[Q] Changing the "Google Now" voice, possible?

[br0adband]

I'm a big fan and user of computer generated speech, have been since oh, the early 1980s when S.A.M. first appeared for the Commodore series of computers, and it's been nice to see the progression from that truncated truly "computer sounding" speech to what we have nowadays. In my opinion, the best "voices" yet created are produced by Ivona and my favorite at the moment is the Amy British female voice. Just something about that Brit accent (and yes I know it's not an accent, I'm just saying...).

Anyway, I'm using the Ivona Amy beta - Ivona's Android voices seem to be in a perpetual beta going on 2+ years now, go figure) and it can be assigned as the default voice for most everything in Android: turn by turn navigation, reading eBooks, etc, but for some unfathomable reason the default voice used for Google Now is still the rather crappy robotic sounding female one. It's not bad, mind you, but it most definitely ain't Amy, not by a very very long shot.

I've done some research but unfortunately every time I use the search terms "Google Now" and "voice" - even with quotation marks in all variations - all I end up finding is info about Google Voice for the most part and no actual mentions or info about making any installed voice data usable as the replacement for the voice you here when you use Google Now.

Yes I'm aware that Google Now has several different voices to choose from, from different countries, but it does not "see" the Ivona voice installed nor is it something I can apparently force into action.

Does anyone know if switching out the default voice with Google Now is even possible? I'd love to use Amy as the default one device-wide for any and all text-to-speech purposes. It does seem a bit odd that Google is restricting this in whatever manner they happen to be using, unless of course it's something much simpler to alter than I'm understanding. I have gone into the Google Now settings - Voice - and made alterations and I do get other voices, just not the Ivona Amy one that I currently have installed.

If anyone has any info or suggestions, I'd appreciate hearing it, thanks.

 

[my-blue-snog-box]

I'm a big fan and user of computer generated speech, have been since oh, the early 1980s when S.A.M. first appeared for the Commodore series of computers, and it's been nice to see the progression from that truncated truly "computer sounding" speech to what we have nowadays. In my opinion, the best "voices" yet created are produced by Ivona and my favorite at the moment is the Amy British female voice. Just something about that Brit accent (and yes I know it's not an accent, I'm just saying...).

Anyway, I'm using the Ivona Amy beta - Ivona's Android voices seem to be in a perpetual beta going on 2+ years now, go figure) and it can be assigned as the default voice for most everything in Android: turn by turn navigation, reading eBooks, etc, but for some unfathomable reason the default voice used for Google Now is still the rather crappy robotic sounding female one. It's not bad, mind you, but it most definitely ain't Amy, not by a very very long shot.

I've done some research but unfortunately every time I use the search terms "Google Now" and "voice" - even with quotation marks in all variations - all I end up finding is info about Google Voice for the most part and no actual mentions or info about making any installed voice data usable as the replacement for the voice you here when you use Google Now.

Yes I'm aware that Google Now has several different voices to choose from, from different countries, but it does not "see" the Ivona voice installed nor is it something I can apparently force into action.

Does anyone know if switching out the default voice with Google Now is even possible? I'd love to use Amy as the default one device-wide for any and all text-to-speech purposes. It does seem a bit odd that Google is restricting this in whatever manner they happen to be using, unless of course it's something much simpler to alter than I'm understanding. I have gone into the Google Now settings - Voice - and made alterations and I do get other voices, just not the Ivona Amy one that I currently have installed.

If anyone has any info or suggestions, I'd appreciate hearing it, thanks.

The "other voices" you mention: are they user-installed or stock with Google Now? If user-installed is the case, is it possible that "Amy" is on extSdCard and the others are local? I know this is a long-shot...

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[br0adband]

The other voices are region based like US UK etc and part of Google Now. I'm not having much luck getting the Ivona voice(s) recognized as something I can assign in place but I'll keep at it.

Sent from my I537 using xda app-developers app

 

[my-blue-snog-box]

Did you try to change the global TTS under Settings > Language and Input?

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[br0adband]

Of course, that was the first thing, and then a reboot, then the attempt to change the setting in Google Now directly but, I suppose Google just wants people to hear the robotic-like voice they apparently have forced on us as a default. Oh well...

 

[my-blue-snog-box]

Of course, that was the first thing, and then a reboot, then the attempt to change the setting in Google Now directly but, I suppose Google just wants people to hear the robotic-like voice they apparently have forced on us as a default. Oh well...

I figured as much. I didn't mean to insult you. But hey, I've been guilty of similar blunders >_<

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[br0adband]

I figured as much. I didn't mean to insult you. But hey, I've been guilty of similar blunders >_<

No worries, I make 'em all the time but this wasn't one of them.

ps
You do realize that your "sig" is quoted because it's part of your regular posts, right? You can add a proper sig that doesn't get added into a reply quote...

 

[my-blue-snog-box]

I noticed that earlier. I think it's a Tapatalk thing. Thanks.

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[rscooldesire]

Hi, Other*voices are region based like US UK etc and part of Google Now. Try to change the global TTS under Settings > Language and Input?

 

[br0adband]

Doesn't make any difference that I can make note of: Google Now just has its own set of voices and regardless of what TTS engine/voices you have installed it's going to apparently use that default one built-in.

Still looking around for more info, however.

 

[PhilipTD]

Still no relief from Google's robot voice in sight?

 

[ml42]

only control over the voice ive found is to change your language setting within the app itself to UK to get a male voice. supposedly the actual UK got an update to a female brit voice which would be preferable. cant believe google wouldnt incorporate custom tts into this app. might have to be brought to their attention for a later version release.

youd think there would be dedicated voice repository for the google voice search app and that you could theoretically change the name of or reroute the voice command to a custom tts default.

any thoughts?


so i found a beta version of a speech command app based off google now. it's called utter. allows you to choose speech program and voice. also has additional features not found on google now from the looks of it. initiate listening via icon tap in shortcuts on the home screen. different setup but looks promising. hope this helps

 

[mpd81]

Still no relief from Google's robot voice in sight?

Of you're rooted with titanium backup installed you could always try freezing Google tts and selecting ivona in language and input settings, I used to do that to change the voice of svoice to ivona when I had my note 2 and 3, haven't tried it for Google now though

 

[Devildude24]

Settings > My Device > Language and Input > Text-to-Speech Options >>> Select Google Text-to-Speech Engine

Then click on the "settings gear" icon to the right and select Llanguage and select your language. Then go to "Install Voice Data" and install the voice you want.

 

[CZ Eddie]

Has anyone figured this out?
Or are we stuck with using only Google's various voices from around the world, when we want to use Google Now?

Heck, I even uninstalled Google TTS so that only my 3rd party TTS voice was showing up in the options. And Google Now still managed to use its own voice for Google Now.

 

[jurrabi]

2015 and still google doesn't use androids architecture possibilities into google now. stuck with horror Spanish google voice that makes me wanna kill myself...

Please google. Aply common sense and let Now use systems preferred voice engine.

In Maps I have a similar issue since sometimes I get IVONA (my choice) and some other times I get Google's in the same travel... Anyone with the same issue?

 

[BlackNTan]

Anyone ever thought about writing an app that would take in speech, feed it to google now, getting results as text and "saying" the results using the built in TTS settings?

 

[ewa12321]

That would be awesome, still didnt found such APP. Isnt such thing possible with Tasker?

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