speech services by google

28 September 2022

Listen to our major Text to Speech upgrades for 64 bit devices.

Posted by  Rakesh Iyer, Staff Software Engineer and  Leland Rechis, Group Product Manager

We are upgrading the Speech Services by Google speech engine in a big way, providing clearer, more natural voices. All 421 voices in 67 languages have been upgraded with a new voice model and synthesizer.

If you already use TTS and the Speech Services by Google engine, there is nothing to do – everything will happen behind the scenes as your users will have automatically downloaded the latest update. We’ve seen a significant side by side quality increase with this change, particularly in respects to clarity and naturalness.

With this upgrade we will also be changing the default voice in en-US to one that is built using fresher speaker data, which alongside our new stack, results in a drastic improvement. If your users have not selected a system voice, and you rely on system defaults, they will hear a slightly different speaker. You can hear the difference below

Speaker change and upgrade for EN-US

Speaker upgrades in a few other languages

This update will be rolling out to all 64 bit Android devices via the Google Play Store over the next few weeks as a part of the Speech Services by Google apk. If you are concerned your users have not updated this yet, you can check for the minimum version code ,210390644 on the package com.google.android.tts.

If you haven't used TTS in your projects yet, or haven’t given your users the ability to choose a voice within your app, it's fairly straightforward, and easy to experiment with. We’ve included some sample code to get you started. 

Here’s an example of how to set up voice synthesis, get a list of voices, and set a specific voice. We finally send a simple utterance to the synthesizer.

Google developers blog

Google’s text-to-speech engine is getting new voices across Android apps

New voice models are being introduced for ‘clearer, more natural voices.’ that’s not exactly what we heard on our first listen..

By Jess Weatherbed , a news writer focused on creative industries, computing, and internet culture. Jess started her career at TechRadar, covering news and hardware reviews.

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The speech engine Speech Services by Google is being upgraded to improve clarity and make text-to-speech voices in Android apps sound more natural. You can hear the difference between the old voices and the updated voices for yourself through prerecorded snippets on the Android Developers Blog .

Frankly, while the voices do sound clearer, I’m skeptical about the claims it sounds more natural. It’s also still difficult to ascertain what the first sentence in these US English-language recordings actually says — is this my gun? Is this my god? Apparently it says “is this mic on?” but that was lost on me.

All 421 voices in 67 languages within Google’s speech engine are getting a new voice model

All 421 voices in 67 languages within the system are getting a new voice model and synthesizer. The current default voice in “English-US” is changing to one built using “fresher speaker data,” which, alongside other updates, results in a recognizable improvement from the previous default voice. You can also listen to how the updated voices sound in languages such as “Spanish-US” and “Brazilian-Portuguese.”

The update announcement says that folks already using text-to-speech tech don’t need to do anything to receive the new voices, as “everything will happen behind the scenes” with the updates being downloaded automatically. Its listing on the Google Play Store states that the service is already used by a variety of native applications such as Google Maps, Google Translate, and the Android Recorder app, so chances are that if you use an Android device, you probably already use the Speech Services by Google speech engine, even if you don’t know it. The update is rolling out over the next few weeks to all 64-bit Android devices via the Google Play Store.

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How to Use Google's Text-to-Speech Feature on Android

Search the Settings app for Select to Speak to read text aloud with Google's TTS feature

• How to Use Select to Speak
• Managing the Options
• Translating Text
• Frequently Asked Questions

What to Know

• Open the Settings app and go to Accessibility > Select to Speak .
• Tap the toggle to turn it on, then tap Allow or OK to confirm permissions.
• Open any app, tap the Select to Speak shortcut, then tap an item to read it aloud. Tap Stop to end playback.

This article explains how to use the Google text-to-speech feature on Android so that you can have texts read out loud. It includes information on managing the language and voice used for reading text aloud. Instructions apply to Android 7 and up.

How to Use Google Text-to-Speech on Android

Several accessibility features are built into Android. If you want to hear text read aloud to you, use Select to Speak.

Swipe down from the top of the phone, then tap the gear icon to open the Settings app.

Tap Accessibility .

Tap Select to Speak .

If you don't see Select to Speak , tap Installed services to find it.

Tap the Select to Speak toggle switch to turn it on. On some phones, this is called Select to Speak shortcut .

Tap Allow or OK to confirm the permissions your phone needs to turn on this feature.

Open any app and tap the Select to Speak icon from the side of the screen.

Tap the Play icon to have your phone read everything on the screen, starting at the top. If you only want some text read aloud, trigger Select to Speak by tapping the floating icon, then tap the text.

Tap the left arrow next to the Play button to see more playback options.

Tap Stop to end playback.

Use TalkBack on your Android if you want spoken feedback as you use your device.

