Read&Write for Education Product Updates
2024
October 2024
What's new?
Pre-configured settings
Read&Write for Google Chrome now lets Admins deploy custom settings profiles for students, reducing setup time and ensuring a personalized experience. This update is especially helpful for schools transitioning from Co:Writer and Snap&Read, allowing familiar settings to be applied for a smoother switch to Read&Write.
September 2024
What’s new?
Voice Access for Read&Write on Windows
Voice Access is now integrated as the offline Talk&Type option for Read&Write on Windows, offering seamless dictation without voice training or internet access. Ideal for exams and secure environments, this update supports users on Windows 11 22H2 and later.
New Scan Feature for Read&Write on iOS
The Scan feature on Read&Write for iOS converts images or files into editable text using OCR. Import scanned content into the app for easy reading and editing, expanding access for all users.
July 2024
What’s new?
Read&Write for Google Chrome
Co:Writer Prediction: Read&Write for Google Chrome has now integrated Co:Writer Prediction. The feature includes a simple-to-use word prediction engine specifically designed to free up ideas so they more naturally flow into writing—helping overcome writer’s block, word recall issues, and other barriers to writing. This update also includes a few new Prediction settings, and an option to fall back to Read&Write prediction.
Topics: The new Topics feature helps users manage complex or industry-specific vocabulary by grouping words into content areas that can be manually activated or deactivated. With over 500 Topic Dictionaries, users can quickly access relevant words, improving writing speed and flow.
Toolbar views: Read&Write for Google Chrome also has a new toolbar update. It toolbar update supports diverse learning preferences with three modes: Horizontal, Vertical, and Writing Mode. The Horizontal Mode offers a familiar Read&Write layout at the top of the screen, fully customizable. Vertical Mode mimics Snap&Read’s vertical layout, docked on the right side and customizable with Read&Write icons. Writing Mode replicates the Co:Writer experience, ideal for users who need focused writing support without extra features.
New Talk&Type icon: Read&Write for Google Chrome now also features a new updated Talk&Type icon.
January 2024
What's new?
- Settings Profiles in Read&Write for Google Chrome: With our new Settings Profiles, users can now save their current toolbar options, language, or features as a new profile. This means users can create multiple profiles and switch between them with ease. Each profile can be given a different name or unique identifier.
- New Online Voices In Read&Write for Windows: Users now have access to over 75 new online voices in Read&Write for Windows. New voices include, Arabic, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Korean and many more.
2023
August 2023
What’s new?
Read&Write for Google Chrome - Rewordify feature: This update includes a new feature on the web toolbar called Rewordify, which finds complex or difficult words and replaces them with simpler words.
June 2023
What's new?
- Read&Write for Google Chrome: Texthelp folder for Collect Highlights, Vocab, Voice Notes and Practice Reading Aloud
A new Texthelp folder in Google Drive and OneDrive is now used to store all documents and audio recordings created when using Read&Write. You’ll see subfolders for the following features: Collect Highlights, Vocabulary, Voice Notes, Practice Reading Aloud. - Read&Write for Google Chrome: In-product link to Texthelp Academy
A new button in the Read&Write menu now takes you to the Texthelp Academy, for access to videos, how-tos and other product resources.
May 2023
What’s new?
- New Speech-to-Text Service
Read&Write now has access to a new Microsoft speech to text service, which can be enabled as a fallback in place of the current, built-in Windows speech recognition.
A support article is available which explains how to make this switch.
March 2023
What's new?
- New Trinity Irish voices now available
February 2023
Hotfix for Canvas, PowerSchool and other sites (Version 2.1.59) - (February 9)
What's new?
New Icelandic text to speech voices added
January 2023
New Microsoft sign-in (Version 2.1.48) - (January 9)
2022
December 2022
Hotfix for MathJax support (Version 2.1.32) - (December 5)
What's new?
- This update resolves an issue with crashes on multi-frame sites that use MathJax
November 2022
MathJax Support and other bug fixes (Version 2.1.31) - (November 30)
What's new?
- Read&Write can now be used to read math equations and content created using MathJax.
October 2022
Hotfix (Version 2.1.9) - (October 26)
What's new?
- Read Equatio math in Word Online:
- Math equations and other STEM content created with Equatio in Word Online can now be read aloud by Read&Write. Just select the math and click the Play button.
- Copy and paste definitions, images and translations:
- You can now select text or images from the Dictionary, Picture Dictionary and Translator windows in order to copy and paste. This is helpful for those users who may want to take only specific dictionary definitions or translations and put them into a Doc, Slide or other file.
August 2022
Voice Notes in Slides and Fixes in Google Docs (Version 2.0.53) - (August 22)
What's new?
Voice Notes in Google Slides:
One of our most popular feature requests, Voice Notes in now available in Google Slides. You can click on a textbox or other object on a slide to insert a voice comment.
New Voices:
New voices have been added for the following languages: Bulgarian, Cantonese, Croatian
Ability for admins to configure default settings:
Admins can now push out default settings for users via Google Admin Console or Group Policy. They can configure a json file to set defaults like the text to speech voice, language, prediction settings, dark or light mode, and more. These defaults will apply for all new users when they first install Read&Write.
April 2022
More customer fixes and improvements (Version 2.0.5) - (April 14)
What's new?
1. More support in more places
Read&Write now works in more Learning Management Systems, websites and other third party environments. This includes:
- D2L Brightspace
- Canvas new Quizzes
2. New toolbar look and feel
Slightly updated toolbar UI that’s a more consistent design with other products like OrbitNote and Read&Write for Workplace. Also includes:
- New Translator icon
- New toolbar dark theme
3. Talk&Type in Google Slides
Talk&Type can now be used to dictate into slides themselves, not just Speaker Notes.
4. Support inside Comments in Google Docs, Google Slides and Word Online
Read&Write features can now be used inside comments - for example reading a comment aloud, or using Prediction or Talk&Type to write a comment.
6. Additional new features by popular request:
- Setting to turn on/off read aloud of word suggestions in Prediction and Check It
- New voices added - Hebrew, Catalan, Ukranian
- Web Search feature now uses your selected default search engine