Control tv with voice: How to Use Voice Commands on Your TV (2022): Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, and Roku TV Voice Commands

Sep 8, 2023 alexxlab

How to Use Voice Commands on Your TV (2022): Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, and Roku TV Voice Commands

Despite wide availability and vast improvements in speech recognition, most folks rarely use voice assistants. And when we do talk to Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri, it’s often just to ask about the weather. But there are a few voice commands you could be using today to enhance your TV viewing experience, because, let’s face it, navigating with a TV remote is a pain.

Imagine you’re halfway through an episode of Andor or your current favorite TV show, and the doorbell goes off. You can use a voice command to pause the action or rewind to where you left off when you return. You can also use voice commands to launch a streaming app, check who directed the show, or even find out what the actor on screen just said.

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What You Need

All the best TVs and TV streaming devices have some form of voice control built in. The most versatile are Google Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Roku voice commands, but others offer at least some of the same functionality. If your remote has a button with a microphone icon on it, then it supports voice commands.

You can also sometimes use a smartphone, smart speaker, or smart display to control your TV, provided it is in the same room and connected to the same Wi-Fi network. This is handy if you don’t want to have to reach for the remote and press that microphone button before you issue a command.

There’s usually some setup required for all this to work, like adding your smart TV to the Google or Apple Home apps, Samsung SmartThings app, or installing the Roku app. With Amazon’s Alexa, you can pair smart speakers to your Fire TV by opening the Alexa app, tapping More > TV & Video, selecting your Fire TV, and choosing the Echo speaker you want to control the TV with. You may also need to link your streaming services accounts, but that’s usually part of the setup for streaming devices like Chromecast with Google TV.

The Basics

Simple voice commands that will work with any service, include things like:

Play
Pause
Resume
Stop
Play from the beginning
Volume down
Volume up

Choosing What to Watch

Because it’s such a pain to type anything using a remote control, voice commands are great for launching apps, specific shows, and movies, or finding content that you might like. Here are a few commands to try:

Launch Netflix
Open Hulu
Show me movies with Sam Rockwell
Play Stranger Things on Netflix
Show me sci-fi TV shows
Find action movies in 4K
Find all Martin Scorcese movies

With Google Assistant, you don’t even need to know the name of the movie, you can say things like, “Stallone, boxing movie” and Rocky will pop up, or “funny vampire movie” to get What We Do in the Shadows.

Back and Forward

It can be tricky to fast-forward or rewind with accuracy using a remote, but you can be precise with voice commands. Try these:

Rewind 10 minutes
Skip forward 30 seconds
Go back 10 seconds
Fast forward three minutes
Play next episode

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¹ This feature is only available in certain languages.
² Alexa built-in is available in 2020 Smart TVs only. Amazon, Alexa and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Hands-free is available only for select Samsung Smart TV models. Some use cases stated above will require purchase of separate smart home devices.
³ Google is a trademark of Google LLC. The service may not yet be available at the time of purchase of this product. The service is scheduled to be available by firmware update later this year, in certain countries and languages.

* Smart service and GUI may vary by model and region. Agreement of the Smart Hub Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy is required before use. Some services or apps require a subscription or a one-time purchase to be used. Actual product and remote control may vary from images shown. Images are simulated and for illustration purposes only. Product appearance and design specifications that do not affect product performance are subject to change without notice.

Voice search on Android TV and TV box: setting why it doesn’t work

Reading time: 8 min

Voice search on Android TV is built into most TVs by default. It only needs to be turned on. The same is true for devices from Samsung on Tizen and LG on webOS. The situation is a little more complicated in relation to set-top boxes, where the actual support is implemented on both the TV Box and the remote, but the communication between them is not configured. In most cases, everything can be adjusted manually, but there are a lot of nuances here. Now we will understand all the intricacies of working with voice search on Smart TV and TV boxes.

