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Dev.to
5/10/2026
I built an offline Chrome extension that reads webpages aloud with AI voices and zero cloud calls

I built an offline Chrome extension that reads webpages aloud with AI voices and zero cloud calls

Short summary

GlowReadTTS is a privacy-first Chrome extension that reads web text aloud using AI voice models bundled directly in the package with zero cloud calls, network permissions, or data collection. It features 15 AI voices (US/UK English), variable playback speed (0.25x-2x), in-page highlighting, and optional model pre-warming. The author provides detailed technical breakdown including Manifest V3 patterns, offscreen document usage, and architecture decisions; source available on GitHub under Apache 2.0.

  • Offline TTS extension using bundled AI voice models with zero network calls
  • Includes 15 voices, speed control, in-page highlighting, and model pre-warming optimization
  • Full technical architecture walkthrough with Manifest V3 patterns; open-source Apache 2.0

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