Expert question only...

Do you know of any non-Google speech-to-text engines (preferably offline)
which can replace that of the Google search box module for converting speech
to text in _any_ keyboard that you know of that exists today for Android?

I've tried _every_ free keyboard out there for Android (so far anyway)
<https://i.postimg.cc/qMP1nkvM/gboard04.jpg>

Where, unfortunately, the "microphone" aspect of those keyboards _requires_
the Google search module (aka <com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox>).
<https://i.postimg.cc/vZ4Vt9DW/gboard01.jpg>

Because of the need for speech to text, I can't completely disable that
"Google" search module even as I can remove all other permissions except mic

<https://i.postimg.cc/9FmRKqnz/stt01.jpg>
<https://i.postimg.cc/CKWZv7Nd/stt02.jpg>
<https://i.postimg.cc/ydcD2RQj/stt03.jpg>
<https://i.postimg.cc/nrxXxLNJ/stt04.jpg>
<https://i.postimg.cc/Kv20Hskj/stt05.jpg>
<https://i.postimg.cc/nhV0Hj1t/stt06.jpg>
(The mic is needed for speech to text in every keyboard I've tested.)

In summary, I need advice from someone who knows a lot more than I do about
how Android feeds the keyboard apps the speech to text results. If you are
an expert, maybe you've already figured out a way to get the speech to text
to work (preferably offline) _without_ needing to use the Google search pill
module <com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox>?
--
Note that I already have the pixel-only Google recorder port, which does
translate speech to text offline, but as far as I know that google recorder
port does not feed the keyboard applications with the speech to text result.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.recorder>
<https://i.postimg.cc/y6p53m46/homescreen01.jpg> (it's in the dock)

paul <nospam@nospam.invalid> wrote:

> Expert question only...

You get what you pay for.

> Do you know of any non-Google speech-to-text engines (preferably offline)

No.

You want a choice of speech recognition on a smartphone? There is only one
viable speech recognition program for PCs. Google's smartphone offering is
very likely motivated by its need to collect data.

John Doe wrote on 11.07.2021 23:48
>> Expert question only...
>
> You get what you pay for.

Every once in a while, an expert shows up...

>> Do you know of any non-Google speech-to-text engines (preferably offline)
>
> No.

I know of only one but I'm hoping it can be repurposed.
<https://www.xda-developers.com/download-latest-google-recorder-app-android/>

Offline speech transcription is certainly possible for Android phones.
<https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=4349826312261685031>

But I don't yet know how to focus the results to easily feed the keyboards.
(Of course, cut & paste works but the goal is to directly feed keyboards.)

> You want a choice of speech recognition on a smartphone? There is only one
> viable speech recognition program for PCs. Google's smartphone offering is
> very likely motivated by its need to collect data.

And yet, the Google recorder app does do offline speech transcription.
<https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-recorder/google-recorder-1-0-271580629-release/google-recorder-1-0-271580629-android-apk-download/>

The trick is to figure out how to feed its results to the keyboards.

paul <nospam@nospam.invalid> wrote:

> John Doe wrote on 11.07.2021 23:48

>>> Expert question only...
>>
>> You get what you pay for.
>
> Every once in a while, an expert shows up...

You get what you pay for. You think "experts" work for free, for you?

>>> Do you know of any non-Google speech-to-text engines (preferably
>>> offline)
>>
>> No.
>
> I know of only one but I'm hoping it can be repurposed.

Keep in touch...

>> You want a choice of speech recognition on a smartphone? There is only
>> one viable speech recognition program for PCs. Google's smartphone
>> offering is very likely motivated by its need to collect data.
>
> And yet, the Google recorder app does do offline speech transcription.

And yet, squat. Where is it on Google Play?

John Doe wrote on 12.07.2021 07:21
> You get what you pay for. You think "experts" work for free, for you?

The topic of this thread is...
*Has anyone solved offline speech to text to feed Android keyboards yet?*

I have a multistep solution already working but I'm trying to streamline it.

>> And yet, the Google recorder app does do offline speech transcription.
>
> And yet, squat. Where is it on Google Play?

If you ask that question, then you're not only not an expert but you're not
even a novice since not only is it well known, but I provided _two_ links!

I'm going to plonk you now so that you stop polluting this thread as I want
to find someone who knows something about Android who has solved this issue.

I've solved it with multiple steps - but I'm trying to streamline to one.

Back to the original question, if there are any experts on this newsgroup
who have already solved this problem set, please do let us know.

Otherwise this thread will remain as it is, without a viable solution to...
*Has anyone solved offline speech to text to feed Android keyboards yet?*

I have a multistep solution already working but I'm trying to streamline it.
--
The instant people like John Doe infest a thread, it's instantly ruined.

paul <nospam@nospam.invalid> wrote:

> John Doe wrote

>> You think "experts" work for free, for you?
>
> The topic of this thread is... *Has anyone solved offline speech to text
> to feed Android keyboards yet?*

Revisionist history.

> I have a multistep solution already working but I'm trying to streamline
> it.

