The Voice Access app for Android lets you control your device with spoken commands. Use your voice to open apps, navigate, and edit text hands-free.
Contents
Step 1: Check your device and settings
Step 3: Start using Voice Access
Step 1: Check your device and settings
Note: You can use Voice Access in English, Spanish, German, Italian, French, or Portuguese.
Before you install Voice Access, check your device and settings:
- Required: For the commands to work, both the device and Google Assistant should be in the same language as Voice Access.
- Required: Android version 5.0 or later. To find your Android version, go to Settings
About phone or About tablet.
- Required: Google app. To make sure you have the latest version, download or update the Google app from Google Play.
- Recommended: "Ok Google" detection from any screen. Learn how to turn on "Ok Google."
- Recommended: Check that you've downloaded a language for offline speech recognition. In the Google app, go to Settings
Microphone permission and data usage: Voice Access requires permission to use your microphone so it can hear and execute your spoken commands.
- Why it’s needed: The microphone listens for your voice only when Voice Access is active, which is indicated by the blue listening dots on your screen. On devices running Android 12 or later, you'll also find a green microphone indicator in your status bar. You can turn off the microphone temporarily by saying “Stop listening.”
- How audio is used: Voice Access processes your speech to recognize commands. Audio is primarily processed on your device, but depending on its configuration and system language, audio may be sent to Google servers for processing. Audio sent to Google is only used to provide the service and isn't saved. Audio and transcripts aren't stored unless you explicitly turn on the "Help improve Voice Access Commands" setting.
- Security: Voice Access listens for commands, not your specific voice. If your device is awake and unlocked, anyone can control it with their voice.
For more details on how Google handles your data, visit the Google Privacy Policy.
Step 2: Download Voice Access
Download Voice Access from Google Play.
Step 3: Start using Voice Access
To turn on Voice Access, follow these steps:
- Open your device's Settings app
.
- Tap Accessibility, then tap Voice Access.
- Tap Use Voice Access.
- Start Voice Access in one of these ways:
- If "Hey Google" detection is on, you can say "Hey Google, start Voice Access."
- Open your notification shade and tap Touch to start.
- On your Home screen, tap the Voice Access app
.
- Tap the Voice Access activation button
. (You can set up the activation button in Settings
- Say a command, such as "Open Gmail." Learn more Voice Access commands.
The first time you turn on Voice Access, two extra steps help you get started:
- A guide to "Hey Google" settings helps set you up for a good hands-free experience.
- An interactive tutorial teaches you how Voice Access works.
After you turn on Voice Access in Settings, you can start Voice Access in several ways, depending on your device and settings.
- Voice Access button: To show a Voice Access button on your screen all the time, go to Voice Access settings and turn on Activation button. You can then tap the button at any time to start Voice Access. To move the button on your screen, touch and hold, then drag it to the new position.
- Activation key: You can use a physical key, such as a keyboard key or Bluetooth switch, to start and stop Voice Access. To set up an activation key:
- Connect your keyboard or switch to your device:
- Bluetooth: Go to your Android device settings, then choose Bluetooth to pair the keyboard or switch with your Android device. For more instructions, check the documentation for your switch or keyboard, or learn more about connecting to Bluetooth devices.
- USB: Use a USB cable to connect the keyboard or switch to your Android device
- Go to Voice Access Settings, then select Configure activation key.Here you can choose the following settings:
- Assigned key: Press the key or switch that you want to use to start and stop Voice Access.
- Behavior: Choose how you'd like to use your key or switch, The default setting is to tap to start Voice Access, then tap again to stop. You can also choose to press and hold to start Voice Access, then release to stop.
- Connect your keyboard or switch to your device:
- Phone calls: Voice Access automatically starts when your phone rings, letting you use your voice to decline or answer the call. You can also set up Voice Access so that it stays on during phone calls. Learn how to change these settings in Voice Access settings.
- Activate on lock screen: If you've set a screen lock on your Android device, Voice Access turns on automatically when you turn on your screen. However, to start using Voice Access, you need to unlock your screen. To unlock your screen with Voice Access, be sure to use the PIN screen lock option.
Get more help
For more Accessibility help, contact the Disability Support team.