What different voice operations are there on my phone ?

What different voice operations are there on my phone ?

I have a Samsung S9 , and I thought it may be useful to others to list the ways in which I using voice commands.

Talking to your mobile to operate it and to connect to the internet is on the rise.  It’s not only often much quicker than manually operating but it also means you can use your phone hands free.  Handy if you’re Driving.

1. Google shopping list

2. Google Routines

3. Reminders

4. Sending and receiving messages

5. Sat Nav Features

6. Asking assistant to convert something for me.

7. Chatting with Google Translate

8. Dictate something to text.  Using Voice Recorder

9.  Using Pocket to Readme a Webpage

10. Help making calls hands free calls

Google Shopping List

Just add stuff to it whenever it comes into your head 

“ok google, add XXXX to my shopping list”
"show me shopping list "

You can also have multiple contributors, so everyone in the family can add to the same list. 

> To do this just click on the person icon in the top right. 

Google Routines

This is basically a wrapper for all the things you have access to in Google Assistant.  So you can string a whole heap of stuff together.

Here’s an example for you.  On a midweek night I pick up the kids and their friends from a sports activity.  I’ve programmed run this routine when I say “Ok google I’m ready to pick up”

Google then -

1. Tells me the time

2. SMS messages the parents

3. Checks my route home and tells me how long it’ll take.
4. Read my Reminder

5. Tell me a riddle ( something to amuse the kids when the get in )

6. SMS messages my wife to say I’m on the way.

There are preset Routines and you can add as many others as you'd like

1. Open Google APP

2. Go to ‘Settings’

3. Click on Google Assistant

4. Click ‘assistant’ tab

5. Click on Routines

Reminders

Using reminders at using Google assistant as a second memory is a great for someone like me who has a terrible memory.   You can set reminders on a timer, for example 
“Remind me tomorrow morning that I need to get petrol”

You can also set a reminder on location 

“remind me in Newquay Town that I need to get Petrol “

Not only that but you can just set a reminder like 

“Remember that Mike Smiths wife is called Ann”  

and then to retrieve that you’d say 

“Remind me what was Mike Smiths wife called”

Sending and receiving messages

I’ve been sending, receiving and getting read for me ; from Gmail, SMS and WhatsApp.

"Send an Email to Mum"
"Read my last email ( from XXXX ) "
"Send a SMS message to XXXX"
"Send a Whatsapp message"
"Send a Voice message"

Sat Nav Features

“Navigate to WHEREEVER”

“Get driving directions to WHEREEVER”

Tip; if you set up your personal locations in Google Maps then you can say “home”, “work”, “Mums”, ‘the Gym” etc.  This one will impress your passengers !

Asking assistant to convert something for me.

Convert Lengths, Area, Temperature, Volume, Mass & Data.  Also ( this was a revelation to me ) calculate currencies, it even does the more random ones like Czech Koruna .

"what is 15% of 135"
"how many centimetres in 2 foot"
"How much in British Pounds in 10 thousand Czech Koruna"

Google Translate

Using Google Translate is a great way to learn some basics of a language.

“What the spanish word for XXXX”

“How do you say XXXXXX  in spanish”

Podcasts and Text to Speach

Find out what Podcast that you think will be good for you to listen to.  And then use.

“Listen to XXXXX Poscast”

“Play the latest episode of XXXXXX”

“Recommend a podcast”

If you’re looking for a Text to Speech APP then I use Pocket which is awesome.  Presave your webpages that you want it to read and then when you start your journey click on the headphones and get it read back to you.

Initiate Phone Call

This one should probably be higher of the list but you can also use your phone as a phone.

Who knew eh!

Voice control helps you initiate the calls

“call a mum at home on speakerphone”

If you’ve got any call features you use then why not let me know, I’m also looking for more ways to increase my usage of Mobile phone voice assistant options.

Most of the advice I’ve wirtten about above can from Googles documentation.

https://assistant.google.com/explore