Speech to text translation on Android – 10 ways

In some situations, users need to translate speech to text on Android devices. Agree that it is convenient: to save what was dictated by voice in a mobile device immediately in text form, and not in an audio file.

Speech-to-text translation on an Android phone is needed when you need to get the test content of the interlocutor’s speech, save your dictated speech in the text. Recognizing speech from an audio source to text is called transcription.

Usually, an audio recording is used for transcription, which is transcribed into text. This can be done manually or automatically, using programs and online services.

Converting audio to text on an Android phone can be done using the appropriate applications or services. The software automatically performs speech recognition on Android mobile devices by converting voice to text.

The speech recognition function is in demand by people who have hearing problems. Thanks to the translation of the voice of the interlocutor into text form, they will not experience difficulties while talking on the phone.

Thanks to the development of speech technologies, the user has the ability to dictate their thoughts and immediately receive them in text form, which can then be used for their own purposes, for example, saved as a file, sent by e-mail, shared in a messenger, inserted into a chat, etc. P.

In this guide, you will find several instructions for solving the issue of converting speech to text using specialized applications and online services in the Android operating system.

Direct decryption from Google

Google Direct Transcription is designed for people with disabilities, in particular those with hearing impairments. The program automatically recognizes voice and sounds, displays the conversation on the screen as text.

Voice recognition on the phone will help us translate the voice into text, and the result of this can be used at your discretion. You can independently dictate the text in the application, or receive a text conversation with your interlocutor. You can answer the interlocutor using the keyboard or voice.

The main features of the application “Direct Transcription by Google”:

• the program works on mobile devices starting from Android 5.0 (Lollipop);
• support for more than 70 languages;
• support for external microphones;
• the ability to answer the interlocutor using the on-screen keyboard;
• vibration response at the beginning of a conversation;
• text transcription is only available on your device.

Install the program from the Google Play store using this link . After installing the application, it must be activated in the settings of the mobile device.

On a phone running the Android 9 (Pie) operating system, this can be done as follows (pure Android):

1. Enter your phone settings.
2. Select “Spec. opportunities”, click on the option “Direct decryption”.
3. Grant the required permissions for this app.
4. In the “Use service” parameter, move the switch button to the “On” position.

An application button will appear in the lower right corner of the screen in the form of a little man with his arms outstretched. This icon is used to launch the Direct Transcribe application in any program on your mobile device.

Launch the app, go to settings. Here you can choose the appropriate parameters for the application to work:

• font size;
• the ability to save the transcript for 3 days;
• enable dark theme;
• choose the main and additional language;
• clear the history;
• turn on vibration when speech resumes;
• mark sounds other than speech;
• hide obscene language with symbols;
• show decryption pause button.

Voice to text conversion in Google Direct Transcription is as follows:

1. To start voice transcription, click on the button at the bottom of the screen.
2. An application window will open that says “Ready to decrypt”.
3. Start speaking, the speech will be displayed as text on the smartphone screen.

Arrangement of punctuation marks in Russian is not supported.

The recognized text can be copied into the window of any text program for further editing or saved on the device for 3 days, provided that this option is enabled. Save the edited text to a file on your phone or send it to the addressee in a messenger, cloud storage, email, etc.

The application allows you to record telephone conversations.

Google Keep – Notes and Lists

The Google Keep Notes & Lists app is used to create notes that can be used across devices. Notes are automatically synced.

Along with manual text input, the program has voice input for creating voice notes. You can download the application here .

Voice input of text takes place in several steps:

1. Open the Google Keep – Notes & Lists app on your phone.
2. Grant the necessary permissions for the program to work.
3. Tap the voice input (microphone) icon at the bottom of the screen.
4. Dictate a voice note.
5. When completed, the content of the note will be displayed on the phone screen. Here you can listen to the recording of the note or send the note to the recipient.

Google Translate

In the Android operating system, speech-to-text recognition can be performed by translators. Use the corresponding application or the online version of the translator on the website in the browser installed on your phone. In the second case, you can not use the application, saving some of the space and resources on your device.

You can convert speech to text as follows:

1. Open Google Translate, select the translation language, in our case – Russian.
2. Click on the microphone icon (Voice input).
3. Grant access to the microphone.
4. Speak, the translator window will display your text and English translation.

In order to use the translation in Russian, click on the translated language “English” on the right, and then select Russian. After that, the translation window will become in Russian. Now you can copy the translation to the desired location.

Yandex translator

The Yandex Translator application has the function of converting speech to text. The user can dictate by voice, and the program will translate what was said into text. At the same time, you can get a translation into a foreign language, if necessary.

