How do I dial a number with my voice?

Voice dialing allows you to make phone calls by speaking the name or number you want to dial out loud to your phone. It utilizes voice recognition technology that can interpret spoken words and commands. This hands-free feature enables you to dial numbers conveniently without having to manually look up and tap on contacts (Ringcentral, 2022).

Voice dialing is useful because it allows you to keep your eyes on the road when driving or keep your hands free when multitasking. It provides a convenient way to quickly dial frequently used numbers without navigating your phone screen. Voice dialing can also assist people with visual impairments or motor difficulties. Overall, it improves accessibility and makes dialing effortless.

Prerequisites

Before you can use voice dialing on your smartphone, you’ll need to make sure you have the right hardware and software to support this feature. Voice dialing requires a relatively recent smartphone running an updated operating system.

First and foremost, you’ll need a smartphone – voice dialing is not available on basic cell phones. Smartphones like iPhones and Android devices running operating systems iOS or Android 4.1+ will work. Older smartphones may not support voice dialing.

You’ll also want to make sure your smartphone is running the latest OS version available for your device. Voice dialing capabilities improve with each OS update, so having the newest software installed will provide the best voice dialing experience.

Enable Voice Dialing

To start using voice dialing on your Android device, you first need to enable the feature in your settings. According to Google Support, here are the steps to enable voice dialing on Android (source):

Open your device’s Settings app.
Tap Accessibility, then tap Voice Access.
Tap Use Voice Access to turn on the feature.

Enabling Voice Access allows you to use voice commands to dial phone numbers and contacts. Once enabled, you can launch voice dialing in a few different ways:

Say “Hey Google” or “OK Google” if you have the Google Assistant.
Tap the Voice Access app icon.

Press the volume up and down buttons together for 3 seconds.

With Voice Access enabled, your Android phone is ready to dial numbers using your voice.

Launch Voice Dialing

There are a couple ways to launch voice dialing on your Android device depending on the specific model and version. Most newer Android devices have Google Assistant built-in, which allows you to initiate voice dialing hands-free using a wake word.

To launch Google Assistant, simply say “Okay Google” or “Hey Google” out loud, then say “Call” followed by the contact name or number you want to dial (e.g. “Call John Doe”). Google Assistant will confirm the contact name or number before placing the call ^[1].

If your device does not support hands-free Google Assistant activation, you can launch voice dialing manually. Open your device’s Settings app and navigate to Accessibility > Voice Access. Toggle on “Use Voice Access” then tap the “Touch to start” button. You can now say voice commands like “Call 123-456-7890” to dial a number ^[2].

Be sure to speak numbers and contacts clearly and confirm the name or number is correct before completing the call.

Speak Number Clearly

When speaking a phone number for voice dialing, it is important to enunciate each digit slowly and clearly. Mumbling or rushing through the numbers may cause errors in the voice recognition. Be sure to pronounce each number individually, separating them with a brief pause. For example, for the phone number 555-867-5309, you would say “Five, five, five, pause, eight, six, seven, pause, five, three, zero, nine.” Speaking the number this way, digit by digit, will maximize accuracy.

According to an article on tips for flawless speech recognition, you should “Speak in a natural manner, at a normal volume. Talking louder does not help your accuracy.”¹ Therefore, simply speak the number in a clear, steady voice without straining.

Additionally, enunciate numbers like “three” and “eight” carefully, as they can sound similar when spoken quickly. You may want to briefly spell out numbers if the voice assistant is still having trouble recognizing them after multiple tries.

Confirm Number

After speaking the number you want to dial, it is crucial to double check that the voice assistant recognized and repeated back the correct number before actually dialing. There are a few ways to confirm the number:

Listen carefully when the voice assistant repeats the number back to you. Make sure it matches what you originally spoke.
On many voice assistants like Siri or Google Assistant, the number will also be displayed visually on the screen after you speak it. Verify the number matches what you said.

Ask the voice assistant to “repeat the number” to hear it again before dialing if you are unsure.
On iPhones, Siri will say “Ready to dial [number]” and wait for your confirmation before actually placing the call. Say “yes” or “dial” when you are ready.

