Toward Voice-Assisted Browsers: A Preliminary Study with Firefox Voice

Abstract

Web browsers allow people to find, organize, and manage information on the web. While voice interaction research has evaluated the support of web search, the broader role of voice interactions within the browser have yet to be explored at depth. We report findings from a preliminary exploration of the challenges, opportunities, and directions of voice assistants embedded in modern web browsers. We drive our inquiry with Firefox Voice, a browser extension that implements a voice assistant into the Firefox desktop browser. Through a think-aloud study (n = 5), we explore the strengths and shortcomings of Firefox Voice to better understand the role that voice interaction can play in supporting people both in the browser and beyond it.