Google Voice Commands

[Marine322]

Some of you may be aware that one of the new features of froyo 2.2 are the Google Voice Actions.  If you are not you can go to http://www.google.com/mobile/  to see it in action.  What a great function if it actually worked.  I have been trying over and over to use this with no success.  I can search the web, get directions, and navigate with it.  This is great!    Unfortunately I am not able to send text, or make a call.  It doesn't seem to recognize any of my contacts.  This is "not so great"!    If anyone has been able to get this bad boy to work please let me know!  

[AZSALUKI]

while it is cool...it's not new. however, a new feature is an option on the left side of the google search widget (not the app). i set the search widget on my home screen and if you tap the "g" logo on the left side of the widget, you can select what you want to search through ("all", which i believe is all things google, including everything on your phone...."web," where it only searches the web.....or "apps," if you want to directly search apps). however, i've been sending texts by voice since i got the inc 4 months ago. it's always worked pretty decent for me (sometimes inserts a wrong word or sometin). i use it while driving when i get a text. i just touch reply and speak slow and clear and it's worked pretty well. but the search and nav has always worked real well!!!! never tried the voice dial...maybe that is new? i don't know. i thought we always had that too? in fact, i don't even know how to use the google nav. when i got my device my buddy just told me to hit the speaker icon and say "navigate to...." and it pulls up options (if there are more than one of what you said in the area) and i select the nearest one. once he taught me that, i never really learned much about nav or maps or whaetever it is...lol. i just say "navigate to...." and it starts tellin me how to get there. these things really are RIDICULOUS!!! i don't think i can ever go back to a dumb phone now....lol.

[AZSALUKI]

ok...so i went and watched the video and realized this is a new/updated version and is slightly different than the app/widget that we had. so i had to downoload it and try it out. i got it to call just fine ....but CAN NOT get it to text !! the icon for this new/updated version is identical to the old one. when i say "send text to john doe...hey john," it KEEPS putting "john doe hey john" in the message body....but with no name in the recipient field. is this what it does for you? it did let me call though. i previously would use voice to text for the body of the text, but still had to select the recipient before i started talking. if i could get it to work how they guy in the video does it, then it would be a one touch function!!!!!

[Marine322]

Lol yeah it sounds like we are having pretty close to the same problems. When I used it to text it did the same thing. When you made a call using it, where you able to call someone in your contacts? I am going to uninstall it and try again. We sure have come a long ways since Sony Walkmans! Gotta love our DInc's!

[AZSALUKI]

yes...it was someone in my contacts. i said "call and her name (exactly as it is in the contacts)" and it immediately dialed. which caught me off gaurd because my wife wasn't expecting me to call at 11 om and she was asleep...lol. but i also tried "call oregano's (local pizza joint)" just to test and it worked as well. however, this time it showed me that it was about to dial oreganos and gave me the option to call or cancel. so i think if it's a contact then it will immediately dial, but if not it will propmt you to confirm before it just dials a wrong business. i'm gining up on the text until i see someone that was actually successful with it. but it is pretty cool to use for the body of the text.

[Marine322]

There is a video on YouTube of a guy using it on his DInc. I dropped him a line and we are both dumbfounded. Will uninstal and reinstall and let you know.

[y0diggity]

After my upgrade, I still had to go to the market and download the newest version. Once I did that, it was the way it should be and all was right with the world, once again.

[AZSALUKI]

i had to download the newest version too....but it still won't text on command. does everything else as advertised. but not texting.

[Marine322]

Well installed it and reinstated it with no success. It still won't text or make calls from my contacts. I've been searching thru the phone settings looking for some setting that may be keeping it from working properly. It's getting dark and cold. I see no glimmer of hope getting this wonderful function to work right. Lol. ;(

[Marine322 · Accepted solution]

OK I have found a solution to the problem!   As I stated earlier in my original post, the new Google voice commands were not working as illustrated in the Google demonstration video.  It would not call or send text to any of my contacts.  

I am very happy to say it now works EXCELLENT!!  What I had to do was 1.) make sure all of my contacts were Gmail contacts. Since most of my contacts were generated from my POP3 MS Outlook email account, I had to import them into my Gmail account.  I did this by 2.) exporting my Outlook  contacts to a CSV file.  This is found in the upper left hand corner under:  File / Import and Export...  After creating the CSV file you need to 3.) go to your Gmail account and import the CSV file to your contacts. This is done by going to :  Mail / Contacts / Import Contacts...  I found steps 1-3  are best done on your desktop PC or laptop; not phone.  

Once you have done this the final step is to 4.) sync your phone to your Gmail account.  This is done on your phone by going to menu / Settings / Accounts & sync / Select the green circular arrows next to your Google Gmail account.  Then enjoy!  Hope this helps!!!   

So regardless of where your contacts came from, the key to the new Google Voice Command to work properly is to have a Google Gmail Account, and have "all" your contacts in the Gmail contacts list.