What is Android voice?

Android devices have supported voice assistance technology since Google launched the Google Assistant in 2016. The first mainstream voice assistant on Android was Siri, which was introduced when it launched on the iPhone 4S in 2011. Though initially exclusive to Apple devices, Siri paved the way for voice assistants on smartphones. Other early Android voice assistants included Vlingo, Maluuba and Hound.

Today, the most widely used voice assistants on Android are:

  • Google Assistant – Launched in 2016, Google’s own voice AI that comes preloaded on most Android phones.
  • Bixby – Samsung’s voice assistant that debuted on the Galaxy S8 in 2017.
  • Amazon Alexa – Available as an app on Android since 2017.

These leading assistants allow hands-free voice control of Android devices using wake words and natural language. They can perform tasks like setting alarms, answering queries, managing calendars, playing media and more. Voice interaction has become an integral way of using Android phones.

Google Assistant

Google Assistant was first announced at Google’s developer conference in May 2016 and initially launched on the Pixel and Google Home later that year. It is now available across Android and iOS devices, smart speakers and displays, and other third party devices. Google Assistant integrates deeply with other Google services like Search, Maps, Calendar, Photos, and more.

Some key features of Google Assistant include:

  • Voice commands for controlling your phone, smart home devices, and accessing information
  • Conversational interactions and natural language processing
  • Personalized results based on your Google account and preferences
  • Proactive suggestions for traffic alerts, appointments, and more
  • Ability to identify and distinguish between multiple voices
  • Integration with Google services like Search, Maps, Calendar, Gmail, Photos, YouTube, and Chromecast

Over the years, Google has continued expanding Assistant’s capabilities through partnerships and its own engineering efforts. Some newer features include Duplex for automated reservation booking, Interpreter Mode for real-time translation, and a range of family-oriented features. Google frequently adds new device support and services to keep Assistant at the forefront of virtual assistants.

Bixby

Bixby is the virtual assistant developed by Samsung in 2017.[1] It was first introduced on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones and has since expanded to most Samsung devices including smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, smart TVs, and home appliances. Some of the unique capabilities of Bixby include:

  • Deep integration and voice control over Samsung devices and services like Samsung Pay, Samsung Health, Samsung DeX, and SmartThings.
  • Support for more natural conversational interactions.
  • Contextual awareness using previous commands to understand follow-up requests better.
  • Ability to create custom voice commands for specific apps and features.

However, Bixby has faced some criticism for limitations with English language support and lagging behind Google Assistant and Alexa in terms of third-party app integration and overall capabilities.[1] Nonetheless, Bixby provides enhanced voice interaction specifically for Samsung’s ecosystem of products.

[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/samsung/comments/mnsneq/do_people_still_use_bixby/

Alexa

Alexa is Amazon’s voice assistant that is available through the Alexa app on Android devices. The Alexa app allows Android users to connect to Amazon’s Alexa ecosystem and access Alexa’s voice capabilities. Through the app, Android users can use Alexa to play music, control smart home devices, get information, news and weather updates, set timers and alarms, manage to-do and shopping lists, and access many other features.

The Alexa Android app links the user’s device to their Amazon account and Alexa profile. Once connected, users can speak to Alexa through the app to execute voice commands and requests. Alexa is able to tap into skills and integrate with compatible smart home devices that the user has set up in their Alexa account. This gives users hands-free voice control over things like lights, thermostats, security cameras and more.

According to the Alexa Android app page (https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201602230), the app allows users to “Just ask to play music, read the news, control your smart home, tell jokes, create to-do and shopping lists, set alarms, get weather forecasts, and much more.” The app brings the full power of Alexa to Android smartphones and tablets.

Other Assistants

In addition to Google Assistant, Bixby, and Alexa, there are a few other virtual assistant options for Android devices. However, their compatibility and capabilities are limited compared to the main assistants.

Microsoft’s Cortana assistant was available as a standalone app for Android and iOS but support ended in 2021 (1). Cortana still exists as a productivity assistant built into Microsoft products, but the app is no longer supported or available on app stores (2).