How to Manage Android Text-to-Speech Voices and Options

Android gives you some control over the language and voice used to read text aloud via Select to Speak. It's easy to change the language, accent, pitch, or speed of the synthesized text voice.

Go to Settings > General management > Language and input . Or on some devices, Settings > Languages .

Tap Text-to-speech or Text-to-speech output .

In the menu that appears, adjust the Speech rate and Pitch until it sounds the way you want.

To change the language, tap Language , then choose the language you want to hear when text is read aloud.

Use Select to Speak With Google Lens to Translate Written Words

Another way you can use this text-to-speech functionality is while translating languages. Google Lens is great for this. Just point the camera at some text you don't understand and it'll be translated into your language. Select to Speak can then read that aloud.

To turn off text-to-speech, go to Settings > Accessibility > Select to Speak and tap the toggle switch to turn it Off .

The Android text-to-speech feature works in the Google Docs app, but on a computer, you must download the Screen Reader extension for Chrome . Then, go to Tools > Accessibility settings > Turn on Screen Reader Support > OK , highlight the text, and select Accessibility > Speak > Speak selection .

To use voice typing in Google Docs , place your cursor in the document where you want to begin typing, then select Tools > Voice Typing . Alternatively, you can also use a keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + S or Command + Shift + S .

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Google Play Store

Speech services by google reaches 10 billion play store downloads.

A core component within Android is now part of an exclusive club as Speech Service by Google has surpassed 10 billion downloads on the Play Store .

While not an “app” in the traditional sense, Speech Services by Google was formerly known as “Google Text-to-speech” — which is basically what this newly renamed app offers. As part of your Android system and packaged with Google Mobile Services, it should come as no surprise that the Speech Services “app” has achieved such a lofty download figure (via Android Police ).

With over 67 distinct languages and even a few regional dialects included, Speech Services by Google is actually found within the Accessibility settings on your device. On Pixel devices you need to head to Settings > Accessibility > TalkBack > Settings > Text-to-speech settings to make alterations to suit your needs. From here you can download voice data within the Speech Services menu for offline text-to-speech in multiple languages.

Added to the Play Store back in 2013, and because it is a core component within Android that plugs into the Android Accessibility Suite, it can’t be uninstalled completely. This also means that the download figure for Speech Services hints at just how popular the Android platform is across the globe.

Unlike recent 10 billion-club inductee Google Maps , Speech Services isn’t quite as useful to everyone, but it’s still an excellent accessibility option within Android that makes the mobile OS one of the very best for those wanting smartphones that adapt to their specific needs.

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Damien is a UK-based video producer for 9to5Google. Find him on Twitter: @iamdamienwilde. Email: [email protected]

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Speech Recognition & Synthesis

8.5 193 Reviews

googletts.google-speech-apk_20240805.01_p0.659565918 by Google LLC

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About Speech Recognition & Synthesis

A convenient text-to-speech reader - Convert pdfs, docs, webpages and ebooks to speech.

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Last updated on Aug 23, 2024

Your app has a new name: “Speech Recognition and Synthesis from Google”. The Speech Recognition and Synthesis from Google app not only provides text-to-speech but also empowers applications with speech-to-text functionality to convert your voice to text. Read more in the “About this app” section.

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Speech Recognition & Synthesis FAQ

What is speech services by google used for.

Speech Services by Google supports speech-to-text and text-to-speech functionality. It supports converting pdfs, docs, ebooks, web pages, and text to audio files.

Can I uninstall Speech Services by Google?

Yes. Go to Settings > Apps. Scroll down to locate Speech Services by Google app and select uninstall to remove the app from your phone.

How to download Speech Services by Google?

Users can get access to Speech Services by Google Apk files on the APKPure official website. This text-to-speech app is also available on the Google Play store.

Speech Processing

The research goal for speech at Google aligns with our company mission: to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Our pioneering research work in speech processing has enabled us to build automatic speech recognition (ASR) and text-to-speech (TTS) systems that are used across Google products, with support for more than a hundred language varieties spoken across the globe. From Gboard dictation to transcriptions of voice notes, from YouTube captions to team meetings without language barriers, and from Google Maps speaking directions aloud to Google Assistant reading the news, Google’s speech research has unparalleled reach and impact. We aim to solve speech for everyone, everywhere – and work to further improve quality, speed and versatility across all kinds of speech. We're also committed to expanding our language coverage, and have set a moonshot goal to build speech technologies for 1,000 languages.

Google's speech research efforts push the state-of-the-art on architectures and algorithms used across areas like speech recognition, text-to-speech synthesis, keyword spotting, speaker recognition, and language identification. The systems we build are deployed on servers in Google’s data centers but also increasingly on-device. The team has a passion for research that leads to product advances for the billions of users that use speech in Google products today. We also release academic publications and open-source projects for the broader research community to leverage.

