Android Speech to Text Tutorial

You might have already used this feature. We can use voice commands search on google. This feature is inbuilt in Android, and if you want you can use this feature to get voice input in your application as well. And this post will explain to you how to use android speech to text feature in your application.

Now let’s see how we use voice input using Android Speech to Text.

Table of Contents

1 Android Speech to Text Tutorial
2 Android Speech to Text App Source Code

Android Speech to Text Tutorial

Creating a new Project

We will start by creating a new Android Studio Project. Here I have created a project named SpeechToText.
Now let’s begin with the UI design.

User Interface Design

We will try to create a beautiful UI as shown in the below image.

android text to speech app — Android Speech to Text App

First, we will define the colors. And to do this go inside, res->values->colors.xml.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

</resources>

Change the style to NoActionBar as well (res->values->styles.xml).

<item name="colorPrimary">@color/colorPrimary</item>

<item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/colorPrimaryDark</item>

<item name="colorAccent">@color/colorAccent</item>

</style>

</resources>

As you see in the above image, we have a circular button with an audio recorder icon. You can use any image for the icon. But the tricky thing here is we are using both a custom background and a picture. So for this here we will create two more drawable XML files. One is for the default state of the button, and one is for the active state.
So first create an XML file named round_default.xml inside the drawable folder.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">

<item>

</shape>

</item>

<item

android:bottom="20dp"

android:drawable="@drawable/icon_record"

android:left="20dp"

android:right="20dp"

android:top="20dp" />

</layer-list>

Now, create one more file named round_active.xml inside the drawable folder.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<layer-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">

<item>

</shape>

</item>

<item

android:bottom="20dp"

android:drawable="@drawable/icon_record"

android:left="20dp"

android:right="20dp"

android:top="20dp" />

</layer-list>

Remember, here we are using icon_record which is already in my project’s drawable folder. In your case, you need to paste an image for this inside your drawable folder.
Now for the button background, we will create one more drawable resource file inside the same directory. Create a file named button_background.xml and write the following code.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

</selector>

Now finally we will come inside activity_main.xml to create our User Interface. Open activity_main.xml and write the following code.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"

xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"

android:layout_width="match_parent"

android:layout_height="match_parent"

android:background="@color/colorPrimary"

android:padding="12dp"

tools:context="net.simplifiedcoding.speechtotext.MainActivity">

<EditText

android:id="@+id/editText"

android:layout_width="match_parent"

android:layout_height="wrap_content"

android:layout_centerVertical="true"

android:hint="You will see input here"

android:textAppearance="@style/Base.TextAppearance.AppCompat.Large" />

<ImageButton

android:id="@+id/button"

android:layout_width="wrap_content"

android:layout_height="wrap_content"

android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"

android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"

android:layout_marginBottom="20dp"

android:background="@drawable/button_background" />

</RelativeLayout>

After writing the above-given code in your activity_main.xml you will see the following design.

Adding Permission

For this application, we need RECORD_AUDIO permission. So, lets first define it in the AndroidManifest.xml.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"

package="net.simplifiedcoding.speechtotext">

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO" />

<application

android:allowBackup="true"

android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"

android:label="@string/app_name"

android:roundIcon="@mipmap/ic_launcher_round"

android:supportsRtl="true"

android:theme="@style/AppTheme">

<intent-filter>

</intent-filter>

</activity>

</application>

</manifest>

Checking Permission on Runtime

You might already be knowing that after Android Marshmallow we have to ask permission at runtime. So we need to check the permission on runtime if the device running our app is on the android marshmallow or ahead.
To do this come inside MainActivity.java and write the following method.

private void checkPermission() {

if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.M) {

if (!(ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, Manifest.permission.RECORD_AUDIO) == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED)) {

Intent intent = new Intent(Settings.ACTION_APPLICATION_DETAILS_SETTINGS,

Uri.parse("package:" + getPackageName()));

startActivity(intent);

finish();

}

Here we are checking if the device is running android marshmallow or ahead. If this condition is true again, we are testing the permission granted or not. If the permission is not granted, we are opening the settings from where the user can allow the permission.
So, if the permission is not granted user will see the settings activity, from where the user can allow the permission needed. If the permission is already granted user will directly see our application screen.
To achieve our goal that the user should not see the app screen if the permission is not granted, we will first call the above method inside onCreate().

@Override

protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {

super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

checkPermission();

}

Now when you first run the application, you will see the following screen.

android speech to text settings — Android Speech to Text – Settings Screen

From this screen, you can allow the RECORD_AUDIO permission. Just click on Permissions and enable the RECORD_AUDIO permission.

Adding Touch Listener to Button

The user has to keep the button pressed when he wants to speak to get the text. So when the button is in the pressed state, it will get the speech and start listening, and after removing the finger from the button, it will stop listening.
To achieve this thing we need an OnTouchListener in our Button.

First we will define the EditText. Inside onCreate() just after the line where we are calling the checkPermission() add the following line.

final EditText editText = findViewById(R.id.editText);

Come inside onCreate() and write the following code after defining the EditText.

findViewById(R.id.button).setOnTouchListener(new View.OnTouchListener() {

@Override

public boolean onTouch(View view, MotionEvent motionEvent) {

switch (motionEvent.getAction()) {

case MotionEvent.ACTION_UP:

//when the user removed the finger

editText.setHint("You will see input here");

break;

case MotionEvent.ACTION_DOWN:

//finger is on the button

editText.setText("");

editText.setHint("Listening...");

break;

}

return false;

}

});

Now if you run the application, you will see listening after tapping the record button.

android speech to text — Android Speech to Text

Now our task is to listen to the speech after this.