Voice recognition to text in Yandex Translator:

1. Open Yandex Translator, select the translation direction.
2. Click on the voice input (microphone) icon.
3. Speak, the application will enter text in parallel in Russian (source text) and a foreign language (translation).

In order for you to have the opportunity to share the resulting text or save it in a convenient place, change the translation direction, in our case from English to Russian. After that, you will have two identical texts in Russian. In the field for transfer, the buttons “Send with” and “Save” will become available.

Speechnotes – Speech-to-Text

Speechnotes is a voice to text translation program for Android. This is a popular free note-taking app.

Main features of Speechnotes:

• There is no need for registration.
• Bluetooth support.
• Set punctuation marks with a unique patented keyboard or voice command.
• In the premium version, you can use customizable keys with pre-made text templates (signature, name, congratulations, etc.).

Creating a note is as follows:

1. Click on the microphone, dictate words and punctuation marks.
2. The resulting text can be saved to the device, sent to the recipient, printed / exported to PDF, etc.

ListNote

The ListNote application is designed to take notes in speech-to-text recognition. For the program to work, you must have Google Voice Search on your device (Google voice search), which is installed on most smartphones or tablets.

Features of the program ListNote:

• One button start.
• Text editor.
• Protect notes with a password.
• Filter notes by color and category.
• Export notes to SMS, by e-mail, to other applications that accept text.
• Possibility to continue the note at another time.
• Support for voice input of punctuation marks.

Do the following:

1. Click on the “Speech Recognition” button.
2. Dictate a note by voice.
3. The application will display the text from your speech.

Voice notes – quickly record ideas and thoughts

The Voice Memos – Quickly Record Ideas and Thoughts application can be downloaded from the Google Play Market here . The program has two options for converting what is dictated: audio recording and speech recognition into text. The priority option must be selected in the application settings.

The application has the following features:

• Audio recording of notes.
• Reminders.
• Editing the received text.
• Separation of notes into categories.
• Choice of color schemes.
• Export or import in native format (JSON) or text format (TXT).

To add a note, follow the steps:

1. Click on the button in the lower right corner of the screen.
2. Select the note type: audio recording or speech-to-text recognition. Once the default option is selected, this step will no longer be displayed.
3. Add a note to a category, share, save to your phone, or edit the note.

Voice notepad – speech to text in Russian

The Voice Note app is downloaded to your device from this Google Play page. The app requires Google Voice Input to be installed.

To support the application without the Internet, install a local language pack.

Program features:

• Continuous dictation mode.
• Support for capitalization management.
• Export notes to a local file on the device, or to the “cloud” on the Internet.
• Import text documents from file managers and Google Drive.
• Cut and paste notes.
• Word and character counter.
• Rollback the last voice input.

The application works like this:

1. Press the voice input button (microphone).
2. Dictate a note into your smartphone.
3. Edit the received text.
4. Click on the “Settings” button for further actions with this note.

Memo – calendar and task lists

Memo app is a reminder organizer with voice typing, synchronized with Google. For comfortable work in the application, it is necessary to exclude the application from the battery saving mode of the mobile device.

The memory has the following features:

• Lots of reminder settings.
• Quick access to the timer for a short time.
• Voice dialing date and time.
• Voice reminder.
• To-do list and notes.

Do the following:

1. Open the “Notes” tab, click on the microphone.
2. After the alert appears, start speaking.
3. Edit the recognized text and then save it in the program.

Yandex.Conversation: helping the deaf

The Yandex Conversation: Help for the Deaf can be installed from this page of the Google Play store. The program helps deaf and hard of hearing people communicate with each other.

To get the speech recognition function, the application can be used by people with normal hearing. Necessary conditions for the normal operation of the application: a conversation in Russian with one person in a quiet place, the presence of high-speed Internet.

Features of the Yandex Conversation application:

• Everything that you say on your smartphone, the program displays as text on the screen.
• Pronunciation of the text aloud.
• There is a set of ready-made common phrases.
• Saving dialogue recordings in audio and text formats.

The order of actions in the program:

1. On the initial screen of the application with ready-made phrases, click on the “New dialogue” button.
2. Click on the microphone button.
3. Talk to the interlocutor, his words will be printed as text on the screen.
4. In response, type the text, and the phone will speak the typed phrase.

Phrases can be expanded to full screen so that the interlocutor can read from a distance. To do this, click on the desired paragraph of text.

If necessary, the phrases are copied to the clipboard.

Article Conclusions

In the Android operating system, users have the ability to use the speech-to-text recognition function, which is implemented using online services and applications. The spoken speech, using voice recognition technologies, is converted into text displayed on the screen of a mobile device.