click the dictionary icon for definition popup
  • Translation: Select text → click translation icon → choose target language
  • Highlight collector: Enable collector mode → click passages to save for later review

Text-to-speech usage

Text-to-speech is the most frequently used feature. When activated on a Google Doc, the extension reads content in the document order. You can pause, skip forward or back by sentence, and adjust playback speed through the toolbar controls. For PDFs, the process works the same way: load the PDF in Chrome, select text, and trigger playback.

Why this matters

Students who struggle with reading fatigue often benefit from listening to content instead of reading it. Read&Write eliminates the friction of copying text into a separate TTS tool—it’s available anywhere Chrome runs.

Do you have to pay for Google Read and Write?

This is where the pricing picture gets nuanced. The extension has a free tier that’s genuinely useful, a 30-day premium trial available to everyone, and a permanent free premium option specifically for teachers. Understanding which tier applies to you determines whether you’ll ever see a charge.

Pricing details

All users get access to basic features permanently without payment. The free version includes text-to-speech, a dictionary, and text translation. Premium features—picture dictionaries, advanced TTS voices, summarization tools, and word prediction—require activation through a 30-day free trial. According to the Chrome Web Store listing, teachers can obtain “a FREE premium subscription” indefinitely.

The pricing for non-teacher premium subscriptions remains unclear from official sources. Multiple district-level installation guides reference a $7.99 monthly charge appearing for users who sign up for premium without teacher credentials, though exact current pricing tiers weren’t verifiable through tier1 sources as of this writing.

Subscription concerns

A common question pattern in search results involves unexpected charges—users reporting $7.99 debits on their accounts. Based on available guidance, this charge appears to apply to premium subscription billing that activates after the trial period or for users who sign up directly without teacher verification. Teachers should always activate their free premium status before any trial expires to avoid accidental subscription billing.

The catch

If you’re not a teacher and you activated a premium trial, you need to cancel before the 30 days expire—or you’ll be billed. Students without teacher-activated accounts will also lose premium features after 30 days and revert to the basic free tier.

Is there a free version of Read and Write?

Yes, and the free version is more capable than many users realize. Unlike software that gates all useful features behind a paywall, Read&Write’s free tier provides substantive tools that work for everyday reading and writing tasks without any payment or account activation.

Free access options

The free version includes text-to-speech with standard voices, a built-in dictionary, and translation capabilities. According to a guide from Georgia Southern University’s College of Education, “Free version available indefinitely after trial, with subset of tools like basic TTS and dictionary.” This means you can install the extension, use the trial, and after it expires, you still keep access to these core features.

Teacher programs

Educators have a clear path to premium features at no cost. K-12 teachers are eligible for permanent free premium access through Texthelp’s free-for-teachers program. The Chrome Web Store listing confirms this directly: “Install Read&Write for Google Chrome to access ALL of these features FREE for 30 days! Teachers can get a FREE premium subscription.”

To activate teacher premium access, visit texthelp.com/en-gb/products/read-write/free-for-teachers/ after installing the extension and complete the verification form. Schools can also deploy Read&Write through managed installs, as demonstrated by the Calgary Board of Education’s district-wide deployment using school-managed Google accounts.

What to watch

District technology coordinators: if you’re already managing Chromebooks through Google Workspace for Education, adding Read&Write to managed installs takes minutes and gives every student instant access to the free tier. The teacher premium activation then becomes a one-step form submission.

How do I activate Google Read?

“Activating Google Read” typically refers to either installing the extension initially or enabling its premium features. Both processes are straightforward, though they serve different purposes—installation makes the tools available, while premium activation unlocks the full feature set.

Installation steps

The installation process takes under two minutes. Navigate to the Chrome Web Store and search for “Read&Write for Google Chrome,” or use the direct link chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/readwrite-for-google-chro/inoeonmfapjbbkmdafoankkfajgd. Click “Add to Chrome,” confirm the permission prompts (the extension needs access to Google Drive and email to function), and wait for the confirmation message reading “Read&Write for Google Chrome has been added to Chrome.”

  1. Visit the Chrome Web Store or use the direct link with extension ID inoeonmfapjbbkmdafoankkfajgd
  2. Click “Add to Chrome” and confirm the permission prompts for Google Drive access
  3. Wait for the confirmation message: “Read&Write for Google Chrome has been added to Chrome”
  4. Pin the extension to your toolbar by clicking the puzzle piece icon and selecting “Pin”

Activation in Chrome

After installation, you’ll see a purple puzzle piece icon in Chrome’s toolbar. If the icon isn’t immediately visible, click the puzzle piece menu and pin Read&Write for easy access. To activate a premium trial, click the extension icon, select “Activate Trial,” and enter your email address. For teachers seeking permanent free premium, complete the form at texthelp.com/en-gb/products/read-write/free-for-teachers/ after installing.