Our speech technologies are embedded in products like the Assistant, Search, Gboard, Translate, Maps, YouTube, Cloud, and many more. Thanks to close collaborations with product teams, we are in a unique position to deliver user-centric research. Our researchers can conduct live experiments to test and benchmark new algorithms directly in a realistic controlled environment. Whether these are algorithmic improvements or user experience and human-computer interaction studies, we focus on solving real problems with real impact on users.

We value our user diversity, and have made it a priority to deliver the best performance to every language and language variety. Today, our speech systems operate in more than 130 language varieties, and we continue to expand our reach. The challenges of internationalizing at scale are immense and rewarding. We are breaking new ground by deploying speech technologies that help people communicate, access information online, and share their knowledge – all in their language. And combined with the unprecedented translation capabilities of Google Translate, we are also at the forefront of research in speech-to-speech translation and one step closer to a universal translator.

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Table of contents, the basics of google's speech services, applications and use cases, advancements and innovations, challenges and limitations, integrating google’s speech services in your projects, the future of speech services by google, take your tts game to the next level with speechify text to speech, 1. can google's speech services be used for regional languages in india, 2. how do google's speech services perform on ios devices compared to android, 3. are there any specific apps on ios that integrate google's speech services for enhanced user experience.

Have you ever wondered how your Android phone can read your messages out loud or how you can talk to your Google Assistant and get answers as if you're...

Have you ever wondered how your Android phone can read your messages out loud or how you can talk to your Google Assistant and get answers as if you're chatting with a friend? 

That's all thanks to speech services by Google, a blend of magic and technology that's changing how we interact with our devices. 

Let's dive into this fascinating world and see what makes Google's speech services so special.

At the heart of Google's speech services are two key features: speech recognition and text-to-speech. Think of speech recognition as your device's ability to understand and transcribe what you're saying. 

It's like having a super-fast typist inside your phone or computer that can keep up with your every word. This is the tech behind voice commands and transcriptions.

Then there's text-to-speech, the flip side of the coin. This is where your device reads text out loud in a natural-sounding voice. It's like having someone read a book to you, but it's your phone or tablet doing the reading. 

Google's text-to-speech powers features like read aloud in Google Play Books or TalkBack for accessibility.

Imagine you're driving and need directions. With Google's speech services, you can simply ask your phone for help without taking your eyes off the road. 

This is one of the many ways these services make our lives easier. Google Maps, for example, lets you use your voice to find your way, making driving safer and more convenient.

Now, think about learning a new language. It can be tough, right? Google Translate comes to the rescue here. 

It uses speech services to help you hear how phrases are pronounced. This way, you can learn to speak a new language more naturally and confidently.

But that's not all. These speech services are also a big help for people who might struggle with reading text on screens. 

Imagine having trouble seeing or reading small print. Google's text-to-speech feature can read the text out loud for you. 

This means you can listen to news articles, emails, or even your favorite book without any trouble. It's like having someone read to you whenever you need it.

And the best part? These helpful features aren't just for people with Android phones or tablets. They work on all sorts of devices, including iPhones, iPads, and Windows computers. 

So, no matter what device you're using, you can enjoy the benefits of Google's speech services. Whether you're getting directions, learning a new language, or just listening to a book, these services make technology easier and more accessible for everyone.

Google never stops improving its speech services. They're always working to make them quicker, more accurate, and sound more like a real person talking. 

It's not only about getting better at understanding English; they're also adding new languages and ways of speaking from around the world. This means more people everywhere can use these cool tools.

What's really neat about Google's speech services is how they work with so many different apps and gadgets. 

It doesn't matter if you're using a Samsung phone, an Apple iPad, or even a Microsoft Windows laptop, you get to have the same great experience. 

And it's not limited to just Google's own apps. Lots of other apps you can find on the Google Play Store, and even some from the Amazon App Store, are using these services too.

Creating technology like this isn't easy. Sometimes, the way people talk, with their unique accents and dialects, can be hard for the speech recognition to understand perfectly. 

Plus, there's the big job of making sure all our personal stuff stays private and safe. But Google is really focused on solving these problems. 

They keep making their technology smarter so it can understand all kinds of different speech. They're also super serious about protecting our privacy and keeping our data secure. 

This means they're always updating their systems to be the best they can be.

For instance, if you download an app (known as an APK file) that uses Google's speech services on your Android device, you'll notice how it asks for permissions to access certain functionalities like your microphone or notifications. 

This is part of Google's effort to be transparent and keep your data safe. Plus, they make it easy to uninstall an app if you change your mind, ensuring you have control over what's on your device.

Also, these services are designed to work smoothly even when you're connected to Wi-Fi, making sure you can use them anytime, anywhere without any hitches. 

This level of attention to detail shows how Google is committed to making their speech services not just innovative but also reliable and user-friendly.

If you're a developer or just tech-savvy, you might be interested in using Google's speech services in your own projects. 

