With Google Voice Search, you can use your voice to control your smart-phone and search for information with the help of an assistant integrated in the device. This function is available in most Android devices. It is a worthy rival for assistants such as Siri, Amazon Alexa, or Cortana.
Smart-phone control
If you have not used Google Voice Search before, for the first few moments you will be stunned by opportunities it offers. For instance, you can dictate a text message and then send it to selected persons from the contact list. In a similar way, you can make a phone call without even touching the screen of the smart-phone. Also useful is voice activation of the flash-light and any other application.
Information search
Google Voice Search allows you to quickly check current weather, opening times of a store, note down a reminder, set a route on a map to a given destination, or find information about any topic or issue. You can also ask for the age or height of celebrities! And that is just a small sample of the full possibilities of voice search. Of course, in most cases, Google provides an answer to a question asked out loud.
How to use Google Voice Search?
To enable voice search, click on the characteristic microphone icon. It is available in Android system in “Google” application, under the “Google Search Bar” widget usually located on the start screen. Also, the quick access to “Google” application is done by holding the main screen button. Still, to a large extent, it all depends on the device and system overlay from the producer, which may modify the default settings presented above. Since Android 6.0, Google Assistant has also been available, which is a dedicated application to handle Google Voice Search commands. Few people know that searching with the use of voice can also be applied in Google Chrome browser, also in the desktop version.
Listening for “OK Google” command…
However, the most impressive (and often the most convenient) way to activate Google’s voice search is to use the “OK Google” command. After saying that, the next step is to provide the text of the command. Both in Google application as well as in the “Google Search Bar” window, pronouncing these words (without the need to click the microphone icon) enables the function. A lot of devices allow the “always listening” feature, which makes access to Google Voice Search possible at any time when using a smart-phone. Even more interesting is searching with “OK Google” hotword when the phone’s screen is blocked. Then, saying these words unblocks the screen. However, not all devices with android are compatible with this function, and it is not available in all countries, either.