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Using Speech with iOS and Android: SiriKit, Voice Capabilities, Google Assistant

SiriKit
SiriKit enables your iOS apps and watchOS apps to work with Siri, so users can get things done using just their voice. Your content and services can be used in new scenarios including access from the lock screen and hands-free use.

Apps adopt SiriKit by building an extension that communicates with Siri, even when your app isn’t running. The extension registers with specific domains and intents that it can handle. For example, a messaging app would likely register to support the Messages domain, and the intent to send a message. Siri handles all of the user interaction, including the voice and natural language recognition, and works with your extension to get information and handle user requests.

Apple Developer


Adding Voice Capabilites

Voice actions are an important part of the wearable experience. They let users carry out actions hands-free and quickly. Wear provides two types of voice actions:

System-provided
These voice actions are task-based and are built into the Wear platform. You filter for them in the activity that you want to start when the voice action is spoken. Examples include "Take a note" or "Set an alarm".

 App-provided
These voice actions are app-based, and you declare them just like a launcher icon. Users say "Start " to use these voice actions and an activity that you specify starts.

Android Developer


Get Started with System Voice Action

  1. Define an intent filter
  2. Handle the intent in your app
  3. Update your app completion status


Overview of the Voice Interaction API

Whether your app uses system or custom voice actions, there might be times when the app would like to ask the user a follow-up question before performing the action. For example when a user launches a music app by saying “play some music”, the app may want to ask the user “what genre?” Or when a home automation app hears the user say “OK Google, turn on the lights”, it might want to ask “which room?” The Voice Interaction API lets apps ask follow-up questions like these.




The Google Assistant and Media Apps

 The Google Assistant lets you use voice commands to control many devices, like Google Home, your phone, and more. It has a built-in capability to understand media commands ("play something by Beyonce") and supports media controls (like pause, skip, fast forward, thumbs up).

Android Developer



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