Apple’s Siri is exclusively for Apple devices and not available on Android. There are some unofficial “Siri ports” but they have limited functionality and are not officially supported by Apple (3).

Overall, while assistants like Cortana and Siri exist, Android users are much better served by Google Assistant, Bixby, or Alexa for a fully supported and capable voice assistant experience.

Voice Interaction

Android devices allow users to interact through voice commands using the built-in Google Assistant. To activate the Google Assistant, you can say “Hey Google” or “OK Google” from most screens (Source: Google Assistant Overview). The assistant can also be activated by long pressing the home button on some devices.

Once activated, users can speak naturally to the Google Assistant to launch apps, ask questions, control device settings, and more. The Assistant leverages advanced natural language processing to understand commands and questions in many languages and contexts (Source: Google Voice Access Commands).

Some examples of voice commands for the Google Assistant include:

  • “Text Mom I’ll be 5 minutes late”
  • “Set an alarm for 7 AM”
  • “Navigate home”
  • “Play jazz music”
  • “Turn on WiFi”

The Google Assistant can understand complex queries and conversational commands to enable hands-free use of Android devices.

Capabilities

Android voice assistants like Google Assistant, Bixby, and Alexa allow users to interact with their devices through voice commands in various ways, including:

Web search – Users can ask questions or give voice commands to search the web for information, similar to typing a query into Google Search. For example, saying “Ok Google, what is the weather today?”

Controlling devices – Voice commands can be used to open apps, navigate menus, dictate texts or emails, and more. This allows hands-free control of the device. According to Google, Voice Access for Android lets users “control your device with spoken commands” (source).

Information lookup – Voice assistants can provide information on weather, sports scores, unit conversions, definitions, and more by querying online sources.

App integration and smart home control – Actions and skills can be enabled to allow voice control of third party apps and smart home devices. For example, users can say “Ok Google, turn on the living room lights.”

Listening to audio – Music playback, podcasts, audiobooks and more can be controlled with voice commands like “Ok Google, play some jazz.”

Customization

One of the key features of Android voice assistants like Google Assistant and Bixby is the ability to customize them to your preferences. You can change the launch phrase to activate your assistant to be something other than “Hey Google” or “Hi Bixby.” According to Google’s blog, you can set up Voice Match on Google Assistant so it recognizes your voice when accessing personal information.

You can also customize quick phrases and routines to automate common tasks. As noted in Google Support, routines allow you to set a phrase to trigger a sequence of actions like turning on lights or getting a weather report. With customization, Android voice assistants can be tailored to your unique needs and preferences.

Privacy

Voice assistants like Google Assistant, Alexa, and Bixby can collect and store various types of personal data through voice interactions and ambient listening. This includes recordings of your conversations, location information, and details about your daily habits and preferences.

All the major voice assistants allow you to review and delete your voice history through their companion apps or account settings. You can also disable the microphone access completely to prevent any voice data from being collected. According to Google, “Your data, like your conversations with Google Assistant, is private and secure. It’s encrypted when it moves between your device, Google services, and our data centers.”

However, many users have privacy concerns about always-listening assistants. While companies like Google and Amazon state they do not share personal data with third parties, the assistants still accumulate a large trove of sensitive information. More research is needed on the long-term privacy implications of ambient listening devices in the home.

The Future

There are several predictions for the future of voice assistants and adoption as they continue to evolve. Voice assistants are expected to become even more personalized with the ability to recognize individual voices and provide tailored responses and recommendations. Push notifications and proactive interactions driven by voice assistants are also predicted to increase.

In terms of new features, we should expect to see expanded capabilities like deeper conversations, predictive abilities based on usage patterns, and integration with more IoT devices and services. Voice assistants may one day have more emotional intelligence, contextual understanding, and the ability to follow complex multi-step commands. Improved speech recognition for different accents and voices is also critical for wider adoption. Overall, voice assistants will likely feel more natural, personalized and assistive in day-to-day tasks and interactions.

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