Google offers APIs and tools for this, and they're designed to be flexible and scalable. Whether you're building a simple app or a complex system, you can tailor these services to meet your needs.

Setting up these services can vary depending on what you're working on. For Android apps, you'll be looking at the Google Text-to-Speech API. 

If you're more into web development, Google Chrome has got you covered with its own set of extensions and APIs.

Picture this: you're having a chat with your phone, and it feels just like talking to a friend. This isn't a scene from a sci-fi movie; it's the future of Google's speech services. 

Google is working on making their AI even smarter. They're adding more languages and refining the voices to sound more natural. This means that soon, talking to your device will be as easy and natural as having a conversation with a person.

Let's say you're using the Google app on your phone and you ask Google Assistant a question. Or maybe you're listening to a text message being read out loud to you. 

This is Google's speech services in action. They use something called speech synthesis, which is a fancy way of saying they turn text into speech. 

This tech is always getting better, too. Google keeps updating it to the latest version, so it works smoother and understands you better.

And it's not just Google's apps that can do this. Third-party apps, the ones you download from the Google Play Store or the App Store, can use Google's text-to-speech engine, too. 

This means lots of different apps can read things out loud for you in real-time. It's like having a voiceover for texts, emails, and even articles.

So, the next time you're talking to your device or hearing it read something to you, think about all the technology behind it. 

Google's speech services, like Google TTS (text-to-speech), are getting more advanced every day. They're making it easier for us to use our devices and helping us connect with the world around us. 

It's a glimpse into a future where technology understands us better and makes our lives simpler.

Speaking of transforming text into speech, have you heard about Speechify Text to Speech ? It's this nifty app that's making reading accessible and fun for everyone, whether you're on iOS or Android . 

It's especially a game-changer for folks with learning challenges such as dyslexia , turning any text into spoken words in a variety of languages . 

Imagine having your favorite book or a crucial document read to you in a clear, natural voice - that's Speechify for you. 

Why not give it a try and experience the ease of listening to text? Check out Speechify Text to Speech and see how it can change your reading game!

Absolutely! Google's speech services are not limited to just global languages like English or Spanish. They have made significant strides in incorporating regional languages from India. 

This means that users can interact with their devices in languages like Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, and more. This inclusivity is a big step forward in making technology accessible to a diverse Indian population.

Google's speech services work impressively well on iOS devices, offering a similar level of functionality as on Android. iOS users can enjoy features like speech-to-text and text-to-speech with a high degree of accuracy and efficiency. 

The integration of these services on iOS devices ensures that Apple users are not left behind in experiencing the benefits of Google's advanced speech technology.

Yes, there are several iOS apps that integrate Google's speech services to enhance the user experience. 

Apps like Google Maps and Google Translate on iOS make use of these services for features like real-time voice navigation and speech-based translation. 

Additionally, third-party apps on the Apple App Store also have the option to integrate Google's speech services, allowing for a wide range of voice-enabled functionalities.

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Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.

Speech-to-text apps: Microsoft vs Google - which is the best for dictation?

We’ll help you find the best speech to text software

Speech-to-text software has come a long way in recent years. Much of the gains in speed and accuracy are thanks to improvements in artificial intelligence, which undergirds these apps.

So, it should come as little surprise that two of the biggest names in AI— Microsoft and Google —are also major players in developing voice to text apps. Microsoft Azure Speech Service and Google Cloud Speech-to-Text are leading platforms for voice typing, transcription, and productivity .

But when push comes to shove and you have to choose one of these platforms over the other, which is better? In this guide, we’ll compare the Microsoft and Google speech-to-text apps to help you decide.

Microsoft Azure Speech Service and Google Cloud Speech-to-Text overlap if you need basic audio transcription. But for more advanced voice dictation applications , the two platforms have different strengths. 

Google’s software stands out for its multi-language support. Speech-to-Text is capable of transcribing audio in any of 120 languages to text. By comparison, Microsoft’s speech to text software only supports 29 languages at this time. Google’s platform will even automatically detect the language of the recording and will recognize proper nouns so that you don’t have to worry about formatting and capitalization later on.

Microsoft Azure Speech Service is more feature-rich when it comes to getting your transcription exactly right. You can feed the software a custom speech model to help you improve accuracy for a single speaker or for speakers with a regional accent. Or, Speech Service supports acoustic models that you can use to cancel out noise in your recordings. This is especially helpful if you frequently experience audio noise in a conference room or over a headset.

Speech Service’s API also enables you to code real-time feedback. So, if the software is having trouble recognizing words, it could prompt the speaker to talk more slowly or clearly to achieve better results.

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Both Microsoft and Googles’ platforms automatically detect when there are multiple speakers in a recording. So, you can easily use either of these speech-to-text apps for transcribing meetings and conference calls.

