The phrase “OK Google” has sort of become the catchphrase of Google Now across all devices running Android00be it the smartphone, the tablet, or the smartwatch. If you want something done, such as to do a google search, set an alarm, or search for directions, simply say “OK Google” into your device and state your command.
Normally for many of us, you can only do this when you have Google Now actually running on your screen, meaning it’s not as simple as just commanding your device to do things with your voice – you need to actually hold the device in your hand and navigate to Google Now. But, if you have an offline voice recognition pack for your language or accent, it is possible for you to activate Google Now with “Ok Google” from anywhere on your device, including the lock screen. This function however, is limited to only certain regions, as unfortunately not every language or accent has an offline voice recognition pack users can download, including, up till now, Australia.
With this said, reports are coming in of the Aussie accent and vernacular (which I understand, can be quite tricky to comprehend for many) being finally able to be downloaded as an offline pack, enabling Australian owners of Android devices to finally be able to activate Google Now from anywhere via voice recognition. It seems like the version number of Google Search in which this function is working with is 4.0.29, meaning you need Android 5.0 running on your device to have this function (as Lollipop APIs are needed for Google Search 4). So unfortunately, if you’re running an older version of Android, this will not be available for the time being.
For Australian users of Android 5.0 however, look out for an update to Google Search, and if you’ve already updated, tell us what you think of this new feature.
[Via Reddit]
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