Get started with Voice Access spoken commands

You can use your voice to open apps, navigate, and edit text hands-free. You can control your device with spoken commands through the Voice Access app for Googlebook.

Turn on Voice Access

1. Open your Googlebook’s Settings app.
2. Select Accessibility Voice Access.
3. Turn on Voice Access shortcut.
   • This automatically enables the floating Voice Access shortcut button that controls Voice Access listening. To start or stop listening, select the button.
   • To customize the shortcut:
     1. On the left of the “Voice Access shortcut” toggle, select Voice Access shortcut.
     2. Choose your preferred shortcut:
        • Floating accessibility button
        • Keyboard shortcut Action + Alt + V
          • When you enter the keyboard shortcut for the first time, a confirmation dialog appears to accept or reject the keyboard shortcut. When you enable the shortcut, you can press it again to turn on Voice Access.
          • If you connect an external keyboard to your Googlebook, the Action key can vary based on the keyboard.
        • Accessibility top-row key
        • Volume keys
        • Accessibility gesture

Learn how to use accessibility shortcuts.

Start Voice Access listening

• Select the floating Voice Access shortcut or your preferred shortcut.
• If "Hey Google" detection is on, you can say "Hey Google, start Voice Access."

Tip: To hide a visible shortcut, you can use other alternatives like a keyboard shortcut. You can continue to use Gemini to turn Voice Access on or off.

Other ways to start Voice Access

For the following ways to work, you need to have at least one Voice Access shortcut enabled.

• On your notification tray:
  1. Scroll to the Voice Access notification.
  2. Select Touch to start.

• Activate on lock screen:
  • When you lock your device, Voice Access stops listening. To control how Voice Access works when your screen wakes up, change your settings.
    1. Open your Googlebook’s Settings app.
    2. Select Accessibility Voice Access Settings.
    3. Select Listening behavior on screen wake up.
    4. Choose an option:
       • Always start listening
       • Start listening unless previously asked to stop
       • Never start listening

• Activation key: To start and stop Voice Access, you can use a physical key like a Bluetooth switch or a keyboard key. To set up an activation key:

1. Connect your keyboard or switch to your device.
   • Bluetooth: Pair the keyboard or switch with your device.
     1. Open your Googlebook’s Settings app.
     2. Select Connected devices.
        • For more instructions, check your switch or keyboard’s manual or learn more about connecting to Bluetooth devices.
   • USB: You can use a USB cable to connect the keyboard or switch to your device.

2. Select Accessibility Voice Access Settings.
3. Select Configure activation key. You can choose the following:
   • Assigned key: You can select your preferred key or switch to start and stop Voice Access.
   • Behavior: Choose how you'd like to use your key or switch.
     • By default, you can select to start or stop Voice Access.
     • Or, you can also press and hold to start Voice Access, then release to stop.

Use Voice Access commands

After you start Voice Access, you can use commands to control your device. For example, "Open Gmail," "Scroll down," "Tap compose," and "Go home."

Tips:

• You can select any text on the screen. For example, if you find the words "Store hours" with a link in a paragraph of text, you can say "Select store hours."
• In the feedback bar at the top of your screen, Voice Access shows what it hears you say, along with responses to your commands. After it completes a command, Voice Access automatically begins listening again for your next command.
• If you say a command that could affect more than one item on the screen, Voice Access asks "Which one?," you can say the number of the item.

Learn how to change Voice Access settings.

Stop Voice Access

To pause Voice Access listening, you can:

• Say “Stop listening.”
• Select the floating Voice Access shortcut button or your customized shortcut.
• On the Voice Access notification, select Tap to pause.
• If configured, use your physical activation key or switch.

To turn off Voice Access completely:

1. Open your Googlebook’s Settings app.
2. Select Accessibility Voice Access.
3. Turn off the Voice Access shortcut toggle.

Offline speech recognition

Important: This feature is only available in English, Spanish, German, Italian, French, Japanese, and Portuguese.

For Voice Access to work without a network connection, you need to download language packs for offline speech recognition.

1. Open your Googlebook’s Settings app.
2. Select System Language & region Speech.
3. Select On-device recognition Add language.
4. Choose the language you want to download for offline speech recognition.

Learn more about Voice access permissions and data usage

Notification permission

To start and pause listening from the notification, allow Voice Access to show the silent notification.

Microphone permission and data usage

To use your microphone for Voice Access, grant it permission so it can hear and execute your spoken commands. You can find a green microphone indicator in the status bar when it’s active.

• When the microphone is used:
  • The microphone only listens for your voice when Voice Access is active.
  • The green listening dots on your screen indicate that it’s active.
  • To turn off the microphone temporarily, say “Stop listening.”

• How audio is used:
  • To recognize voice commands, Voice Access processes your speech.
  • Audio sent to Google is used only to provide the service and isn't saved.
  • Audio and transcripts aren't stored unless you explicitly turn on the "Help improve Voice Access Commands" setting.

• Security:
  • You can use Voice Access to listen for commands, not your specific voice.
  • If your Googlebook is awake and unlocked, anyone can control it with their voice.

Get more help

For more Accessibility help, contact the Google Disability Support team.

Related resources

• Use accessibility shortcuts
• Use Voice Access commands