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Google app for Android now features some offline voice commands

Google has quietly turned a very interesting feature on. Offline voice commands are now supported, allowing you to do a plethora of things, even on Airplane Mode.
By
September 28, 2015
voice-commands

Google Search is a very powerful tool for most Android users. It puts a a world of information right at our fingertips. And now that voice commands are just some pronunciations away, we can really take advantage of our smartphones without even touching them. The only issue is that voice commands haven’t really been available once that internet connection drops.

Remember, not everyone has the privilege of always being online, but some commands don’t really need the internet either. Google wants to make sure you can get the most out of the Android app, even when offline. The Search Giant has quietly turned a very interesting feature on. Offline voice commands are now supported, allowing you to do a plethora of things, even on Airplane Mode.

As you would expect, this feature is limited only to actions with no need to an internet connection. This means you can do things like open applications, change the volume, toggle WiFi, turn the flashlight on, toggle Bluetooth and more.

Of course, you can test this for yourself now. Simply turn on Airplane Mode and try to make any search. You will get a “something went wrong” message, but right below it there will also be the “offline voice tips”. Take a look at them to see what you can and can’t do when missing a data connection.

Also worth noting is the fact that these tips are not 100% specific on all the capabilities. For example, it fails to mention that whatever one can turn on can equally be turned off. In addition, you can pretty much open any application by voice, not just Gmail. It’s also possible to call or send messages to your contacts. And keep in mind some of these commands will need some additional interaction.

Really, it seems unreasonable that many of these voice commands weren’t available offline in the past. Better late than never, I suppose! Have you guys tested any of these offline commands? Let us know how they work for you!

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