Performance

For straightforward audio transcription, Microsoft Azure Speech Service tends to perform better than Google Cloud Speech-to-Text. The difference is that Microsoft’s software uses AI to make sure that what it’s transcribing makes linguistic sense. Since this software can accept custom speech models, it also handles accents, lisps, and other speech impediments significantly better than Google’s Speech-to-Text platform.

Google largely sticks to recognizing words based on their audio signatures and stringing them together. This means that when the software is struggling with audio quality or interpreting an accent, the transcription quality can suffer quite a bit.

All that said, getting better results from Microsoft’s software is dependent on using high-quality speech and acoustic models. If you skip this step, you may find that the two platforms are much more comparable in their accuracy when transcribing difficult recordings. Feeding Speech Service poor models can also hurt your transcription and leave you with a less accurate result.

We found that the two apps are also very comparable when it comes to recognizing multiple speakers. This feature isn’t always perfectly accurate if you have two people with a similar tone and a less than crisp recording. But most of the time, both Speech Service and Speech-to-Text were each able to differentiate speakers on a conference call within the transcribed text.

Google Cloud Speech-to-Text doesn’t come with much support by default. You’ll find some basic troubleshooting tips online, but otherwise Google directs you to ask the community for help on Stack Overflow or Slack. You can purchase a support plan from Google if you need to talk to a tech. Options start at $100 per user per month.

Microsoft offers more online documentation for its Speech Service software, including how-to videos and example code for the platform API. But, you’ll also need to pay extra if you want support from Microsoft techs. Email-only support plans start at $29 per user per month, while phone support plans start at $100 per user per month.

Pricing and plans

On its face, Microsoft Azure Speech Service is significantly cheaper than Google Cloud Speech-to-Text. Microsoft offers five hours of free transcription per month and then charges $1 per hour of audio after that. Google provides just one hour of free transcription, after which the service costs $1.44 per hour of audio.

That said, pricing with either of these services can be complex. Google offers a 30% discount if you allow the company to log your audio data on its servers. In that case, Speech-to-Text is slightly cheaper than Microsoft’s Speech Service. At the same time, Google charges $2.16 per hour if you want to use the ‘Enhanced’ speech model. Microsoft raises its price to $1.40 per hour of audio if you supply custom speech or acoustics models.

For most cases in which you need to transcribe speech-to-text, we recommend Microsoft Azure Speech Service. It’s significantly cheaper than Google Cloud Speech-to-Text if you have many hours of audio. We also found that it can be much more accurate if you take the time to supply custom speech and acoustics models with your recordings.

That said, Microsoft’s language support is very limited compared to Google’s. So, if you want one app that can handle recordings in nearly any language, Google Cloud Speech-to-Text may be the better option.

• We feature the best text-to-speech software .

Michael Graw is a freelance journalist and photographer based in Bellingham, Washington. His interests span a wide range from business technology to finance to creative media, with a focus on new technology and emerging trends. Michael's work has been published in TechRadar, Tom's Guide, Business Insider, Fast Company, Salon, and Harvard Business Review. 

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The Ultimate Guide to Google Speech to Text: How it Works and How to Use It

In today’s digital age, technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace. One remarkable development that has gained significant attention is the ability of machines to convert spoken language into written text. This technology, known as speech-to-text, has revolutionized various industries and has become an essential tool for many individuals. Among the numerous providers of this service, Google stands out with its exceptional speech-to-text capabilities. In this ultimate guide, we will explore how Google Speech to Text works and how you can utilize it effectively.

I. What is Google Speech to Text?

Google Speech to Text is a cutting-edge cloud-based application programming interface (API) developed by Google. It leverages advanced machine learning algorithms to accurately transcribe spoken words into written text in real-time. This powerful technology enables businesses and individuals alike to convert audio recordings or live speech into written form effortlessly.

II. How Does Google Speech to Text Work?

Behind the scenes, Google Speech to Text relies on deep neural networks that have been trained on vast amounts of audio data from diverse sources. These neural networks are designed to recognize patterns in speech and convert them into text with remarkable accuracy.

When utilizing Google Speech to Text, users can send audio data in various formats such as WAV or FLAC files or even stream it directly from a microphone or other sources. The API then processes this data by breaking it down into smaller chunks called “frames.” Each frame is analyzed individually using complex algorithms that identify phonemes (distinct sounds) within the speech.

To improve accuracy further, the API also takes contextual information into account by analyzing adjacent frames and considering factors such as word probability and language models. Additionally, users have the option of specifying additional parameters such as language preferences or profanity filtering for better transcription results.

III. How Can You Use Google Speech to Text?

Transcription Services: One of the primary use cases for Google Speech to Text is transcription services. Content creators, journalists, and researchers can utilize this technology to convert interviews, podcasts, or other audio recordings into written form quickly and accurately. This not only saves time but also enhances accessibility by providing text-based content for individuals with hearing impairments.

