Possible to use google speech recognition in an iOS SMS app?

Question

Level 1

8 points

Possible to use google speech recognition in an iOS SMS app?

Hello,

I parted ways with iOS back in 2013 and never looked back. Till the iphone SE. So picked one up recently and re-acquainting myself with iOS.

Simple question -

Can I use google's speech recognition instead of stock apple speech recognition in the stock keyboard? I find google's to be infinitely better.
If I can't integrate google's voice recognition engine to the microphone button on the stock keyboard, I am even willing to live with a 3rd party SMS/text app that can call up google's voice recognition engine.

I can compromise on no qi charging, I can compromise on no MST pay, I can compromise on no AOD, I can even deal with gmail not pushing emails to stock ios mail app. Not being able to use a reliable speech recognition engine that actually understands me while driving however is a deal breaker. I didn't realize the iOS ecosystem was still stuck in its own little corner while the universe has been changing around it, rapidly.

Anyway, not looking to turn this into a negative conversation. Would love to make this little retro iphone work in the modern world and hoping for some helpful tips.

iPhone SE, iOS 9.3.1, null

Posted on May 3, 2016 7:15 AM

Reply

Answer 1

May 3, 2016 7:26 AM in response to xxaarraa

No, you can't use Google's speech recognition in Messages. And, no, you can't install another app that will send native SMS messages. You can use Google's Hangouts on your iPhone. If you have a Google Voice number you can use that for SMS through Hangouts. Whether or not Hangouts uses Google's speech-to-text is something you'd have to experiment with.

Apple's speech-to-text gets better as you use it and it learns. Make sure you're correcting the words underlined in purple.

Reply

Answer 2

xxaarraa Author

Level 1

8 points

May 3, 2016 12:56 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

Thanks Meg. I did download hangouts and it uses the stock keyboard so the mic button pulls up apple's speech to text engine, not google's. I also downloaded google voice, but couldn't figure out how to text with it. Not boding well for my return to ios. Changing keyboards and using different TTS engines should not be a circus trick.

Reply

Answer 3

May 3, 2016 1:04 PM in response to xxaarraa

Changing keyboard is very easy. Download the keyboard you want. Go to Settings>General>Keyboard>Keyboards>Add New Keyboard and select it. You can then switch between installed keyboards by tapping on the globe to the left of the space bar. If you have too many keyboards installed, that can become a bit of a process, though.

Did you sign up for a Google voice number? I've had one since before Google owned it (it was called Grand Central) so I don't know what the process is. Check with Google's Help documents. Once you have one, you tap on the dialer in the Google Voice app and tap Text.

Reply

Answer 4

xxaarraa Author

Level 1

8 points

May 4, 2016 5:46 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

I did associate my cell number with "google voice lite" and downloaded the app. However, I see no option to text from the dialer. I did hear that google is about to release their own keyboard for iOS, hoping that's fairly soon, and hoping that is integrated with their TTS engine and not apple's.

I love the form factor of this little phone, but at the very moment, it seems riddled with compromises from 2 years ago.

Reply