What is Samsung S Voice app?
S Voice is a voice assistant and AI app developed by Samsung Electronics. It was first introduced in 2012 on the Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone as a competitor to Apple’s Siri and Google’s Voice Search. S Voice allows users to vocally interact with their Samsung device in order to operate apps, make calls, send messages, schedule meetings, set alarms, search the web, and more through natural language voice commands.
The key benefit of S Voice is the ability to activate and control various device functions completely hands-free using your voice. It utilizes advanced natural language processing technology to understand commands and requests in multiple languages. S Voice was one of the first virtual assistants developed by a major smartphone manufacturer.
Capabilities
S Voice allows users to interact with their Samsung device using only their voice. Some of the key capabilities include:
Voice commands – Users can launch apps, make calls, send texts, schedule appointments, set alarms, and more using natural language voice commands like “Call Mom” or “Set an alarm for 7 AM tomorrow.” S Voice supports numerous commands in various categories like device actions, calendar events, alarms, and more (Wikipedia).
Voice search – S Voice has a built-in voice search function, allowing users to search the web, YouTube, and more by speaking their search terms. Users can say things like “Search for Italian restaurants nearby” to pull up local search results.
Voice control – Beyond discrete commands, S Voice allows for hands-free voice control of certain phone functions. Users can dictate text messages or emails to compose them by voice. S Voice also has a driving mode to control navigation, music, and calling while driving hands-free (TechRadar).
Activation
To activate S Voice, you need to first enable it in your Samsung device’s settings. Go to Settings > Applications > Application manager. Find S Voice in the list and make sure it is enabled. You can also go directly to the S Voice app and toggle the switch at the top to turn it on.
Once S Voice is enabled, you can activate it hands-free by speaking a wake up command. The default wake up command is “Hi Galaxy” but you can customize this in the S Voice settings. Say your wake up command aloud and S Voice will launch, allowing you to start speaking voice commands. Some examples of wake up commands are “Hi Galaxy”, “Wake up”, or “Hello S Voice.” [1]
You can also activate S Voice manually by tapping the S Voice app icon. However, using the hands-free wake up command allows for quicker, more convenient voice activation.
Voice Commands
S Voice allows users to control their Samsung device using voice commands. Some examples of commands include:
- “Hi Galaxy” – wakes up S Voice
- “Call Mom” – calls a contact
- “Text Sarah I’m running late” – sends a text message
- “Navigate to nearest coffee shop” – opens navigation to a nearby location
- “Schedule a meeting at 9am tomorrow” – creates a calendar event
- “Take a picture” – opens the camera app
- “What’s the weather today?” – provides a weather report
S Voice utilizes speech recognition technology to analyze the user’s voice and convert it to actions. The latest versions boast improved accuracy for natural language commands. Users can even train the app to recognizecustom phrases. However, the speech recognition is not perfect and may struggle with accents or noisy environments. Performance also depends on the specific device. Overall, S Voice offers hands-free voice control for common tasks on Samsung devices.
Sources:
[1] Top 5 tips and tricks for using Samsung S Voice
Features
S Voice includes several key features such as voice memos, voice translator, and scheduling:
The voice memos feature allows users to record voice notes, memos, or personal reminders. Recorded memos can be saved, shared, or set as a ringtone (Samsung S Voice Commands).
S Voice also includes a built-in translator that can translate voice input between multiple languages. The translator supports 35 languages (Top 5 tips and tricks for using Samsung S Voice).
Another helpful feature is the ability to schedule appointments, set alarms, or create calendar events using voice commands. Users can add events to their calendar without having to type or touch the screen (Samsung S Voice Commands).
Compatibility
S Voice was originally developed for most newer Samsung Galaxy smartphones running Android Ice Cream Sandwich or later. As per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S_Voice, S Voice was compatible with the following Samsung devices:
- Samsung Galaxy S III
- Samsung Galaxy Note II
- Samsung Galaxy S4
- Samsung Galaxy Note 3
- Samsung Galaxy Note 4
- Samsung Galaxy S5
- Samsung Galaxy S6
- Samsung Galaxy S7
In June 2020, Samsung discontinued S Voice support across all devices as noted by https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-s-voice-dead-1124561/. So S Voice is no longer compatible with any Samsung devices from June 2020 onwards.
Customization
S Voice allows for some customization of the assistant to personalize the experience. One of the key areas of customization is changing the wake up command. By default, S Voice is activated by saying “Hi Galaxy”, but users can change this in the settings to be another phrase of their choosing like “Hello Susan” (https://www.guidingtech.com/27428/s-voice-guide/). This allows people to set a unique and personalized wake up command.
Another key area of customization is changing the language settings. S Voice supports various languages like English, German, Italian, and Korean. To change the language, users can go into the app’s settings and select their preferred language (https://www.trickyways.com/2014/03/samsung-s-voice-commands-language/). This allows the assistant to understand voice commands and respond back in the user’s native language.
Limitations
According to Android Central Forums, S Voice has some accuracy limitations due to the current state of voice recognition technology. Many users report frustration with the app’s inaccuracies, especially in noisy environments.
S Voice requires an internet connection to function properly. As reported on PhoneScoop, without connectivity, S Voice is extremely limited in what it can accomplish. This connectivity requirement makes S Voice less useful when users are not able to access Wi-Fi or mobile data.
Overall, S Voice has some considerable limitations around accuracy and connectivity that mean it cannot always reliably accomplish tasks through voice commands alone. This can frustrate users when S Voice fails to correctly register or interpret their requests.
Privacy
The work of Bolton et al. analyzed the privacy and security implications of digital assistants like Samsung S Voice.1 Digital assistants require access to significant amounts of user data to provide their services. Samsung’s S Voice is no exception, which raises both privacy and security concerns among users.
S Voice, like other digital assistants, requires users to share private information such as their voice recordings in order to give voice commands and receive responses. All data is sent to Samsung’s servers. Historically, Samsung 2 had not fully specified the privacy protections around data gathering and usage. This has lead to distrust among privacy advocates. However, in newer versions of S Voice, Samsung states that data is transmitted over an encrypted connection and deleted after interactions.
While Samsung claims legal access and usage of data, security vulnerabilities could still put that data at risk if servers are hacked. Users have to place trust in Samsung’s security protections for storing voice data and metadata. Turning off S Voice and other assistants remains one guaranteed way of protecting privacy.
Alternatives
There are several alternatives that offer similar or more advanced functionality compared to Samsung S Voice:
Google Assistant
Google Assistant is viewed as one of the top alternatives pre-installed on many Android devices. It offers robust voice command capabilities, smart home device integration, scheduling abilities and general question answering. Some reviews suggest Google Assistant provides more natural conversational abilities compared to S Voice. See more details on using Google Assistant here.
Amazon Alexa
The Amazon Alexa app brings the capabilities of Amazon Echo smart speakers to Android devices. Users can ask questions, set reminders and alarms, make lists, get weather/traffic/news updates, control smart home devices and more. Alexa continues to expand the range of voice commands and skills available. The app offers an alternative to S Voice for Android users seeking robust hands-free abilities.
Siri
Although Siri is designed for iOS, there are some applications like Assistant Trigger that attempt to emulate Siri’s functionality on Android. However, the experience is not native and has limitations. Siri offers strong integration with Apple devices and services. Android users may prefer Google Assistant for full mobile device integration.