Voice Access helps anyone who has difficulty manipulating a touch screen (e.g. due to paralysis, tremor, or temporary injury) use their Android device by voice.
Voice Access provides many voice commands for
- Basic navigation (e.g. “go back”, “go home”, “open Gmail”)
- Controlling the current screen (e.g. “tap next”, “scroll down”)
- Text editing and dictation (e.g. “type hello”, “replace coffee with tea”)
You can also say “Help” any time to see a short list of commands.
Voice Access includes a tutorial which introduces the most common voice commands (starting Voice Access, tapping, scrolling, basic text editing, and getting help).
To pause Voice Access temporarily, just say “stop listening”. To disable Voice Access completely, go to Settings > Accessibility > Voice Access and turn off the switch.
Before you install Voice Access, check your device and settings
- Android version 5.0 or later. To find your Android version, go to Settings and then About phone or About tablet.
- Google app. To make sure you have the latest version, download or update the Google app from Google Play.
- “Ok Google” detection from any screen. Learn how to turn on “Ok Google.”
- Check that you’ve downloaded a language for offline speech recognition. In the Google app, go to Settings and then Voice. Learn how to change Google app settings.
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, 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 and then Accessibility and then Voice Access and then Settings and then Activation button.)
- 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.
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. You can use Voice Access in English, Spanish, German, Italian, or French.
