Picture starting your day with a personalized news mix, like a Spotify AI DJ but for stories. That’s the promise behind Daily Listen, one of Google’s newer AI experiments.
It’s a key component of a larger audio-fication trend within Google, sitting alongside Gemini Live for real-time voice conversations and Audio Overviews in Google search and NotebookLM.
These products signal a pivot to more natural, voice-based interfaces beyond the text search box. It’s a bold step, but does it live up to the hype? Here’s how you can set it up and test it yourself.
Inside the Daily Listen experience and features
Daily Listen mimics a short, conversational news podcast. Its personalization engine uses your Google Discover data.
With that data, Daily Listen identifies your frequent topics, curates about three stories per episode, and uses two AI voices as co-hosts. They introduce topics, summarize key points, and transition between stories with scripted dialogue.
The feature lives in the Google app as a card in the Space carousel at the top of the home screen, badged with the Gemini sparkle. Tap the card to open a full-screen player with podcast-style controls. You have the traditional play/pause, 10-second rewind, skip, and adjustable speeds.
A standout feature is the live transcript, which scrolls in real time. It improves accessibility for users with hearing difficulties and supports read-along preferences.
How to activate Daily Listen in Google Labs
To start using Daily Listen, you must activate it within the Google app. Follow the instructions below to check compatibility, access Search Labs, and enable the feature on your device.
- Install the latest version of the official Google app on your iOS or Android device.
- Open the Google app and tap the Labs icon in the upper-left corner of the main screen.
- If you don’t see the icon, open google.com and check if it appears there, or go directly to labs.google.com.
- Go to the Search Labs section and scroll through the list of available experiments.
- Find the card for Daily Listen and toggle the switch to activate Daily Listen.
You may be added to a waiting list instead of getting instant access. When activated, you’ll need to wait for your first personalized audio episode to be generated.
It won’t appear immediately, as the system needs time to process your data and create the content. The Daily Listen card will typically appear on your app’s home screen the following day.
Current restrictions on Daily Listen’s availability
As an experimental feature, Daily Listen comes with restrictions on its availability.
Access is currently limited to users in the United States, and the content is generated exclusively in English, with no support for other languages.
The feature is also confined to mobile use through the Google app on smartphones and tablets. There is no desktop web version, and it is not yet integrated with other Google platforms, such as Nest Hubs.
Why Daily Listen may not show up for you, even if qualified
Early adopters are already reporting technical issues that disrupt the experience, with several threads in forums pointing out glitches and reliability concerns.
A common problem is “It Never Shows Up,” where the Daily Listen card never appears, even after approval and activation in Search Labs. In these cases, settings show the feature as enabled, but the content remains inaccessible.
Another related issue is the “Available Tomorrow” loop, in which the app keeps promising that access will start the next day. For many, this message persists for weeks or months, effectively blocking access.
Attempts to fix these issues via support or forums have had limited success. Google commonly suggests clearing the Google app’s cache.
Daily Listen shows Google’s bold move into voice AI
Is Daily Listen ready to be your morning co-host? The tech improves the traditional Discover and points to a more convenient future. However, hyper-personalization can isolate, risking a filter bubble that reinforces existing views.
By serving stories aligned with your past searches and interests, the feature can limit exposure to diverse viewpoints. Over time, reinforcing existing habits can narrow your view of current events, turning a daily briefing into an echo chamber.
Ultimately, Daily Listen is fascinating. It’s worth trying if you’re curious about cutting-edge Google AI, but be mindful of the risks.
Balance Daily Listen with other sources like news apps, email digests, or podcasts that offer different perspectives. Every so often, reset or fine-tune your activity settings, and explore topics outside your usual beat to broaden the algorithm’s scope.
