One feature of Samsung devices that's less useful than I had expected is S Voice, the voice assistant that ships with all new Galaxy devices. The voice is annoying, the features are lacking, and it's an all around subpar product. With Google Now, Siri, and now Microsoft's Cortana, Samsung needs to really step up their game—even on the new Galaxy S5.
We've shown you how to speed up your device by disabling the S Voice home button launch function, and even how to launch Google Now with an S Voice command. But today, I'm going to show you how to replace it with a much better alternative.
Step 1: Install Dragon Mobile
It's time to cheat on S Voice! Head to Google Play and install Dragon Mobile Assistant by Nuance Communications (the company behind Apple's Siri).
We'll go over what makes this mobile assistant better and how you can take advantage of its services. I'll highlight its contrast from S Voice, but if you ever want to see all the voice commands available, just ask it, "What can I say?"
Step 2: Get Started with a Wake-Up Phrase
When you initially open the voice assistant, you should set up your Voice print. This will make Dragon only respond to your voice in a noisy room or if a friend tries using it.
Take note of its interface. It's minimal, yet still more attractive than S Voice.
Step 3: Enable Attentive Mode
Dragon allows you to wake up your device, even when the screen is off, just by enabling Attentive mode. Bring up the app's options by tapping the icon on the top left-hand side.
You can also enable Notification readout, which will read your notifications out loud, and Driver mode, which switches to a "hands-free" and "eye-free" mode, allowing control of your device through your voice.
Note that since the application is being attentive, it can drain some more battery than normal, but results will vary.
Step 4: Set Up Your Personal Options
Don't get stuck saying "Hello Dragon" like a samurai or dojo master, change your wake up phrase instead (preferably something with three or more syllables). Go into Settings -> Wake-up -> Wake-up phrase, then follow the prompt when it asks you to say the phrase three different times.
"Hey cutie" may get you into some trouble, but who cares, she's your assistant. Also, she can be a he. S Voice has that annoying Mrs. Roboto sound, but Dragon gives you three options that all sound a bit more humanistic.
Go into Settings -> General -> Voice and choose from Jessica, Victoria, or Jonathan. Personally, I think Victoria is the sexiest.
Step 5: Connect Your Accounts
Yes, S Voice can make Facebook and Twitter posts, but so can Dragon. Unlike S Voice, Dragon can also link to your Netflix account. This makes it easy to launch the app to the exact movie or show you want to see, given that you already know what's available on instant streaming. This method is also simpler than using Tasker with Netflix, as it does not require a rooted device or command sequences.
Simply go into Settings -> Accounts -> Netflix to set it up, then open your assistant and say something like, "Watch House of Cards on Netflix." You will be given a list of possible matches—select one and watch.
Step 6: Use Driver Mode
Driver Mode will make using your device much easier while driving, allowing you to speak commands at all times on the road. What makes this Driver Mode different, compared to the one on S Voice, is the ability to better manage when Driver Mode is initiated.
Open the Settings again, head into Driver mode, and select Auto-enable driver mode. You can choose from four options: While Driving, On Wired Headset, On Bluetooth, or In Car Dock.
Kick S Voice to the Curb
Dragon Mobile Assistant is way better then S Voice, but that's my opinion. It responds better and allows me to do the little things that S Voice can't, like launch Breaking Bad in Netflix.
I appreciate that they make it extremely easy to make changes to the voice and wake-up command, it looks better and sounds better, and does everything that S Voice can with many things that it can't. It's safe to say that Dragon is my main girl now.
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