Creating a SpeechRecognizer

Just after the line where you defined the EditText write the following line.

final SpeechRecognizer mSpeechRecognizer = SpeechRecognizer.createSpeechRecognizer(this);

We also need an Intent to listen to the speech. So After the above line write the following code.

final Intent mSpeechRecognizerIntent = new Intent(RecognizerIntent.ACTION_RECOGNIZE_SPEECH);

mSpeechRecognizerIntent.putExtra(RecognizerIntent.EXTRA_LANGUAGE_MODEL,

RecognizerIntent.LANGUAGE_MODEL_FREE_FORM);

mSpeechRecognizerIntent.putExtra(RecognizerIntent.EXTRA_LANGUAGE,

Locale.getDefault());

Using the RecognitionListener to Listen

After defining the Intent. Write the following code.

mSpeechRecognizer.setRecognitionListener(new RecognitionListener() {

@Override

public void onReadyForSpeech(Bundle bundle) {

}

@Override

public void onBeginningOfSpeech() {

}

@Override

public void onRmsChanged(float v) {

}

@Override

public void onBufferReceived(byte[] bytes) {

}

@Override

public void onEndOfSpeech() {

}

@Override

public void onError(int i) {

}

@Override

public void onResults(Bundle bundle) {

//getting all the matches

ArrayList<String> matches = bundle

.getStringArrayList(SpeechRecognizer.RESULTS_RECOGNITION);

//displaying the first match

if (matches != null)

editText.setText(matches.get(0));

}

@Override

public void onPartialResults(Bundle bundle) {

}

@Override

public void onEvent(int i, Bundle bundle) {

}

});

Now you need to modify the OnTouchListener as below.

findViewById(R.id.button).setOnTouchListener(new View.OnTouchListener() {

@Override

public boolean onTouch(View view, MotionEvent motionEvent) {

switch (motionEvent.getAction()) {

case MotionEvent.ACTION_UP:

mSpeechRecognizer.stopListening();

editText.setHint("You will see input here");

break;

case MotionEvent.ACTION_DOWN:

mSpeechRecognizer.startListening(mSpeechRecognizerIntent);

editText.setText("");

editText.setHint("Listening...");

break;

}

return false;

}

});

The Complete Final Code

After doing everything as we discussed above, we have our MainActivity.java as shown below.

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package net.simplifiedcoding.speechtotext;

import android.Manifest;

import android.content.Intent;

import android.content.pm.PackageManager;

import android.net.Uri;

import android.os.Build;

import android.provider.Settings;

import android.speech.RecognitionListener;

import android.speech.RecognizerIntent;

import android.speech.SpeechRecognizer;

import android.support.v4.content.ContextCompat;

import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;

import android.os.Bundle;

import android.view.MotionEvent;

import android.view.View;

import android.widget.EditText;

import java.util.ArrayList;

import java.util.Locale;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

@Override

protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {

super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

checkPermission();

final EditText editText = findViewById(R.id.editText);

final SpeechRecognizer mSpeechRecognizer = SpeechRecognizer.createSpeechRecognizer(this);

final Intent mSpeechRecognizerIntent = new Intent(RecognizerIntent.ACTION_RECOGNIZE_SPEECH);

mSpeechRecognizerIntent.putExtra(RecognizerIntent.EXTRA_LANGUAGE_MODEL,

RecognizerIntent.LANGUAGE_MODEL_FREE_FORM);

mSpeechRecognizerIntent.putExtra(RecognizerIntent.EXTRA_LANGUAGE,

Locale.getDefault());

mSpeechRecognizer.setRecognitionListener(new RecognitionListener() {

@Override

public void onReadyForSpeech(Bundle bundle) {

}

@Override

public void onBeginningOfSpeech() {

}

@Override

public void onRmsChanged(float v) {

}

@Override

public void onBufferReceived(byte[] bytes) {

}

@Override

public void onEndOfSpeech() {

}

@Override

public void onError(int i) {

}

@Override

public void onResults(Bundle bundle) {

//getting all the matches

ArrayList<String> matches = bundle

.getStringArrayList(SpeechRecognizer.RESULTS_RECOGNITION);

//displaying the first match

if (matches != null)

editText.setText(matches.get(0));

}

@Override

public void onPartialResults(Bundle bundle) {

}

@Override

public void onEvent(int i, Bundle bundle) {

}

});

findViewById(R.id.button).setOnTouchListener(new View.OnTouchListener() {

@Override

public boolean onTouch(View view, MotionEvent motionEvent) {

switch (motionEvent.getAction()) {

case MotionEvent.ACTION_UP:

mSpeechRecognizer.stopListening();

editText.setHint("You will see input here");

break;

case MotionEvent.ACTION_DOWN:

mSpeechRecognizer.startListening(mSpeechRecognizerIntent);

editText.setText("");

editText.setHint("Listening...");

break;

}

return false;

}

});

}

private void checkPermission() {

if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.M) {

if (!(ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, Manifest.permission.RECORD_AUDIO) == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED)) {

Intent intent = new Intent(Settings.ACTION_APPLICATION_DETAILS_SETTINGS,

Uri.parse("package:" + getPackageName()));

startActivity(intent);

finish();

}

Now you can try running your application.

But remember we need voice data in the device where we are testing the application. You can check the below image to know how to download voice data.

Now you can test the application.

Android Speech to Text App Source Code

Still having troubles creating this application? Don’t worry I’ve got the source code for you.
Unlock the link given below to get the source code.

[sociallocker id=1372] Android Speech to Text App Source Code Download [/sociallocker]

So that’s all for this Android Speech to Text Tutorial. If you have any question regarding this Android Speech to Text tutorial, then let’s discuss it in comments.
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