How to Control Everything on Your Phone With Your Voice (iOS and Android)
Key takeaways
- Of course, the traditional touchscreen input will often be the way to go.
- Here's how you can set up the feature on your phone, whether you’re running Android or iOS.
- To configure voice control on an Android device, you need to install the free Voice Access app from the Google Play Store.
Why this matters: a development in AI with implications for how people work, create, and decide.
Photo-Illustration: WIRED Staff; Getty Images Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story With the arrival of digital assistant apps like Gemini and Siri, most of us have grown used to talking to our phones. But conversing with your Android or i OS device can go way beyond interacting with AI. You can also use your voice to launch apps, fill out text fields, and do just about everything that was previously only possible with your fingers and thumbs.
Of course, the traditional touchscreen input will often be the way to go. But there might well be scenarios—when you're cooking, repairing something, looking after children, or doing anything else that keeps your hands busy—where it's easier and more convenient to use voice input instead. The usefulness of voice control is of course well known to those who have impairments that keep them from controling a touchscreen phone with the usual taps and swipes.
Here's how you can set up the feature on your phone, whether you’re running Android or iOS.