"Google voice typing cannot be activated in this context"

[Robisan]

Keep getting the message "Google voice typing cannot be activated in this context" when I try to use Google voice typing (GVT). Rebooting resolves it for a day or two and GVT works perfectly. Then the message returns until I reboot. Lather, rinse, repeat. I haven't seen any correlation between use of another app and start of this problem. Booting into Safe Mode won't tell me anything because reboot resolves the problem. Have cleared the system cache and problem remains.

Anyone else have this problem? Thought/idea how to resolve? TIA

Nexus 6P, running 6.0.1 (March update), Nova Prime, only Swiftkey and Google Keyboard installed (get message using either keyboard or when choosing GVT directly from input options).

 

[B. Diddy]

Have you disabled any system apps?

 

[Robisan]

Have you disabled any system apps?

No. In fact I haven't disabled anything.

 

[B. Diddy]

If you go to Settings>Language & Input>Google Voice Typing, see what happens if you play around with some of those settings. Make sure the default language is correct, see if you have any offline speech recognition packages downloaded, etc.

 

[RoccoSanzo]

Tried that. Not working. Was working right before system update!! Now, keyboard is gone too!!!

 

[Sgt Press]

Having the same problem, Galaxy s6, since Verizon Marshmallow, 2 days ago, disabled s Voice, am using Textra but voice control comes back on restart but doesn't last thru more than 4 or 5 text messages. WhatsApp does the same thing, so it's somewhere in the Google Voice controls somewhere.

 

[B. Diddy]

Tried that. Not working. Was working right before system update!! Now, keyboard is gone too!!!

Welcome to Android Central! Do you mean that the keyboard doesn't show up at all when you tap a text field?

 

[Robisan]

If you go to Settings>Language & Input>Google Voice Typing, see what happens if you play around with some of those settings. Make sure the default language is correct, see if you have any offline speech recognition packages downloaded, etc.

No other speech recognition packages downloaded. Default language is English (US) and is the only language installed. Toggled off the recognize from bluetooth settings but no change. Ok Google detection is on and works - Google voice search works fine. Error seems to be limited to voice text input - sms, email etc. - where GV is substituting for keyboard input.

 

[Bultaco]

Keep getting the message "Google voice typing cannot be activated in this context" when I try to use Google voice typing (GVT). Rebooting resolves it for a day or two and GVT works perfectly. Then the message returns until I reboot. Lather, rinse, repeat. I haven't seen any correlation between use of another app and start of this problem. .

Yeah, guys. I'm not sure what this is related to, whether Google/Android or Samsung or ???.....but I used to "dictate" texts and emails all day long, and it worked flawlessly on my TWO Samsung Galaxy S3's. (They're both the i747 model, one on Rogers, the other on Virgin.) AT&T uses/used the same model.

Both my Galaxy's are running Android 4.2.2. One has a dataplan, one doesn't. Both phones were able to perform Voice to Text without being connected to the internet via data OR WiFi.....but SOMETHING was updated in the last two weeks (i.e. between Mar 28-ish and Apr 10) that buggered up voice-to-text (VTT) on both of them.

Strangely, VTT is still working on my Asus/Nexus 7 (2012), which has been running Lollipop (5.1.1) for over a month. (It's not a phone, of course, so I only use voice to type emails, but it still works GREAT for that.)

I can't believe that I haven't found an explanation for this. The web is riddled with people complaining about it, but no one seems to have the answer. I've been searching all day today.

Many posters seem to think they've "stumbled" on the solution.....one person said they changed their Input Language to English (UK) and THAT worked...another said they "filled in" their APN settings, but there are dozens of possible entries in this area depending on carrier and manufacturer...). I played with both but with no success.

"Can't reach Google at the moment" is the error message I get when I try to voice/text a txt msg on my Rogers S3.

"Offline mode unavailable" is the error displayed on the Virgin one.

BOTH will perform the task if/when WiFi is turned on, but I want to be able to use this function WITHOUT a dataplan while out in the hinterland...the way I could two weeks ago.

I think it's bigger than any "little settings" issue; I think Google/Android have for some bizarre reason deactivated this EXTREMELY handy feature.

Dictating emails and texts was the ONLY smart way to perform EITHER of these tasks. Now, NEITHER is possible.

All three devices are running the Swiftkey keyboards, but I've tried deleting it and using just the Samsung one on the phones with no success. I also did a factory reset on one of the phones using the recovery menu method and THAT didn't work.

Does anyone know the definitive answer.....or guru to go to on this?

 

[Bultaco]

Tried that. Not working. Was working right before system update!! Now, keyboard is gone too!!!

Rocco, are you also Robisan? If not, what device are YOU on? And, do you remember WHEN exactly your update occurred? And what did you update FROM and TO?

