ATTN: Voice Dialer/Search now missing after 911bugfix update!

[mjschmidt]

Two users have now confirmed that the Voice Dialer app that originally shipped as stock on the Rogers HTC Dream and Magic appears to be GONE after the update.

This means you will NOT be able to use the phone hands free in the car. Even though the Voice Dialer was not perfect, it still allowed for using the voice search by holding down the Call key to launch the voice dialer and saying "Call XXXX". That function is now GONE.

It is illegal to use your phone in your car while driving if you can not use it hands free.

A user reports that the Top Voice Control app from the market does still work. I am currently using this app without having the update yet, and I like it (allows for autoconfirmation when only one result is returned). I use it with my Blue Tooth headset, however since this bluetooth functionality may have been specific to the Rogers ROM it might also be gone, we have yet to confirm.

Can anyone else please post their results trying to use TopVoiceControl with bluetooth after update?

To clarify re Voice Dialer, the icon is apparently gone, and holding down the Call button brings up the dial pad, NOT voice search!

This would mean that Voice Search is gone from the phone also?

 

[cmetaphor]

Im sensing lawsuit yet again. Now their "update" has made it impossible to make handsfree calls while driving (wthout a headset)? Great... now dream/magic users can pick one:
A) No data, no 911 BUT you get to use your phone in your car legally
B) Data, 911 ... can't use it legally while driving with ease.

Once again, Rogers fail.

 

[mjschmidt]

Im sensing lawsuit yet again. Now their "update" has made it impossible to make handsfree calls while driving (wthout a headset)? Great... now dream/magic users can pick one:
A) No data, no 911 BUT you get to use your phone in your car legally
B) Data, 911 ... can't use it legally while driving with ease.

Once again, Rogers fail.

To be clear, as mentioned above, it is still possible to use voice search if you download and install TopVoiceControl from the market: TopVoiceControl v1.3.0 Application for Android | Tools

However we need to confirm if it will still work with BlueTooth, and as another user has pointed out, if the Dev updates this app to 1.6 or above, we will lose it from the marketplace.

 

[vikingisson]

You mean they took this away?::

 

[mjschmidt]

Yes, two users have checked and can not find the Voice Dialer icon, nor does Voice Search/Dialer launch when they hold down the Call (hard) button on the phone.

Are you using the update, or is your screen shot from a rooted phone?

 

[vikingisson]

That was B.U., Before Update. (on 1.6)

 

[sconnelly]

You mean they took this away?::

Yes! It is GONE. But don't worry.....

Like mjschmidt already stated, install TopVoiceControl (plus the necessary TTS - don't worry, it will get it for you)... and you are all set. It is essentially the same as what you had prior to the UI update. Except now you get better automation and a really cheesy robotic speech. Is that horrible speech configurable?

 

[sconnelly]

BTW, If you still don't have your DATA plan back, after the UI update.... I found that powering the phone down (and pulling the battery?) will solve this problem. I had my data plan back about 2 hours after the UI update (aka immediately after I power cycled the phone).

 

[vikingisson]

I think that's the voice dialer I have, I do have the TTS engine. All kinds of text to speech and whatnot apps. Some good, some just fun. Even one for translation.

@sconnelly, I do have my data working by the pull battery method, since Friday night I think. But I'm still getting the emergency text messages and the robot phone call saying that I must update or my data that's been "off" since the 21'st won't come back. ok, but it is working. They turned me back on but don't think I'm updated, or is just a general message. as long as it continues to work I'm happy.

To bring it back on topic perhaps I should program the speech engine to talk back to the robot the next time it calls me.

 

[GreatBigDog]

The HTC people widget can be setup to perform one touch dialing. This may be a viable alternative if you don't have many people that you would need to dial from the car.

 

[mjschmidt]

AnyCut can also be used to create one-touch dialing icons, however with the Voice Dialer and TopVoiceControl Before-Update (B.U.) you could use your BT headset to initiate calls by pressing the button on the BT Headset. As I understand it this was particular to the Rogers ROM.

Can anyone with a BT headset and TopVoiceControl installed WITH the update please test to see if calls can still be initiated from the BT headset button?

Also, can TVC be initiated from holding the Call button like before the update?

 

[sconnelly]

AnyCut can also be used to create one-touch dialing icons, however with the Voice Dialer and TopVoiceControl Before-Update (B.U.) you could use your BT headset to initiate calls by pressing the button on the BT Headset. As I understand it this was particular to the Rogers ROM.

Can anyone with a BT headset and TopVoiceControl installed WITH the update please test to see if calls can still be initiated from the BT headset button?

Also, can TVC be initiated from holding the Call button like before the update?

I tried with my wired headset and the long button press no longer calls up the voice dialer. This worked prior to the UI update. I will check BT when I get home but I suspect it may not work as well. I'll post an update in about two hours (unless someone beats me).

