Speech Recognition & Synthesis

Google LLC

About this app

Power your device with the magic of Google’s text-to-speech and speech-to-text technology. Google Speech-to-Text functionality
Speech Recognition provides speech-to-text functionality to Google and other third party apps to convert what you say to text. For example, it can be used by:
• Google Maps when you use your voice to search places
• Recorder App to transcribe your recordings on device
• Phone App Call Screen feature to get a real-time transcription of your caller
• Accessibility apps like Voice Access for operating your device through voice
• Dictation or keyboard apps you might use to dictate text messages through voice
• Apps that contain a search by voice feature so that you can quickly search for your favorite shows or songs
• Language learning apps that recognize what you say as you practice a new language
• …and many other applications in Play Store
To use Google Speech-to-Text functionality on your Android device, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Default apps > Assist App. Select Speech Recognition and Synthesis from Google as your preferred voice input engine.
Google Text-to-Speech functionality
Speech Services powers applications to read the text on your screen aloud. For example, it can be used by:
• Google Play Books to “Read Aloud” your favorite book
• Google Translate to speak translations aloud so you can hear the pronunciation of a word
• Talkback and accessibility applications for spoken feedback across your device
• …and many other applications in Play Store
To use Google Text-to-Speech functionality on your Android device, go to Settings > Languages & Input > Text-to-Speech output. Select Speech Recognition and Synthesis from Google as your preferred engine.
Note, on many Android devices, Speech Recognition and Synthesis from Google is already available, but you can update to the latest version here.

Ratings and reviews

I've been using this for years, to provide a form of entertainment I can easily access when I'm having a severe migraine and can't see properly. In many ways, I love it. However, the last two updates have gutted the voice selection. First I lost all English language choices other than US, but I still had seven of those, and was able to find a headache-friendly voice and pitch combination. The latest update, however, has me down to two English voices, both pitched painfully high. Please fix!

I, like many others, am having the same issue with this app; I've not actually used the app itself, but there is a persistent update error. The app is perpetually attempting to download the new update, with a message reading, "Waiting for network connection", despite their being both WiFi and mobile networks available. I've restarted my phone many times, but haven't been able to solve this issue, so my next step is to uninstall the app if that's possible.

As other's have said it kept telling me that it was waiting for internet connection to update. It was driving me nuts, tried turning my phone off and restarting it, nothing worked. So I decided to uninstall the app and when I did it didn't go away, it said to update, so I did. Once it updated my problem was solved. I did it by going into search apps and found Speech Services by Google and went from there. Hope this helps someone else

What's new

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.