It is not always necessary to touch the screen or press the navigation buttons of the mobile to use it. In fact, the voice can be our best friend, since through it we can use our mobile and have total control of it. Unlock the screen, open and use applications, change settings …
There are several methods to use your voice on your mobile, but the most recommended is to use the Voice Access application, Google’s voice assistant, which allows you to control your device using voice commands. It has only been available in Spanish for two years, but its use has spread very quickly. You will need Android 5.0 or higher to install it. To start using it, you will first have to download it from Google Play.
Voice Access
When you already have Voice Access installed, it will automatically ask you to accept permissions in the Accessibility tab. Within the application settings, you can activate it in two ways: either by saying “Ok, Google” , or with the Voice Assistant activation button, placing it on the main screen of the phone. Once this is done, some numbers will appear above the buttons. You just have to say the command out loud to “press” the button for the assigned action.
To perform actions without using your hands at any time, you must activate the ” Ok Google on any screen ” function in the application settings. Then just say “Ok Google” and it will automatically start to hear voice commands. It is a great application that can be very useful, and it is a perfect alternative for those who have problems with paralysis, tremors or injuries that prevent them from using the mobile with their hands.
Things Voice Access can do
General commands are used for the following tasks:
- Open and close “x” application
- Return
- Go to main menu
- Show notifications
- Show Quick Settings
- Show recent apps
- Take photos and record videos
- Set an alarm
- Reminders
Device settings are also a quick way to use the wizard:
- Turn Bluetooth on or off
- Increase and decrease the volume (multimedia content, alarms / notifications or melody)
- Turn sound on and off (or vibrate mode)
- Raise and lower the brightness
- Turn off the device …
The numbers, as we have seen above, appear above the available actions depending on where we are. To show them, just say “Show numbers”. If you don’t know the name of an item, say “Show labels” for suggestions. There are cases where there can be two items on the screen with the same name. In this case, you can say their numbers instead of their names to refer to one or the other. You can also ask him directly if you don’t know what number an action corresponds to.
On the other hand, if you are not sure what to say or what actions to take, say out loud “ What can I say? ”. At the moment Voice Access will show you all the options you can make. In addition, within the application settings you can see the complete list of voice commands in the ” Show all commands ” tab.
A very useful option is to search for information about something . For example, if you want to consult a store to buy clothes, how to get to a site, how long it will take … It will always offer you the most useful and up-to-date results possible. At the time of writing, many possibilities come into play, such as undoing a word, replacing it with another, eliminating all the text, writing the first letter in capital letters …
As for incoming and outgoing calls, in the latter case you will only have to say “Answer call” and it will pick up immediately. You can also send SMS, emails … It even offers you the possibility of using it for entertainment. The assistant includes stories, tongue twisters, jokes and more that can make us have a good time. Some of them are:
- Tell me a joke
- Tell me a tongue twister
- Tell me a story
- I’m getting bored
- What is the longest word in the world …
How to disable Voice Access
If at any time you decide to use the mobile with your hands again, you just have to say ” Stop listening “, and the service will automatically be deactivated. Of course, this command does not disable Voice Access completely. If you want to disable it, you will have to go to the application settings and deactivate the switch.
Google Assistant
Other applications by which you can use your voice on your mobile is the Google Assistant . Unlike Voice Access, it is not an app intended for accessibility, but rather a virtual assistant developed through artificial intelligence. And there is more: it is capable of establishing two-way conversations between the user and the assistant, offering a much more real and effective interaction than the previous one. In fact, if he doesn’t understand you the first time, he will ask you to repeat the request.
One of its most useful features are routines , which allow us to automate the actions we do throughout a day. To do this, you must configure your own voice commands and choose what actions you want it to perform when you execute them. In addition, it has pre-established commands, for example if you say “good morning”, it will review the weather, the news of the day and the reminders you have set. All the information and data you request are obtained directly from Google.
In addition, this assistant is present in Google Home and Google Nest , two very useful speakers for day-to-day life at home. There is a version of the last one mentioned, Google Nest Hub , a smart screen to take home automation control.
How to teach the Google Assistant to recognize your voice