Taking these quick steps to validate the correct number will prevent unintended calls and dialing errors. According to research from How can you improve mobile speech recognition accuracy?, carefully confirming numbers is one of the top ways to improve accuracy and get the most out of voice dialing.

Dialing Contacts

One convenient way to use voice dialing is to call saved contacts directly by speaking their name. Android allows you to voice dial any contact you’ve saved in the Contacts app or linked accounts like Google Contacts.^[1] When setting up voice dialing, be sure to enable access to contacts. Then simply say “Call” followed by the contact name and the phone will automatically dial their number.

For example, if you have “John Smith” saved in your contacts, you would say “Call John Smith” out loud after launching voice dialing. The phone will confirm the name, then dial the number saved for that contact. This makes it easy to quickly call your frequent contacts hands-free without looking up their number.

If you have multiple numbers saved for one contact, you can specify which number to dial such as “Call John Smith mobile” or “Call John Smith work.” Speak the full name exactly as saved to ensure voice dialing recognizes the right contact.

One tip is to use unique names for similar contacts to avoid misdials. For common names like “Mike Smith,” consider adding a nickname in parentheses like “Mike (School)” and “Mike (Work)” to differentiate.

^{[1] https://support.google.com/voice/answer/9098007?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid}

Troubleshooting

Voice dialing can run into several issues that prevent it from working properly. Here are some of the most common problems and potential solutions:

Choppy or broken audio – Since voice calls are transmitted as data packets, any network disruptions can cause dropped packets and audio quality issues. Try switching wifi networks or moving closer to your router if on wifi. If the issue persists on cellular data, you may need to contact your carrier about network coverage in your area (Source: https://www.nextiva.com/blog/voip-problems.html).

Voice commands not responding – Make sure the microphone on your phone is clean and unobstructed. Check that the voice dialing feature is enabled in your phone’s settings. You may also need to retrain the voice model to better recognize your voice (Source: https://support.google.com/voice/answer/9262696?hl=en).

Calls not going through – Your phone may have connectivity issues making outbound calls over VoIP. Try toggling airplane mode on and off to reset the connection. If issues persist, contact your carrier to ensure your plan supports VoIP calling (Source: https://www.dialpad.com/blog/voip-troubleshooting/).

Best Practices

When using voice dialing, follow these tips for successful calls:

Speak clearly and enunciate each digit when reading a phone number out loud. Avoid mumbling or rushing through the numbers.
Reduce background noise by moving to a quiet area before making a voice call. Noise from traffic, crowds, or loud music can interfere with voice recognition.

Add contacts using their full names rather than nicknames to improve voice recognition accuracy. For example, say “Call Mom” instead of “Call Ma.”
Train the voice dialing system to recognize your voice by repeating key commands multiple times.
Have patience and wait for the voice assistant to confirm digits and commands before continuing.

If the voice assistant misinterprets a digit, immediately say “No” or “Incorrect” and repeat the digit.
Consider setting up emergency contacts that can be dialed using a simple shortcut phrase.
When dialing an 800 number, read it as “eight hundred” instead of individual digits for better recognition.

Following voice dialing best practices, like minimizing background noise and speaking clearly, can lead to faster, more successful voice calls.

Conclusion

In summary, voice dialing allows you to make hands-free calls by speaking the number or contact name out loud. First, make sure the feature is enabled on your smartphone and launch the voice dialing app or assistant. Speak the number clearly and concisely, pausing between groups of digits. Listen for the confirmation and wait for the call to connect. For contacts, say their first and last name if available. Troubleshoot issues by ensuring the phone can hear you clearly, and that contacts have full name pronunciations added. With practice, voice dialing becomes quick and convenient. It enables drivers and busy users to make calls safely and efficiently without handling their device.

Voice dialing technology has improved tremendously in recent years. Whether using built-in smartphone assistants like Siri or Google Assistant, or third party apps, dialing by voice is now fast and accurate. While it may take some practice to speak numbers fluidly, voice dialing can save significant time compared to manual dialing. Hands-free calling through voice commands allows convenient, safe calling while cooking, driving, exercising or multi-tasking. As the technology continues advancing, voice dialing will become an increasingly seamless experience.