A few words about voice search

Talking about voice search, you can mean different things:

Voice search is only the conversion of voice commands into text. Implemented via remote control with microphone
Voice control – normally implemented only in Smart TV. On other devices, there is one chance to implement something similar through the Yandex column with Alice. We already have instructions for connecting and features of Smart speakers. The bottom line is that the owner can launch any application with his voice, perform a quick search for information between all available services, get a quick answer to a question, start the radio, turn on music, etc. It can work without a remote control, using a microphone on the TV.

It is important to understand here that full voice control is available only on TVs with Smart TV. On TV boxes and TVs without a Smart Platform, only voice search remains.

How to set up voice search on Smart TV or TV box?

Voice search does not work on most devices by default. On all TVs (from Sony to TCL), it needs to be activated additionally. On set-top boxes, you need to organize an environment in which it will be possible to use the function. Setting up, although a little more complicated, is also not something difficult.

On Android TV

To set up voice search on Android TV (on TV), you need to activate only one setting:

Open the settings menu by clicking on the gear icon or the corresponding key on the remote control.
Go to the “Speech” section (may be hidden inside the “Search”).
Activate the item “Enable voice search”.

Tip! It is advisable to immediately check that the list of applications for which voice search will be performed includes all the necessary services. We can find them in a special section inside the “Search” tab. There are other reasons why it does not work, but we will talk about this in the last paragraph.

On Samsung (Tizen) and LG (WebOS) TV

Search Voice needs to be set up on both Samsung and LG TVs. This is required only for the first time, then everything will work stably by voice command. You can also connect a separate microphone.

How to activate voice search on Samsung Tizen TV:

On the Samsung branded remote, press the key with the microphone image.
Click on the Start button on the screen that will appear after clicking on the button.
We pronounce the phrases that are displayed on the screen so that the TV understands the manner of your voice and responds better to it.

Now we can use voice control on the TV with the phrase: “Hey Bixby” (Bixbi is your personal assistant). It can also be launched from the remote control, using the button with the image of a microphone.

How to enable voice control on LG Smart TV with webOS:

Open the settings section and go to the “General” section.
Go to the “AI Section” tab, and then – “Voice Recognition: Help and Settings”.
At the first stage, we can get acquainted with the list of commands that should work on TV.
Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner.
Turn on “Voice control without using the remote control”.
In the “Voice Study” block, click “Start”. This is necessary in order for the TV to understand your voice better.

To start a voice search, you need to say the passphrase Hi, LG and say what the TV needs to do.

On a TV box

Many modern remote controls or smartphone applications support voice search, although this must be configured separately. On the console, the procedure is very different, as there is no built-in control system. We have 2 options that allow you to customize the input of search phrases by voice.

Set up a search in applications that support the Google API:

Go to the Google Play Market, search for the Google application and install it.
We launch the application and go to the “More” tab, then click on the “Settings” parameter.
Open the “Voice search” menu item and click on the “Voice control” item.
Activate all available options and go back one step.
Now select “Offline Speech Recognition”. Here you need to check that the appropriate language pack (Russian) has been downloaded. If not, you need to download it from the Internet.
Go back one step again and click on Voice Match and allow Google to record data.
Go to the settings of the TV itself and select the “Keyboard” tab.
Click on the “Manage Keyboards” item and turn on “Google Voice Typing”.

Your TV will now be able to recognize your voice in most applications. This includes YouTube, and Lazy IPTV, and Google Chrome, and many other browsers and services. However, some applications will still refuse to find the microphone and accept commands from it. In such a case, there is an alternative method.

How to set up voice search on Android TV box:

Find and install the Gboard application in the Play Market.
After clicking on the “Open” button, a notification appears with the option “Enable in settings”, which we will use.
Activate the slider next to Gboard.
In the next step, select “Input Method” as Gboard.
The last step is “Set Permissions”, allowing the Google Keyboard to use data from the microphone.

Now in any application where there will be a need to enter some search phrases, we can press the microphone in the keyboard block and say with our voice what you need to find.

Why doesn’t the voice control work?

Unfortunately, all of the above procedures do not always go perfectly smoothly. There are a number of cases in which problems may arise. Now we will analyze the most common of them.

