Firefox just added a feature that lets you shake your Android phone for page summaries

AI-powered browser summarizers aren't all that new, but Firefox's latest implementation to trigger said feature most definitely is.

The browser, for reference, gained a 'Shake to Summarize' feature on iOS last year. Now, the feature has started landing for Android users as well.

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By  Anu Joy

As it sounds, the feature lets you physically shake your Android device to summarize the web page you're on. It works best for articles, like ours, which are 5,000 words or lower.

With its initial iOS-only implementation, the summarization worked via Apple Intelligence. For all other devices, which now includes Android devices, the summarization is processed by "Mozilla’s cloud-based AI" that is powered by Mistral-Small.

As pointed out by the folks over at PiunikaWeb, the feature went live with Firefox 152 on June 16. This is a cool new shortcut for those that use their Android device to do their reading online, though it isn't compulsory for summarization needs.

If you prefer touch over gestures, Firefox will let you go into the browser menu and tap 'Summarize page.' Additionally, for users that find themselves triggering summarization even when not intended, Firefox will let you disable the gesture-based feature.

You'll have the option to disable 'Shake to Summarize' under the 'Page summaries' tab.

The new feature's UI is live for me on my Pixel 8, but the implementation isn't. My device registers the shake seamlessly, and then tries to summarize the page, only for it to return with an error. "Can't summarize right now. Try again later," reads the error.

I've tried the regular troubleshooting steps, including force stopping the app and restarting my device, but the error still persists. This could suggest that the feature is still being rolled out in stages.

Has the feature rolled out to you? If yes, is it working as intended? Let us know in the comments below!