And, when you say "the keyboard is GONE".......do you mean AFTER you press/hold the microphone key to the left of the SPACE BAR? If so, that's normal, isn't it? The device "know's" your trying to dictate at that point, so you don't NEED a keyboard. The keyboard is replaced by a large rectangle with a big red microphone, a settings gear/icon and a backspace X key, right?

(sorry for all the questions!!)

 

[Robisan]

Rocco, are you also Robisan?

No, different people.

 

[Bultaco]

No, different people.

OK, thanks for clearing that up.

Now, on with the problem-solving: did you find a solution to your problem yet? (I notice you posted your concern 6 days ago; that's a long time to LIVE without being able to perform Voice-to-Text! I'm going crazy after only three or four days without it.

One person suggested it's to do with my use of the Swiftkey keyboard. Do you have any thoughts about that? Have you, by any chance, tried uninstalling Swiftkey? I'm gonna try that today, but I'm pretty sure I was able to do voice-to-text offline even after I recently installed Swiftkey.

Lemme know how you're making out. Thanks,
Mike

 

[Robisan]

Now, on with the problem-solving: did you find a solution to your problem yet?

For me, rebooting resolves the problem for some period of time, but it returns, usually within a few days. Once it returns, doesn't matter what keyboard I choose (Swiftkey, Google or directly GVT) I get the same message. I don't have this problem on my 2013 Nexus 7, which has most of the apps on my 6P and the same keyboards.

 

[Robisan]

Ok, maybe some progress. For me it appears Car Dashdroid (CD) may be the problem.

Here's what I did: I cleared my entire app history and rebooted the phone. As usual, GVT worked fine after reboot. Again as usual, within a day I got the GVT cannot be activated message. Checked what apps I had used since rebooting and one of the most recent was CD, which has a Google Voice component. I went into the CD settings and disabled GV, got a message that I must exit program for setting to change. Exited CD. I then opened my messaging app and voila GVT works just fine! It's only been a few hours since I did this, but so far, so good. I'll report back if anything changes.

 

[Bultaco]

Ok, maybe some progress. For me it appears Car Dashdroid (CD) may be the problem.

Here's what I did: I cleared my entire app history and rebooted the phone.

OK.......sounds like a plan. Forgive me though for sounding like a doofus.....when you say "cleared your entire app history".....do you mean you deleted everything you'd downloaded......or...???

BTW, I posted my/our predicament on the Google Gmail Product Forum. We'll see if there's an "expert" there who knows something else.

Also, I spent some time on a "chat" with my provider (Rogers) today. They passed me off like a hot potato saying they don't provide technical support for hardware or software....just the network. I said, Oh, interesting you don't support the product you SELL your customers. That put him back on his heels a bit, but he still referred me off to Samsung Wireless. I emailed them with the same challenge. We'll see what comes back.

 

[Robisan]

OK.......sounds like a plan. Forgive me though for sounding like a doofus.....when you say "cleared your entire app history".....do you mean you deleted everything you'd downloaded......or...???

No, I just deleted everything that comes up when you press the right control key on the Android home screen (the square key to the right of the home circle key). That's a list of recently opened apps.

 

[Bultaco]

No, I just deleted everything that comes up when you press the right control key on the Android home screen (the square key to the right of the home circle key). That's a list of recently opened apps.

Sorry....not gettin it! My home screen looks kinda like this.......

And below my screen, I just have one, single Home button.

 

[Robisan]

Sorry....not gettin it! My home screen looks kinda like this.......
http://cdn2.digitaltrends.com/wp-co...ung-Galaxy-S3-review-screenshot-homscreen.jpg

And below my screen, I just have one, single Home button.

Opps, sorry, I forgot you're using Samsung phones. In that case I believe the button to see recent apps is to the left of the home button. Never used a Samsung or Touchwiz - I was giving instructions for the 6P & stock Android, which is what I'm using.

 

[Bultaco]

Opps, sorry, I forgot you're using Samsung phones. In that case I believe the button to see recent apps is to the left of the home button. Never used a Samsung or Touchwiz - I was giving instructions for the 6P & stock Android, which is what I'm using.

Gotcha. I know where to look now.

In the meantime, I stumbled on some interesting (albeit old-ish) info about voice recognition here: Offline Speech Recognition In Android (JellyBean) - Stack Overflow

......and here:
https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=37883

My quest continues.

 

[Bultaco]

Opps, sorry, I forgot you're using Samsung phones.

Don't know what combination of on/off, this keyboard, that keyboard, Speech Recognition Language, Text to Speech, Samsung input options, Swiftkey input options............whatever, whatever, reboot, Force Stop "unidentifiable" apps.......DID IT......but as is so often the case, outta the blue, the Android/Google gods decided on some whim or other to grant me restoration of OFFLINE Voice to Text.

Nice chatting with you these past two days; thanks for your support and encouragement!

Cheers.
(p.s. THIS one typed on my lenovo laptop! )

P.P.S. Ironically, here's the June 2011 article I read just before everything "fell" into place and worked! http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/free-hands-speechtotext-android/