Voice-Controlled Applications: Google Speech to Text can be integrated into various applications to enable voice-controlled functionalities. For example, it can be used in voice assistants or chatbots to process user commands and generate appropriate responses in real-time. This opens up endless possibilities for hands-free interactions and automation.

Data Analysis: Businesses can also leverage Google Speech to Text for data analysis purposes. By converting recorded customer service calls or meetings into text, companies can extract valuable insights through sentiment analysis, keyword extraction, or topic modeling. These insights can inform decision-making processes and help improve customer experiences.

Accessibility Solutions: Google Speech to Text plays a crucial role in making digital content more accessible for individuals with disabilities such as visual impairments or dyslexia. By converting spoken words into written text, it enables these individuals to consume information more effectively and participate fully in the digital world.

IV. Conclusion

Google Speech to Text is an advanced speech recognition technology that has transformed the way we interact with audio content. Its accuracy, speed, and versatility make it an invaluable tool across various industries and applications. Whether you need transcription services, voice-controlled applications, data analysis capabilities, or accessibility solutions – Google Speech to Text is a reliable choice that empowers users with cutting-edge speech-to-text functionality. With its continuous improvements driven by machine learning advancements, we can expect even greater accuracy and efficiency from this remarkable technology in the future.

In summary, Google Speech to Text offers a wide range of possibilities that enhance productivity and accessibility while revolutionizing our relationship with spoken language. Embrace this powerful tool today and unlock its potential in your personal or professional endeavors.

This text was generated using a large language model, and select text has been reviewed and moderated for purposes such as readability.

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Speech Services by Google Android

Speech Services by Google for Android is the application that lets us listen aloud to the content of any application and avoid reading long texts on screen

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The Google text-to-speech application

Smartphones and tablets have improved a lot in terms of accessibility and one of the applications that have contributed to this is Speech Services by Google APK. This is an application that lets the content of any other app be read aloud by phone . That is, once we download Speech Services by Google Android, any application that offers the option of reading its content aloud can be offered with audio and a natural reading voice.

It must be taken into account that many applications offer extensive contents that require our attention for a long time. It can be very useful in case we cannot pay adequate attention to the screen or because we are doing other things at the same time, for example, walking down the street. Think of applications such as eBooks, translators, or GPS navigators.

Google Speech: what is it for?

You should know that you will not need to download Speech Services by Google Android on your smartphone since it is an application that is preinstalled on Android . However, you may need it in case you have disposed of it or want to upgrade its features to the latest version.

Once configured correctly, you can use Speech Services by Google APK in circumstances such as the following:

• To search for addresses on Google Maps from the car.
• To transcribe recordings from the smartphone recorder.
• To read books from Google Play Books, equipped with the Read Aloud feature.
• With Google Translator to hear the translations and how the words are pronounced.
• With TalkBack and other applications that can provide you with voice messages on the device.
• With accessibility applications such as Voice Access, developed for people with difficulties manipulating the touch screen.
• With any application developed to have a voice search function.
• To learn pronunciation with language apps.

Use the device with the Google text-to-speech and voice transcription technologies.

How to use the Google speech app?

Its operation is very simple. All you need to do is go to Settings > Language & input > Google Voice Services . Now, all you have to do is select the application as your preferred reading engine. However, in many devices, it is already activated by default.

News from the latest version

• No changelog available.

Requirements and additional information:

• Minimum operating system requirements: Android 8.0.

Manuel Sánchez

• App languages

August 23, 2024

• License free
• Developer Google

com.google.android.tts

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Web Speech API Demonstration

Click on the microphone icon and begin speaking for as long as you like.

No speech was detected. You may need to adjust your microphone settings .

No microphone was found. Ensure that a microphone is installed and that microphone settings are configured correctly.

Click the "Allow" button above to enable your microphone.

Permission to use microphone was denied.

Permission to use microphone is blocked. To change, go to chrome://settings/contentExceptions#media-stream

Web Speech API is not supported by this browser. Upgrade to Chrome version 25 or later.

Press Control-C to copy text.

(Command-C on Mac.)

Text sent to default email application.

(See chrome://settings/handlers to change.)

A smarter phone number

A Voice number works on smartphones and the web so you can place and receive calls from anywhere

Save time, stay connected

From simple navigation to voicemail transcription, Voice makes it easier than ever to save time while staying connected

Take control of your calls

Forward calls to any device and have spam calls silently blocked. With Voice, you decide who can reach you and when.

Apple, the Apple logo, and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

The NDP is ending its governance agreement with the Liberals

Deal that ensured liberal minority government's survival was the first such agreement at the federal level.

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NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is terminating the supply-and-confidence agreement his party made with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government.

The party made the announcement in a video posted to social media Wednesday afternoon. The deal was scheduled to run until June 2025.

