Modern smartphones offer an alternative way to interact with the gadget – voice control. This function is most widely used by drivers and people with disabilities. In this article, we will tell you how to activate voice control on Android smartphones and iPhone.
What is voice control.
Voice control is a technology that allows you to control your smartphone using specific voice commands. Modern smartphones come with built-in virtual assistants, such as Google Assistant (on Android) and Siri (on iPhone), that can perform a variety of commands, from sending messages to controlling smart home devices. Voice assistants use speech recognition algorithms and artificial intelligence to understand commands and perform tasks.
It should also be noted that most vendors have their own voice assistants. For example, Samsung has Bixby, Xiaomi has XiaoAI, Amazon has Alexa, Microsoft has Cortana, Huawei has Celia, and Nothing has decided to use ChatGPT. However, the most common are Google Assistant and Siri, which have also received many improvements and neural network functions over the past year. Google Assistant already works with Gemini AI, and Siri in some regions works with Apple Intelligence, which allows it to respond to more complex queries.
In this article we will only cover the basic commands of the two main assistants.
How to Use Voice Control on Android and iPhone
Before you begin, you need to do the following on any device:
- Make sure you have an internet connection, as voice assistants work over the network;
- Update your operating system to the latest version;
- Check the functionality of your smartphone’s microphone and set the optimal speaker volume.
Android
- Make sure you have the Google Assistant app installed or download it from the Play Store ;
- Launch the application and confirm the assistant’s activation;
- You will be taken to the Settings menu where you need to select Google Assistant as your digital assistant;
- If necessary, follow the on-screen instructions to set up your voice recognition.
iPhone
- Open Settings and go to Siri or Apple Intelligence & Siri;
- Now go to the Talk to Siri menu and select one of the top two options;
- Go back and allow Siri access from the lock screen (optional).
What to do if voice control does not work
Sometimes the voice assistant may not respond to your requests. Try the following to fix this:
- Restart your smartphone;
- Check if the microphone is turned on and if the assistant has permissions;
- Update your Google Assistant app;
- Make sure the voice assistant is activated in the settings;
- Try disabling voice commands and enabling them again in your device settings.
Common Commands and Scripts
Below are examples of standard commands that you can use.
Android:
- “Hey Google, play music”;”
- Hey Google, schedule a meeting”
- “Hey Google, get directions to the store”;
- “Hey Google, remind me to pick up my documents on February 19th.”
iPhone:
- “Siri, send a message to daddy”;
- “Siri, remind me to buy milk at 6:00 pm”;
- “Siri, turn on the flashlight”;
- “Siri, launch the camera”;
- “Hey Siri, turn off the lights and turn on the TV at home.”
- “Hey Siri, set a timer for 2 minutes.”
Bonus: Hidden Commands for iOS
- “Siri, lumos” – turns on the flashlight with a spell from “Harry Potter
- “Siri, nox” – turns off the flashlight with a spell from Harry Potter;
- “Siri, activate (app name)” – Launches the app with a Harry Potter spell.
Agree that voice control significantly simplifies interaction with a smartphone, making it more accessible and convenient, especially while driving or in other situations when your hands are busy