How do I add custom voice commands to my Android?

Voice commands allow you to control your Android device hands-free, by speaking commands out loud. With voice commands, you can launch apps, navigate menus, dictate text, and more – all without having to touch your device. Adding custom voice commands takes this functionality even further, allowing you to create personalized commands tailored to your usage and preferences.

There are several benefits to using custom voice commands on Android:

Convenience – Custom commands allow you to quickly complete common tasks or open frequently used apps just by speaking.

Accessibility – Voice commands provide an accessible way to use your device for those with disabilities that limit mobility.
Multitasking – Commands allow you to keep your hands and eyes free for other tasks while controlling your device.
Personalization – You can create commands with your own vocabulary that feels natural to you.

Overall, custom voice commands make it faster, easier, and more personalized to use an Android device hands-free. With some setup, you can streamline your experience and integrate voice shortcuts into your daily workflow.

Prerequisites

Before getting started with custom voice commands, it’s important to check some prerequisites on your Android device.

The Android version must be 5.0 or later for voice commands to work. As stated on Google’s support page, “Required: For the commands to work, both the device and Google Assistant should be in the same language as Voice Access. Required: Android version 5.0 or later.”

You will also need to enable permissions related to microphone access in order for the device to recognize your voice commands. Go to your phone’s settings page, select the “Apps & notifications” option, then select the app for which you want to enable voice commands (such as Google Assistant). Make sure “Microphone” is set to “Allowed.” This grants the necessary permission.

Enable Voice Interactions

To be able to create custom voice commands in Android, you first need to enable voice interactions in your device settings. Here’s how:

Go to Settings > Apps.

Tap the menu icon (usually 3 vertical dots) and select Default apps.
Select Assist app & voice input.
Choose Google Assistant as your Assist app if it is not already selected.

Click on Voice input to go to that screen.
By default Google voice typing should be selected. If it is not make sure to select that.
Now tap the gear icon next to Google voice typing to open its settings.

Enable Toggle on switch for Voice interactions.

This will activate the voice control capability needed to be able to recognize your custom commands (https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/okgoogle). Without enabling voice interactions, Android would not listen for or activate based on your custom voice triggers.

Install Trigger Command

The Trigger app for Android allows you to create custom voice commands to trigger various actions on your phone (See Stack Overflow answer). With Trigger, you can set up custom triggers that launch apps, run shortcuts, or automate tasks by using your voice.

To get started, download and install the Trigger app from the Play Store. Trigger offers both free and premium paid versions with expanded functionality. The free version gives you basic custom voice command abilities.

After installing, open up Trigger and navigate to the Voice Command section. Here you can set a global trigger phrase that activates your custom commands. For example, you might set your trigger to be “Hey Phone”.

Now when you say “Hey Phone” followed by one of your custom commands, it will activate that task. Some examples could be:

– “Hey Phone, call Mom”
– “Hey Phone, open Spotify”

– “Hey Phone, turn on WiFi”

Create Custom Commands

One way to create custom voice commands on Android is by using the app Trigger. Trigger allows you to set up custom phrases that will trigger actions when you say them out loud.

To create a custom command in Trigger:

Open the Trigger app and tap on “Add Command”
Type in the phrase you want to use as your voice command, like “Turn on the lights”
Select the action you want this command to perform, like turning on smart lights

Save the command

Now when you say your custom phrase out loud, Trigger will perform the action you set up. You can create all kinds of custom voice commands this way to control your apps, smart devices, and more.

The key things to remember are:

Use a unique phrase as your voice command
Assign an action for that command to perform
Say your custom phrase out loud to test it

With Trigger, customizing Android voice controls is easy. Set up custom commands to open apps, toggle settings, automate tasks, and more.

Add Phrase Shortcuts

Phrase shortcuts (text shortcuts) allow you to set up custom text that expands when you type a specific shortcut phrase. For example, you could set up “omw” to expand to “On my way!”. This can be used to create custom voice commands on your Android device.

To setup a phrase shortcut for a voice command such as “text mom”, you need to:

Open your device’s Settings app
Navigate to System > Languages & input > On-screen keyboard > Text shortcuts
Tap the + icon to add a new shortcut

For the Phrase, type your custom voice command such as “text mom”
In the Shortcut field, type the text you want it to expand to when you say the command, such as “I’m on my way home!”
Tap OK to save the shortcut

Now when you say “Hey Google, text mom” it will input “I’m on my way home!” as if you typed it. You can create all kinds of custom voice commands this way (source).

Just be aware that some phrases like “call” or “dial” may not work properly due to system limitations. But text phrases offer a simple way to set up custom voice commands on Android.

Text Response Commands

The Google Assistant on Android allows for custom voice commands that can trigger preset text responses. To set this up:

Open the Google app and tap the More icon in the bottom right.
Go to Settings > Google Assistant.
Tap Custom Commands under Assistant devices.

Tap + to add a new command.
Type the command phrase you want to use to trigger the text response.
In the Response section, select Text response.

Type the text response you want the Assistant to say when you use the command.
Tap Save to finish setting up the command.

Now when you say your chosen command phrase, the Assistant will respond by “saying” the text response you entered. This allows you to set up custom voice shortcuts to send predefined messages or other text.

For example, you could set up a “Running late” command to automatically text “Sorry, I’m running about 15 minutes behind schedule.” Using custom text response commands can save time compared to manually typing responses.

Tasker Integration

For advanced users who want highly customized voice commands, Tasker is a powerful automation app that integrates well with Android’s built-in voice capabilities. Tasker allows you to trigger complex actions and workflows using your voice.

Some examples of advanced voice commands with Tasker include:

Activating different phone profiles like “work mode” or “night mode”
Arming home security systems
Controlling IoT and smart home devices

Launching multiple apps or actions with one command

To use Tasker for custom commands, you will need to install the AutoVoice plugin. Then in the Tasker app, create a new “AutoVoice Recognized” profile and define your custom phrases to trigger tasks and actions. The Tasker community on Reddit is very active and helpful for support.

While complex, integrating with Tasker allows practically endless options for customizing Android voice controls to automate workflows and tasks on your device or even other connected services.

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions for custom voice commands on an Android device:

Voice command recognition not working:

Make sure your device is connected to the Internet over Wi-Fi or cellular data as per Google’s troubleshooting guide.

Try re-training the voice model under Voice Match in your device settings.
Check that microphone permissions are enabled for the voice assistant app and it has the necessary access.

Command shortcuts not triggering actions:

Double check that the phrase shortcut and assigned action were properly configured.
Try removing and re-adding the custom command shortcut.
Ensure the app assigned to the action is installed and updated.

Text response not appearing:

Confirm text feedback is enabled in the voice assistant settings.
Check that speech output volume is turned up enough to be audible.

Try removing and rebuilding the text response command using simpler phrasing.

Conclusion

In summary, creating custom voice commands on your Android device allows you to activate installed apps, run specific commands, complete tasks, and more through customized voice shortcuts that fit your needs and preferences. To set them up, you enable voice interactions, create an always-listening trigger command like “Ok Google”, and then define your custom phrases to pair with specific actions using various apps and integrations.

While it takes some initial setup, custom voice commands ultimately provide a convenient, hands-free way to fully control your Android device. As you get accustomed to using them, try expanding into different use cases to further streamline your daily mobile interactions.

For additional help and inspiration for customizing voice commands on your Android, explore the following resources:

Google Assistant documentation on custom voice commands
Tasker app guides on setting up voice-activated tasks

Reddit threads discussing creative voice command uses
YouTube tutorials covering advanced customization techniques