"Justin Trudeau has proven again and again he will always cave to corporate greed. The Liberals have let people down. They don't deserve another chance from Canadians," Singh said in the video.

"There is another, even bigger battle ahead. The threat of Pierre Poilievre and Conservative cuts. From workers, from retirees, from young people, from patients, from families — he will cut in order to give more to big corporations and wealthy CEOs."

Singh said the Liberals will not stand up to corporate interests and he will be running in the next election to "stop Conservative cuts."

Jagmeet Singh posts campaign-style video saying he 'ripped up' NDP deal with Liberals

A spokesperson for the NDP told CBC News the plan to end the agreement had been in the works for the past two weeks — and that the party would not inform the Liberal government of its decision until an hour before the video was scheduled to go live online.

A senior government source told CBC News that the Prime Minister's Office was informed at 12:47 p.m. ET. Singh posted the video on social media at 12:55 p.m. ET.

The confidence-and-supply agreement struck between the two parties in March 2022 committed the NDP to supporting the Liberal government on confidence votes in exchange for legislative commitments on NDP priorities.

The deal, which ensured the survival of the minority Liberal government, was the first such formal agreement between two parties at the federal level.

'I'll let others focus on politics,' Trudeau says

Speaking in Rocky Harbour, N.L., after Singh made his announcement, Trudeau said his government is more focused on tackling the affordability crisis and climate change.

"These are the things that we're focused on. I'll let others focus on politics," Trudeau said. 

"I really hope the NDP stays focused on how we can deliver for Canadians, as we have over the past years, rather than focusing on politics."

Trudeau asked about NDP move to end deal with Liberals

Trudeau said he hopes the next election will not happen "until next fall" so that his government has time to move forward on pharmacare, dental care and school food programs. 

"The contrast with a Conservative leader that wants to cut … the programs that Canadians are relying on to get through this difficult time, well, that will be a political decision that Canadians get to take in an election," he said.

Government House Leader Karina Gould — who only last week said she was confident the agreement would last until June — told CBC News Network's Power & Politics that Singh's decision was "a big surprise."

"There were no signs in the relationship that the NDP was going to do this. It came as a big surprise to all of us today," she told host David Cochrane.

"Mr. Singh has just decided that this is better for him politically and he's putting at risk all of the successful programs that we have put in place over the last three years."

NDP decision to end support deal 'a big surprise': Karina Gould

Poilievre calls singh statement 'media stunt'.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called Singh's announcement a "stunt" and criticized him for not saying whether he would vote non-confidence in the government.

"He came out and claimed that he was wrong, that the coalition was a bad, costly idea, but he refuses to commit to voting for a carbon tax election," Poilievre told reporters in Nanaimo, B.C.

Poilievre calls Singh's decision to end NDP-Liberal agreement a 'stunt'

Poilievre called on Singh to commit to voting for an election at the earliest opportunity when the House of Commons returns.

"Right now, we don't have a calendar to indicate when we can put forward a motion," he said. "After Sellout Singh did this stunt today, he is going to have to vote on whether he keeps Justin Trudeau's costly government in power, or whether he triggers a carbon tax election."

• The Liberal-NDP deal is dead — but that doesn't necessarily mean a fall election
• What was left undone by the Liberal-NDP governance agreement?
• NDP to have 'tough conversations' about its deal with Liberals at coming retreat: MP

In a media release accompanying his announcement, Singh said "the NDP is ready for an election, and voting non-confidence will be on the table with each and every confidence measure."

Last week, Poilievre called on Singh to pull out of the agreement. In response to Poilievre, Peter Julian, the NDP's House leader, said that "leaving the deal is always on the table for Jagmeet Singh."

Poilievre's call came in the midst of a byelection campaign in Elmwood–Transcona , a Manitoba riding where Conservatives have tended to finish second to the NDP.

The Conservative Party hopes to pick up ridings in British Columbia and northern Ontario currently represented by New Democrats.

A byelection in the Montreal riding of LaSalle–Émard–Verdun, formerly held by the Liberals, will be held Sept. 16.

Some promises in deal yet to be fulfilled

Through the confidence-and-supply agreement, the NDP kept the the minority Liberal government in power in exchange for movement on key priorities such as dental care benefits, one-time rental supplements for low-income tenants and a temporary doubling of the GST rebate.

But some of the promises the Liberal government made to the NDP have yet to be fully realized. 

Pharmacare legislation hasn't passed the Senate and a bill to implement Elections Act changes is still before the House. A promised Safe Long-Term Care Act has yet to be tabled. 

• What questions do you have about the NDP ending its supply-and-confidence agreement with the Liberals? Send an email to [email protected] .

While the Liberals and NDP have started to roll out a pharmacare plan by agreeing to provide free contraception and diabetes treatments, the federal government has not yet completed deals with provincial governments to actually deliver those benefits.