Why voice search doesn’t work and what can be done:

Microphone missing , just imitation used. The Kivi TV and a number of others come with a remote without a microphone, although it does have a button with the corresponding icon. You cannot enable voice search in any way in it. All Kivi TVs do not support this control method.
Sound is not captured , as evidenced by the absence of sound stick vibrations after starting a voice search. They usually pick up the sound and change according to the volume level. You may not have permission to use microphone data. To do this, in the “Settings” section, you need to select “Permissions” and give access to the microphone in problematic applications.
Search stopped working after update . Google, after updating its voice assistant, changed the response algorithms and the function stopped working correctly. To fix this, you need to disconnect your Google account from all other devices or make a new account and connect it only to search. The second option will be more convenient. You just need to go to “Settings” in the “Accounts and sign in” section and select “Add account”. We enter one that is not tied to any other Android devices. We disable all types of synchronization with this profile. Next, go to “Device Settings” from the general menu of the TV, select “Google Assistant”. Click on the “Accounts” element and select the newly added profile.

Doesn’t recognize voice correctly . Most likely you need to add a new language pack for your language. This is done in the settings in the voice control section. May be nested under the Offline Speech Recognition menu. Another option is that your vote has not been added. It is worth re-launching Voice Match and saying key phrases.

Poor perception of words . Perhaps the reason is the long distance to the TV. The factory says that for proper voice capture, you need a distance of no more than 1.5 m from a person. In practice, it works well from a slightly greater distance, but everything is within reason. Another potential cause is the batteries on the remote control are dying if the capture is from the microphone on the remote control.

The above steps will allow you to enable and configure voice input and full control on TVs of almost all manufacturers. With voice search, you can turn on apps, select music, play videos, ask Google Assistant (or Bixbi, Alice, etc.) for help. All this greatly simplifies the use of the TV and set-top box, saving our time.

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How do I use Google Assistant to control my TV with my voice?

In this article, we’ll show you how to use Google Assistant to control your TV with your voice. Voice assistants have allowed us to control almost our entire home without using conventional methods. For example, you can control your Smart TV with Google Assistant if it is compatible with Google Assistant. This will allow us to ask him anything with voice commands and we can tell him to turn on the TV, turn it off, put us a chapter on Netflix or change the subtitles.

TVs compatible with Google Assistant

There are several options in which the TV is compatible with Google Assistant. He has a button on his remote control that allows us to activate the assistant and request anything with commands, or that has a Google operating system like Android TV and has this built-in option so that we can control it from Echo , for example. Both options are compatible, but the next steps will be different.

One way to find out which device is compatible with Google Assistant is to look at your TV’s specs to see if it can be controlled with Google Assistant. You can look for the voice assistant icon in the specifications, or you can directly state that we can use it with this and others, such as Amazon Alexa or Bixby.

We can also consult the Google Assistant website for some models available with this feature and from LG Mountain Viewpoint TVs, Sony Bravia Android TVs, or Panasonic 4K Ultra HD TVs. But apart from the ones you see on Google’s website, other Smart TVs may also be compatible, and Samsung itself indicates that many of its TVs are available with this and other assistants.

You have to keep in mind that if the operating system is Android TV or Google TV, it will be compatible with the assistant and we will only need to link it to the app as it will have Chromecast built in and we can add it as a new device .

Another option to find out which TVs are compatible with Google Assistant is to go to the Home app on our device and follow the setup steps. Here we will see a checklist of tools, applications and gadgets that we can use to link to an application. If you use the magnifier at the top and type “TV”, you will see that many compatible systems appear as Philips SAPHI Smart TV or Panasonic TV, among others.

How do I use Google Assistant to control my TV with my voice?

Adding a Smart TV to Google Home

There are several options that will depend on the model and features of each.

Chromecast Built-in

If you are going to pair your TV with Google Chromecast built-in, we can simply pair it with a Google Home or Nest screen. They must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the TV and the mobile phone or speaker you want to connect, so make sure you do this before continuing with the tutorial. Once you have it, we should have the Google Home app installed on our controller.