The table below shows the steps to activate Read&Write for different user types.

Step Action Notes
1 Visit Chrome Web Store Search “Read&Write for Google Chrome” or use direct link
2 Click “Add to Chrome” Confirm permission prompts for Google Drive access
3 Wait for confirmation Message: “Read&Write for Google Chrome has been added to Chrome”
4 Pin extension icon Click puzzle piece → pin Read&Write to toolbar
5a For trial: click icon → “Activate Trial” 30 days of premium features
5b For teachers: visit Texthelp free-for-teachers page Permanent free premium after verification

Upsides

  • Genuinely useful free tier with TTS and dictionary
  • Free premium permanently for K-12 teachers
  • Works across Chromebooks, Windows, Mac, and Android
  • Syncs settings across devices via Google account
  • Reduces clutter on web pages for easier reading
  • Dyslexia-friendly features: prediction, TTS, picture dictionary

Downsides

  • Premium pricing unclear and hard to verify independently
  • Students without teacher activation get only 30-day trial
  • $7.99 charge confusion for users who miss trial expiration
  • Requires Chrome browser specifically
  • Permissions needed for Google Drive and email access
  • No premium features without account activation

Texthelp’s official listing frames the value proposition directly: “Install Read&Write for Google Chrome to access ALL of these features FREE for 30 days! Teachers can get a FREE premium subscription.” The evergreen message indicates the teacher free program has been a stable offering.

Everway’s pricing page reinforces this commitment: “We’ve made Read&Write FREE for K-12 teachers.” For school districts evaluating assistive technology, this removes the cost barrier for the exact population most likely to benefit—students with reading and writing challenges who need consistent access across multiple devices.

Install Read&Write for Google Chrome to access ALL of these features FREE for 30 days! Teachers can get a FREE premium subscription.

— Chrome Web Store (Official Extension Listing)

We’ve made Read&Write FREE for K-12 teachers.

— Everway (Pricing Page)

Related reading: Third Person Point of View Guide for Writers · Taylor Jenkins Reid Books Reading Order

Additional sources

youtube.com, daily.dev, itss.d.umn.edu, chromewebstore.google.com, youtube.com, ahead.ie, sites.google.com

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Frequently asked questions

How do I install Read&Write for Google Chrome?

Open Chrome and navigate to the Chrome Web Store. Search “Read&Write for Google Chrome,” click the result, and select “Add to Chrome.” Confirm the permission prompts when they appear. Once installed, look for the purple puzzle piece icon in your toolbar. If you don’t see it immediately, click the puzzle piece icon and pin Read&Write for easy access.

What is Read&Write for Google Chrome?

Read&Write for Google Chrome is an assistive technology toolbar created by Texthelp. It provides text-to-speech, word prediction, dictionary lookups, translation, and other reading and writing tools directly within Chrome and Google Workspace apps. It’s designed for students, educators, and anyone who benefits from additional reading or writing support.

How does Read&Write help with dyslexia?

Read&Write addresses multiple dyslexia-related challenges. Text-to-speech lets users listen instead of read. Word prediction assists with spelling during writing. Picture dictionaries provide visual associations for unfamiliar words. Screen mask removes distracting visual elements. The extension integrates into the browser, so users can access these supports on any webpage or document without switching tools.

Is Read&Write available for Android?

Yes, Read&Write has an Android app that extends functionality to mobile devices. The Chrome extension and Android app sync settings when you sign into the same Google account on both devices, giving you consistent access to your preferences and saved highlights across platforms.

How to get Read&Write for free?

Everyone gets a permanently free tier with basic text-to-speech, dictionary, and translation. K-12 teachers can obtain free premium access permanently by visiting texthelp.com/en-gb/products/read-write/free-for-teachers/ and completing the verification form. The free version works indefinitely without any payment or subscription.

What features does Google Read and Write offer?

The free tier includes text-to-speech, dictionary lookups, and text translation. Premium features—available via 30-day trial or free for verified teachers—add word prediction, picture dictionaries, advanced TTS voices, highlight collection for research, screen mask for simplified reading, and summarization tools.

Why is Google charging $7.99 unexpectedly?

The $7.99 charge reportedly appears when users activate a premium trial and don’t cancel before the 30-day period expires. It may also occur if someone signs up for premium directly without teacher credentials. Teachers should always activate their free premium status through the Texthelp form before any trial expires. If you’ve been charged unexpectedly, check your Google account subscriptions for Read&Write premium and cancel if appropriate.

Bottom line: Read&Write for Google Chrome is genuinely free for K-12 teachers and offers a permanently functional free tier for everyone else with core text-to-speech and dictionary tools. Students who miss the 30-day trial deadline lose advanced features and may face unexpected $7.99 billing. Educators who claim the free premium for K-12 give their students reliable access to daily learning support.