Everyone wants to offer users a way to get the same Touchless Control that you would find on a new Motorola device on any other Android device. There are some options to do this, including a couple that we suggested before; but, all will run into issues of battery life if you want it to be listening all the time. It's hard to offer the same functionality without the hardware designed to support it. But, another entrant, Open Mic+ has come along to give it a try.
Unlike the other options that we have suggested in the past, Open Mic+ is the first to really try to recreate the Touchless Control idea directly. Our top choice for the job was Utter!, which is a free voice command app that gives a ton of options not offered by Google Now, and is compatible with most devices, but it didn't give an easy way to access Google Now itself. AutoVoice offered an easier way, but it required Tasker, which is a somewhat intimidating app for many.
Open Mic+ is as simple as can be. Once you start the service (which can be started on your device boot), it will start listening for the keyphrase "OK Google Now". You can change the keyphrase to anything you want, and there is an option to have it listen even when the device is asleep, but that will really kill your battery (we've seen it suck 10% of our Nexus 4 battery in less than an hour of informal testing.) The app does offer hooks into Tasker for more powerful automation, but doesn't require it, which is very nice.
If you want to give Open Mic+ a try, it is free in the Google Play Store and requires Android 4.1 or higher.
Michael Heller is known for his clear and informative articles on mobile technology. He explores important topics such as the rollouts of 5G networks and the advancements in mobile payments, offering readers insights into the evolving tech landscape.
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