How do I get voice search on my Android?
What is voice search?
Voice search allows users to find information online through voice commands instead of typing. Users can speak queries and requests into devices and receive audio responses and information.
Some examples of popular voice assistants that enable voice search include:
- Google Assistant – activates with the wake words “Hey Google” or “OK Google”
- Siri – activates with the wake word “Hey Siri”
- Alexa – activates with the wake word “Alexa”
- Bixby – activates with the wake word “Hi Bixby”
With voice search, users can ask these assistants questions, get weather updates, set reminders and timers, control smart home devices, play music, and more. According to recent statistics, over 50% of adults report using voice search daily.[1]
Benefits of using voice search
Voice search offers several advantages over typing search queries manually. Some key benefits include:
More convenient than typing – With voice search, users can simply speak their query aloud rather than having to type it out using the small touchscreen keyboard on a smartphone. This is often faster and more convenient, especially when on the go.
Hands-free usage – Voice search allows users to search without having to hold their phone or be distracted from other tasks. This enables hands-free usage while driving, cooking, exercising, and more.
Faster than typing – Most users can speak much faster than they can type on a mobile device. Voice search removes the need to peck out search terms letter by letter, enabling faster queries.
According to this article, voice search provides quick responses to user queries with a seamless experience. By enabling hands-free searching, it offers greater convenience and efficiency.
Enable Google Assistant on Android
To get started with voice search on Android, you’ll first need to enable Google Assistant. Here are the steps:
First, make sure you have the latest version of the Google app installed on your Android device. Open the Play Store to check for and install any available updates to the Google app.
Next, open the Google app and go to Settings > Voice > ‘Ok Google’ detection. Turn on ‘Ok Google’ detection so your device will listen for the wake phrase. Choose whether you want it enabled just while charging or at any time.
Then, you’ll need to train the voice model so Google Assistant can recognize your voice better. Go to Voice Match in the Google Assistant settings. Follow the prompts to repeat some phrases so it can analyze your voice.
Once Voice Match is set up, Google Assistant and voice search will be enabled. You can say “Ok Google” followed by your search query or command.
Use Google Assistant for voice search
The easiest way to do voice search on Android is by using Google Assistant, which comes pre-installed on most Android devices. To initiate a voice search, simply say “Ok Google” followed by your query. This will activate Google Assistant, which will then listen to your spoken request and return search results.
A key benefit of Google Assistant is that it works from anywhere on your device, not just the home screen or search app. You can say “Ok Google” whether you’re in another app, on the home screen, or even on the lock screen, and it will instantly start listening for your search query (Source: https://beebom.com/use-google-assistant-voice-search-chrome-android/). This makes Google Assistant extremely convenient for quick voice searches without having to stop what you’re currently doing.
When you say “Ok Google”, the Assistant will listen for your spoken search terms, convert your speech to text, perform the search, and read back the results out loud. It can search the web, your contacts, get directions, and perform various other queries just through your voice.
Use Bixby voice assistant on Samsung devices
Samsung Galaxy devices come with the Bixby voice assistant built-in. Bixby allows you to use your voice to search the web, ask questions, control device settings, and more.
To enable Bixby:
- During initial device setup, make sure to check the option to enable Bixby
- Once your device is set up, you can activate Bixby by saying “Hi Bixby”
- After activating, Bixby will listen for your voice query or command
- You can ask questions or say something like “Search the web for vegetarian recipes” to perform a voice search
Bixby provides a handy native voice assistant for Samsung devices. Give it a try for voice searching the web, getting information, or controlling your device hands-free.
Enable Alexa App
One way to get voice search on your Android device is by enabling the Alexa app. Here are the steps:
Download the Alexa app from the Google Play Store or Galaxy Store. You can search for “Alexa” and install the app from Amazon.
Open the Alexa app and log in using your Amazon account credentials. If you don’t have an Amazon account, you’ll need to create one first.
Follow the setup prompts to connect your Alexa app to your Android device. Grant the necessary permissions for Alexa to access your contacts, location and microphone.
Once setup is complete, you can tap on the Alexa app icon to activate voice search at any time. Say “Alexa” and ask your question out loud. The app will provide you with information, search results, or carry out other voice commands.
With the Alexa app enabled, you’ll have access to Amazon’s intelligent voice assistant for hands-free voice search on your Android smartphone or tablet.
Use Alexa for voice search
Once you have the Alexa app set up on your Android device, using Alexa for voice search is simple. Just say “Alexa” followed by your query or command. For example, you can say “Alexa, what’s the weather today?” or “Alexa, set a timer for 10 minutes.”
Alexa will process your voice query, just like when using an Alexa smart speaker. You’ll get an audio response back with the answer or an acknowledgement that your request was completed.
Voice search via Alexa works both within the Alexa app itself and also on your Android home screen. As long as you’ve enabled the Alexa app permissions, you can press and hold the home button and then speak your request. This allows you to access Alexa’s voice search capabilities from anywhere on your device.
Alexa can be used to search the web, get information, listen to music, control smart home devices, set reminders and alarms, make calls, and much more. Experiment with different queries to see the wide range of Alexa’s functionality.
Change Voice Search Settings
You can customize your voice search experience by adjusting settings like language, speech output, and enabled apps. On Android, open the Settings app and go to Voice > Voice input to view options.
To change the language, tap Languages and select the language you want voice search to use. This affects recognition accuracy. You can add multiple languages if desired.
For speech output, go to Text-to-speech output and select your preferred engine and voice. This controls what voice is used when Google Assistant or other apps read information back to you.
Under Voice input apps, you can toggle which apps have access to voice search features. Disable any apps you don’t want to allow voice control.
You can also enable offline voice recognition under Additional settings so voice search works even without an internet connection. This may impact accuracy but can be useful in areas with poor connectivity.
Adjust these settings to optimize voice search for your usage and preferences.
Troubleshooting Tips
If you are having issues with voice search on your Android device, here are some troubleshooting tips to try:
Check for app updates – Make sure you have the latest versions of the Google Assistant, Bixby, Alexa or other voice assistant apps installed. App updates often include bug fixes and performance improvements that could help voice search work better.
Improve voice model accuracy – Over time, voice assistants learn your voice patterns and pronunciation. You can help train it by using voice search more regularly and confirming when it gets your requests right. This will improve accuracy.
Adjust microphone settings – Go into your device settings and make sure microphone permissions are enabled for the voice assistant apps. Also check that no other apps are using the mic, and that your mic volume level is set appropriately.
If issues persist, try rebooting your device or performing a factory reset as a last resort. For ongoing problems, check the app developer’s support site for help.
Future of voice search
Voice search is rapidly growing in popularity and is expected to continue expanding in the coming years. Here are some key trends shaping the future of voice search:
Increasing adoption of voice assistants – Voice assistants like Google Assistant, Alexa, Bixby and Siri are becoming ubiquitous. As more consumers get comfortable interacting via voice, the use of voice search will likely keep rising. According to one report, the number of voice assistant users worldwide is expected to grow from 4.2 billion in 2020 to 8.4 billion by 2024.
Integration with more apps and devices – Beyond smart speakers, voice assistants are being integrated into more apps, services, devices like phones, TVs, cars and wearables. This expanded access will drive further adoption of voice search.
Development of conversational interfaces – Voice search today relies mainly on simple command-based interactions. Going forward, advances in natural language processing could enable more conversational voice interfaces. This would allow users to have more natural back-and-forth interactions using voice search.
As voice search evolves, businesses should stay updated with the latest voice search trends and technology to ensure their websites, content and marketing are optimized for voice search users.