So you don't need an expert at speech recognition, you need an expert at
streamlining things.

I streamline things with voice activated scripts. Lots of things.
Unfortunately, seems scripting is unusually problematic on smartphones.
I've tried a few, hopefully they've improved since then. It takes
cooperation from the operating system.

>>> And yet, the Google recorder app does do offline speech transcription.
>>
>> And yet, squat. Where is it on Google Play?
>
> If you ask that question, then you're not only not an expert but you're
> not even a novice since not only is it well known,

Not well known here...

I've been using speech recognition for decades. During the big Microsoft
antitrust trial, I told the "friend of the court" speech should be part of
the operating system. I'm very interested in the subject.

> but I provided _two_ links!

My bad. Whatever it is... Let's see if Google ever implements speech
recognition for real. Must be some reason the built-in speech recognition
requires sending everything to Google.

> I'm going to plonk you now

Only a not-quite-grown-up troll talks about its kill file. Kill files are
like imaginary friends that come and go, especially when the poster isn't
skilled enough to ignore a subthread (thread branch), it ends up stumbling
over everybody's replies to the allegedly kill filed author.

Besides, only an idiot would prevent itself from seeing others' posts. And
the next time the author posts original and gets no replies, it will
disable filters, they always do.

The only really useful USENET filters are single key "ignore thread" and
"ignore thread branch". Those 2 do all important filtering.

To try to get this thread back on a fruitful expert track, the goal is &
always was (a) offline speech-to-text (2) fed to the default microphone app.

Once the voice to text transcription is fed to the keyboard, that becomes
the input to anything (e.g., an email, or a SMS message, or whatever).

Rest assured long ago I had already worked around the two-part problem of
offline feeding speech to text to the keyboards, but my current solution
requires an extra cut and paste action from the Google recorder APK port.
<https://www.xda-developers.com/download-latest-google-recorder-app-android/>
<https://www.androidauthority.com/google-recorder-app-1069849/>
<https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/updated-googles-new-pixel-5-recorder-app-port.4007913/>

I'm trying to improve upon my current offline voice to text keyboarding
(by _eliminating_ that extra cut-and-paste step to offline mic feeding).

Specifically I'm looking for a keyboard microphone that works offline (just
like how Google Recorder works) but which _directly_ feeds the keyboard
microphone (without the text cut & paste or audio file import step).

Rest assured, in the past, I've tried the Gboard keyboard methods
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.inputmethod.latin>

But Gboard seems to do nothing more than use the Google online transcription
<https://support.google.com/gboard/answer/2781851?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid>

Even the translators from an audio file to text use the online STT,
where, if that's what you want to try, I recommend "Voice to Text" freeware:
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hudun.androidrecorder>

Strangely, if you turn on the toogle for "Google Voice Typing", that does
_not_ seem to use the Gboard speech-to-text mechanism (AFAICT).
<https://i.postimg.cc/L6tTGq4n/stt08.jpg>

Instead, if you have "Google Voice Typing" turned on, that one switch seems
to be using the microphone input permission of the "Google Search Pill", aka
<com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox> to innervate the keyboard mic.

BTW, you can disable permissions to com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox
except for the microphone access & that feeds all keyboard microphones fine.
<https://i.postimg.cc/nhV0Hj1t/stt06.jpg>

But the problem I'm trying to solve is to directly feed the keyboard mics
with an _offline_ source of the speech to text translation.

If you've already solved that problem of direct feeding, please let me know.

paul <nospam@nospam.invalid> wrote:

> To try to get this thread back on a fruitful expert track

Happy to help keep the thread alive.
> If you've already solved that problem of direct feeding, please let me
> know.

Since decades ago. Using a PC with Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

Most people don't care about the original poster's problem, because
smartphones are meant to be connected to the Internet. Why bend over
backwards to solve a problem that isn't.

Why doesn't Google buy Dragon NaturallySpeaking? I suppose it's the same
reason Microsoft has never bought it. Whatever reason that happens to be,
it's beyond me, no idea what good reason there might be.

In article <scm92t$7cn$4@dont-email.me>, John Doe
<always.look@message.header> wrote:

> Why doesn't Google buy Dragon NaturallySpeaking? I suppose it's the same
> reason Microsoft has never bought it. Whatever reason that happens to be,
> it's beyond me, no idea what good reason there might be.

microsoft did buy the company.

nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> wrote:

> John Doe wrote:
>
>> Why doesn't Google buy Dragon NaturallySpeaking? I suppose it's the same
>> reason Microsoft has never bought it. Whatever reason that happens to be,
>> it's beyond me, no idea what good reason there might be.
>
> microsoft did buy the company.

That was announced on April 12, 2021!

Better late than never.

Microsoft might be doing something intelligent, reacting to Google's speech
recognition.

Or, tragically, Microsoft might trash Dragon NaturallySpeaking. It can use
some work, but it's a very complex program Microsoft might easily screw up.
Should have bought it long ago, instead of its own feeble attempt at speech
recognition, Windows Speech Recognition (WSR), that failed miserably.