BTW, what is with that terrible TTS voice? Is there anything better?
I posted a separate message about this here: http://androidforums.com/android-ap...e-dialer-android-tts-terrible.html#post297654

BTW, I posted some

 

[sconnelly]

Also, can TVC be initiated from holding the Call button like before the update?

Yes, that works but like I said, it no longer works from my wired headset (with a call button)!

The only function that works with the headset call button is a double click to call last dialed number.

 

[ace862]

I only had my Magic for one day before I did the upgrade, but before that I didn't really pay attention to the voice dialer app because it was barely functional at best. The day after I did the update I just happened to notice that the voice dialer was gone. I thought maybe it was replaced with something more useful. Nope. Then I looked at my SD card. At some point when I was using my Dream, I backed up every app to the SD card. Sure enough the app was on the SD card. Using Apps Installer I was able to install the voice dialer back on to my phone. So I have the voice dialer on my updated Magic. Unfortunately it is still as useless as ever. Say what you want about my old Motorola Razr, at least it had a functioning 'hands-free' voice dial.

 

[vikingisson]

Using Apps Installer I was able to install the voice dialer back on to my phone. So I have the voice dialer on my updated Magic. Unfortunately it is still as useless as ever. Say what you want about my old Motorola Razr, at least it had a functioning 'hands-free' voice dial.

That is classic! That tells me that there was a decision made to remove it. I wonder why, I'd like to hear the official reason. It exists in the newer versions and keeps getting better, to the point where it can replace the keyboard (talking about the speech to text engine) in many apps.

 

[mjschmidt]

Unfortunately it is still as useless as ever. Say what you want about my old Motorola Razr, at least it had a functioning 'hands-free' voice dial.

@ace862 See this thread: http://androidforums.com/android-applications/10254-voice-dialer-not-really-voice-dialer.html

 

[vikingisson]

maybe that's why it was removed. It is really a general purpose speech to text engine (a pretty good one too) but lacks the mini app for proper voice dialing at least hands free as people expect. I had different expectations since I don't use it for dialing and have no desire for dialing at all while driving.

 

[virtualahmad]

I backed up every app to the SD card. Sure enough the app was on the SD card. Using Apps Installer I was able to install the voice dialer back on to my phone. So I have the voice dialer on my updated Magic.

do you happen to have this file to share ?

 

[mjschmidt]

UPDATE: A dream user remarked on my blog that his Dream does have Voice Dialing.

Can any Dream users confirm if they have the Voice Dialer after the update?

 

[virtualahmad]

btw, i am on fido, and Issues I have with the new ROM:

* shows me as roaming (when i called rogers to tell them, he said it is the first he has heard of it)
* the weather has preset canandian cities which cannot be deleted (delete is greyed out as is the add button, so i can't add any cities either)
* because it is roaming, i have to enable allow roaming data, for data to work
* this doesn't have the voice search... which is back to the topic at hand.

does anyone have the apk for the voice search feature?

 

[ace862]

do you happen to have this file to share ?

If you PM me your email, I will see what I can do when I get home in the morning.

 

[Maxxy]

Yes, the Voice Dialer is gone from my Magic too after the 911 update.
I installed Choice Dialer from the Market but it can only be activated by the Call button on the phone. A tap on the bluetooth headset doesn't do anything anymore.

 

[mjschmidt]

Yes, the Voice Dialer is gone from my Magic too after the 911 update.
I installed Choice Dialer from the Market but it can only be activated by the Call button on the phone. A tap on the bluetooth headset doesn't do anything anymore.

Thanks for the update, Maxxy.

Can someone using Top Voice Control who has a BT headset please test to see if you can start TVC by pressing the button on the BT headset? Currently on my Magic with NO update I _can_ do this. I want to know if the 911BugFix kills the BT functionality.

 

[virtualahmad]

Thanks for the update, Maxxy.

Can someone using Top Voice Control who has a BT headset please test to see if you can start TVC by pressing the button on the BT headset? Currently on my Magic with NO update I _can_ do this. I want to know if the 911BugFix kills the BT functionality.

I didn't have top voice control installed before the update, but since they took away the voice search with the update, after installing the update I have installed top voice control. The BT button does NOT initiate anything for me. That said, it didn't initiate anything before either (but that was without top voice control).

 

[mjschmidt]

I didn't have top voice control installed before the update, but since they took away the voice search with the update, after installing the update I have installed top voice control. The BT button does NOT initiate anything for me. That said, it didn't initiate anything before either (but that was without top voice control).

Just to clarify, my BT headset on my Magic with NO update _will_ initiate a search from the headset button with both Voice Dialer and TVC.

We also need to confirm the following: Is Voice Dialer missig from BOTH phones or only the Magic? Dream owners are reporting they still have Voice Dialer, which would make sense if VD is removed because of Sense UI?