Open the Home app.
Click “+” and click “Add”.
Go to device setup.
Select the New Device option.
Select the house you want to add it to if you have more than one.
Select the device you want to set up (in this case Chromecast / Google TV).
Make sure the code on your TV matches the code on your phone.
Confirm sending the data or click “No thanks”.
Click on the room where you are setting up the device.
Confirm with Next.
Select the Wi-Fi network to connect to if you have not already done so.
Follow the instructions on the app and on the TV.

It will be set up automatically and you can control it from your Google Home speaker or Nest screen when you ask it to turn the TV on, turn it off or change the channel.

Other TVs

The steps we have to follow to set up any TV that does not have a built-in Chromecast are very similar to the previous ones, although we will have to adapt to the “app” or system of each. The difference between the previous one and this tutorial and the previous one is that we have to check different options while setting up the device.

Open the Home application.
Go to the “+” symbol in the corner of the application.
Select the first option: Set up device.
You will see two options.
New device.
Works with Google.
Choose the second one: Works with Google.

A list will now appear with all the services that allow you to link Google to the Home app. Here you will find everything: applications for robot vacuum cleaners, security cameras, light bulbs. We must use the search engine to enter “TV” and Smart TVs compatible with this service will appear. As we’ll see in the next section, there may be exceptions and the search may vary, so it’s best to get specific information from your manufacturer in case we have to look up a different name when it comes to referencing. If it is a generic type, enter TV and you will see a series of results as shown in the image below: Fios TV, Netvue Home, Panasonic TV, Philips SAPHI Smart TV…

Choose the one that matches your device and follow the instructions to pair it. As a rule, we need to log into the account that we already have on the TV and it will automatically connect the devices. Just use the OK Google commands you will see at the end of these paragraphs to control your Smart TV with Google Assistant.

Samsung

In Samsung’s case, you won’t see it when you search for “TV” in the search engine, but TVs are controlled by Google’s SmartThings, as is also the case if you want to use Alexa. In this case, the steps to tune the TV through the speaker are as follows:

We open the Google Home app on our mobile phones.
Touch the “+” in the upper left corner of the screen.
Select the Add to Home option.
Go to “Set up device”.
Select the Powered by Google option.
Approach the magnifying glass at the top of the screen.
Search for SmartThings.
Click to add.
Confirm by pressing the “Link” button.

You will now need to sign in with the Samsung account you registered on your TV with the same email address and password as you have on your TV. When you sign in, the SmartTings website will ask us to grant access to Google Assistant and you will need to authorize it. It will automatically connect to the TV.

Once you have linked it, you can add it to the desired room. And just click on the gear in the top right corner to change TV details. For example, we can rename it if we want it to be easier to “call”.

Other devices: Chromecast with Google TV

Another option, if you want to control your Smart TV with Google Assistant, is to bet on a Chromecast device with Google TV. It is a device that allows us to make any TV smart, but it is also recommended even if you already have a Smart TV, as it will allow us to update compatibility with all applications regardless of your TV model. For example, you can’t watch Disney+ on Samsung if you have a 2013 TV, but Chromecast with Google TV will allow us to access it without any problems.

In addition, the device allows you to combine content in a single interface where you can use any series or movie from Google, and it will automatically take you to the application whenever you have an account on Netflix, HBO or any other service that You want. visit.

How do I use Google Assistant to control my TV with my voice?

Chromecast configuration with Google TV is identical to TV connection:

Select the house where you want to add Chromecast.
Click on the plus sign in the top left corner.
Select the Configure device option.
Select New Device from the configuration list.
Select the house where you want to install it.
Confirm with “Next”.
The application will automatically search for nearby devices.
Select Chromecast or Google TV.
You will be prompted to connect the device.
Follow the instructions in the Google app.
It will start connecting.
Connect both devices, wait for the update and the process is complete.

Google Assistant Commands to Control Your TV

Google Home or Google Nest work with commands, and you just need to repeat those classic “magic words” to summon the assistant and control your TV.