The new federal dental care program won't be fully implemented until early next year.

• Poilievre asks Singh to pull support for Liberal government to prompt fall election
• Analysis How much longer can the Liberal-NDP deal last?
• Analysis Legends of the fall byelection in Elmwood-Transcona

The end of the confidence-and-supply agreement doesn't necessarily mean an immediate election. The Liberals could seek the support of the Bloc Québécois or try to continue negotiating with the NDP on a case-by-case basis.

On Tuesday, NDP labour critic Matthew Green said the NDP has been re-evaluating the deal since Labour Minister Steve MacKinnon directed the Canada Industrial Relations Board to impose binding arbitration less than 24 hours after Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National Railway locked out their workers after failing to reach a deal at the bargaining table.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Senior writer

Peter Zimonjic is a senior writer for CBC News. He has worked as a reporter and columnist in London, England, for the Telegraph, Times and Daily Mail, and in Canada for the Ottawa Citizen, Torstar and Sun Media. He is the author of Into The Darkness: An Account of 7/7, published by Random House.

Speech AI Year in Review

Keelin McDonell

Outbound Product Manager, Cloud AI and Industry Solutions

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Start building on Google Cloud with $300 in free credits and 20+ always free products.

Almost anywhere you looked, AI-based speech technologies continued to blossom in 2022, from increased interest measured in Google Trends, to surprising medical advances that suggest speech patterns can help detect some illnesses , to the variety of digital services and devices that users control with their voices. 

At Google Cloud, we spent 2022 making the best of Google’s speech AI and natural language technologies available to our customers, who are leveraging these technologies for use cases that range from robots that can help foster healthy childhood development , to customer service improvements based on data from phone calls, voicemails, and other speech interactions . 

We expect speech AI technologies and related advancements to significantly impact business and the world in coming years, as Andrew Moore, Google Cloud’s General Manager for Cloud AI & Industry Solutions has explored . To make sure you head into 2023 with all the latest news, below are some of our most noteworthy Speech AI announcements from the last year: 

Visual interface for the Speech-to-Text (STT) API

In February, we announced a visual user interface for our STT API , which supports over 70 languages in 120 different local variants. The STT API lets developers convert speech into text by harnessing Google’s years of research in automatic speech recognition and transcription technology—and with the visual interface, the API is that much more intuitive, helping more developers to more easily tap this technology for their projects. We celebrated the fifth anniversary of this API in April, noting that the API processes over 1 billion spoken minutes of speech each month, enough to transcribe all U.S. Presidential inauguration speeches in history over 1 million times. 

Support for custom voices in the Text-to-Speech (TTS) API

In March, we announced the general availability of Custom Voice in our TTS API , which lets customers create natural, human-like speech from text. Custom Voice lets customers train voice models with their own audio recordings, so they can offer users unique experiences. Customers simply submit audio recordings directly in the TTS API, which includes guidance to ensure high-quality models are created.   

Improved STT API models

In April, we launched our newest models for the STT API, based on a new approach that uses a single neural network — as opposed to separate models for acoustic, pronunciation, and language training —  and combines a transformer model with convolution layers. The result is significantly improved accuracy across dozens of the languages and dialects that the STT API supports.  In December, we added the latest models for more languages including Bulgarian, Swedish, Romanian, Tamil, Bengali and more, bringing the total languages for latest models to over 45. See the full list here .

Large language models (LLMs) for the Natural Language (NL) API

In the fall, we updated the NL API with a new model for Content Classification based on Google’s groundbreaking research on LLMs, which includes projects like LaMDA , PaLM and T5 . Thanks to both the integration of cutting-edge language modeling approaches and an updated and expanded training data set, Content Classification supports over 1,000 labels and 11 languages: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Dutch.  

Text-to-Speech Neural2

At Google Cloud Next ‘22, we announced the availability of our next generation of TTS voices, Neural2 . These voices build on Google’s created PnG NAT technology, which we use to power our Custom Voice offering. Neural2 voices bring the same improvements customers see from PnG NAT in Custom Voices to default voices. In December, we made Neural2 generally available  and now have default voices available in: English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, and Japanese. See the full list here .

Speech services even without a network connection via Speech On-Device  

At Google Cloud Next ‘22, we made Speech On-Device generally available, eliminating the frustration of trying to access voice services without a network connection, such as when driving far from coverage or when network outages occur. Toyota is already making use of Speech On-Device as Ryan Wheeler — Vice President, Machine Learning at Toyota Connected North America — discussed in a Google Cloud Next ‘22 session . 

We look forward to continuing to bring Google’s most innovative and impactful research to our cloud services in 2023—but in the meantime, to learn more about using Google Cloud speech AI products, check out this guide , these codelabs , and our Responsible AI page .

• AI & Machine Learning
• Developers & Practitioners

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