What you say is what you search

Tuesday, September 14, 2010 | 1:40 PM

Many of you have searched the web by speaking since the launch of voice search in 2008. In fact, one in every four searches from an Android phone in the US is by voice. In certain situations, voice search just works much better than typing. It’s a lot faster than typing on a small phone screen. You can search things even when you don’t know the correct spelling. It’s more fun as you can share what you’re doing with your friends. And it’s safer when you’re walking around. Once you start using voice search, you start discovering all sorts of new ways to use it.

We’ve thought of a few interesting uses for voice search and made some short videos out of them. Check them out on our new YouTube channel. But we know you can do better. What are some of your most frequent or unusual voice search queries? Leave us a comment below or on our YouTube channel.



Posted by Heaven Kim, Product Marketing, Google Mobile

19 comments:

Jpartain89 said...

How about you guys update google maps for webOS???? We're sick and tired of you ignoring the best phone os ever made! we can handle all the google maps stuff you put on android, and more, and better

Peter said...

Voice search would be great were not for the fact that I have to put on an American accent to get in to work in the UK.

That being said it works well even with my terrible impersonation, it's just a bit embarrassing...

Unknown said...

Works well for me in the UK. As long as I set it for USA English. But it accepts my Welsh accent very well

irishpolyglot said...

These examples are OK, but there are way more practical uses such as learning languages as demonstrated here:
http://www.fluentin3months.com/android-google-goggles/

Unknown said...

I would like to use voice search but i´ts still not available in austria with android 1.6.
It´s available in Germany and it´s available in "German".
The austrian accent won´t be the problem...i´m sure.

I hope it´s possible to launch voice search in austria...sometimes....

Unknown said...

Voice is much more easier than trying to type and drive, you can set your phone down, hands free, talk to the telephone, have it search until you can pull over, or be in a place where you can see what you've brought up. The keys are usually so small, that voice is very convenient.

Lehme said...

voice search is great, but i think it should be available in more languages, such as portuguese.

aji said...

An additional feature that would be great to have is voice search on the phone for an application. I would love to say "open " and have it start that app.

Unknown said...

aj,

If you say open, which program will it open? You would have to use different words for different accounts? Like open Google Mobile Account? But then it would most likely recognize Open, then if you have more than one account what happens?

Kugi said...

Couldn't find any better place to submit a small problem in mobile app for iPhone.

You launched voice search in Polish today, but unless you have Polish as a display language of your iPhone you cannot activate a voice search in this language. But when you choose Polish as a display language and then set it in google mobile app everything is working perfect. What's more you can then revert display language of iP into English and google voice still works in Polish but it however doesn't display any language checked in app settings.

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A said...

I have to say i am slightly disappointed with just about everything that google has done mobile phone wise And their google search by voice app is a perfect Example It seems As if everything almost works I didn't realize i wish i knew not to be part of a beta test i sort of wish i had gotten the iphone at least and everything works in works well Oh by the way all of that check This was incorrectly dictated through the google voice app I speak english with caornia Accident nisa is almost works most of the time I get google and their fry a winner android operating system in their marketing everything about this phone off maybe a c minus

Nathan Long said...

Here's a voice-related feature suggestion for navigation on Android: location-tagged voice memos. Just push one button as you're driving and speak. Later, you could see these on Google Maps and listen to them.

At that point, give users a prompt - "is this something Google should know about?" For instance, say I'm driving and encounter a detour. I could mark the spot, and later I'd be able to easily contribute that info back to Google Maps.

As a simpler case, maybe I pass a restaurant or store or park I want to check out later.

Either way, this would let me make a note without too much distraction from the road, and would improve Google's map data.

victorholmes02 said...

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Ambrish Garg said...

its better for the people like me who are lazy in type

BERGFA said...

I have a question for you guys.
Is google voice search available really only when you have internet access ?

I tried just to call a contact in my contact list but it doesn't work ?

Thanks

Unknown said...

Nice,never gave that a thought! Thanks for those tips

aji said...

When I say "open" anything, it goes to google search in web browser.