Google Voice Actions Can Now Remember and Launch Preferred Apps Automatically

The Google Search app v4.0 on Android can learn your preferred apps to perform certain oft-repeated voice actions via 'OK Google' commands that don't specify the app.

Google describes the new feature in a support document for OK Google voice search and actions on its site, first spotted by Android Police. If users give a voice command via the Google Search app that can be carried out via an app, such as playing music, they will be shown a list of apps which can perform the function, which can then be selected manually. Once users give the same voice command multiple times and select the same app, Google will learn this is the preferred app for the function, and by default launch the app automatically when the same command is given again.

For instance if the users gives an OK Google command to play a particular song, the smartphone would give app options on a card such as Spotify, Google Play Music, YouTube and others apps which support the audio playback functionality and have the song. On selecting one of the apps and pressing the play button alongside a few times, Google would make it as the default app and would open it every time for the same command. Other commands include 'scan receipts' as per Google.

Users would also be able to cancel the automatic launch of preferred apps by entering the voice command as a text input instead, and tapping on cancel 'X' icon alongside the default app. Once they do this a few times, Google will no longer launch the app automatically, and it will appear alongside the other multiple apps on the device for users to choose again.

Last month Google introduced what is said to be Location Aware Search or geocontextual search. The feature is already said to be accessible in some countries, and provides search results and accepts commands from users related to nearby places.