The update also brings along Audio History to Android devices

Jun 26, 2014 06:59 GMT  ·  By

An updated version of the Google Search application (3.5.14) is now rolling out to Android devices out there, bringing some major improvements to all users with compatible devices.

One of the main enhancements in the new update is the possibility to set the “OK, Google” hotword to be activated from anywhere on the phone.

Basically, this means that, regardless of which menu you are accessing on the phone, saying “OK, Google” will automatically prompt a voice search.

Previously, you would need to go to the home screen in order to perform a search using the hotword, but the new update makes things much simpler.

In fact, as droid-life notes, the new update also provides users with the possibility to trigger the voice search even when they are on the lock screen. However, it seems that the feature won’t work unless users enable the hotword detection by themselves.

For that, they will need to go to Google Now, scroll down to the bottom, and go to Menu > Settings > Voice, then select “Ok Google” Detection. Here, they will be able to toggle said option on or off.

The availability of the “OK, Google” hotword everywhere on smartphones was tipped a few months ago, and it seems that the company has finally decided that the feature is ready for rollout. You can learn more on it in the video embedded below.

In addition to this expanded functionality, the updated application also comes to devices with Audio History, which was designed to keep track of your searches in order to deliver better results.

According to Google, Audio History was designed to learn the sound of a user’s voice and the manner in which they pronounce words and phrases.

Moreover, it will be able to easily recognize when they say "OK, Google," and will improve speech recognition across Google products that use one’s voice.

“When you use your voice to do a search or complete an action, like creating a reminder, Google saves what you’ve said in your Audio History,” the company explains on its website.

“Your Audio History is private, and you can only see your history if you’re signed in to your Google Account,” the company also notes.

According to the Internet giant, users will be able to see their Audio History at all times, to delete individual items from it, or the entire list, and to turn it on or off as they like.

Voice searches will be saved to the Audio History when the user is signed in with a Google Account, and will be saved anonymously when the option is turned off, even when signed in.

You can download Google Search for Android from Softpedia today.