Voice Command Help

Getting Started
Using the Voice Command Button

Features
Making Phone Calls
Showing Contacts
Reading Appointments
Playing Music
Starting Programs
Getting Phone Status
Messaging Alerts
Notification Routing
Getting Help

In Depth
Personalization
Tips & Tricks
Troubleshooting
Legal Notice

Voice Command - Getting Started

Follow these three easy steps:
1 - Adjust the Microphone
2 - Set the Voice Command Button
3 - Try out Voice Command

1 - Adjust the Microphone

To get better speech recognition:

1. If there is a microphone control panel available, turn off Automatic Gain Control and set the microphone gain level to a medium level.

After completing this task, tap OK and X as needed to return to help.

2 - Set the Voice Command Button

The Voice Command Button is used to activate voice recognition.

To set the Voice Command Button:

1. Tap > Settings > Buttons.

2. In Button, tap the button you want to assign.

3. Select Voice Command in Button assignment.

After completing this task, tap OK and X as needed to return to help.

3 - Try out Voice Command

Let's try the Help command to learn how to answer a question. If you have any problems read Troubleshooting:

1. Hold your device about 9" away.

2. Press and release the Voice Command Button.

   Note: A short melody will play and a microphone icon will appear at the top of your screen.

3. In a clear voice say, Help.

4. After Voice Command finishes speaking, answer General.

   Note: You may also press the Voice Command Button anytime during a question to interrupt. Once the microphone icon is visible you may say your answer.

Try Out More Commands

- What's my next appointment?
- What is my battery level?
- What time is it?
- Start Solitaire

To Learn More

- Read the feature topics in this document.

- You can also use the Help command at any time.

- To return to this help file, tap > Help > Voice Command.

- Visit the Voice Command web site, www.microsoft.com/voicecommand for product updates, tips and tricks, tutorials, accessories, product registration and more.

Continue on to Using the Voice Command Button

Using the Voice Command Button

The Voice Command Button is used to activate or cancel voice recognition:

- Press and release to talk or interrupt.

- Press and hold to cancel. (*Not available on all devices)

There are two ways to cancel voice recognition:

- Press and hold the Voice Command Button to cancel. (*Not available on all devices)

- Press and release the Voice Command button then use the command Cancel.

If you are using a Bluetooth hands free device such as a Bluetooth headset, you can press the voice dial button on the bluetooth headset to initiate a Voice Command interaction

Notes:

- When Voice Command asks you a question, it will listen automatically when it is done speaking.

- While Voice Command is listening, it displays a microphone icon at the top of the screen.

- You may also press the Voice Command Button anytime during a question to interrupt. Once the microphone icon is visible you may say your answer.

To change the button:

1. Tap > Settings > Buttons.

2. In Button, tap the button you want to assign.

3. Select Voice Command in Button assignment.

See Also
Getting Started
General Tips
General Troubleshooter

Continue on to Making Phone Calls

Making Phone Calls

You can call contacts and dial numbers with voice commands.

This feature requires Windows Mobile™ software for Pocket PC Phone Editions.

Say

- Call <contact> to call a contact whose phone number is stored on your device.

- Call <contact> at/on <location> to call a contact at a specific phone number.

- Dial <number> to dial a phone number.

- Callback to return the last call received.

- Redial to repeat the last call made.

<Contact> supports the following formats:

- Nickname
- First Last
- First Last Suffix
- First Middle Last
- First Middle Last Suffix
- Company (if shown in contacts list view)

<Location> Represents one of these phone numbers:

- Home, Home2, Work, Work2, Mobile, Cell, Cellular, Car, Radio, Pager, Assistant

<Number> Represents one of the following digit sequences:

- nnn-nnnn
- nnn-nnn-nnnn
- 1-nnn-nnn-nnnn
- n-1-1
- international dialing with + and 0 prefixes

When confirming, say

- Yes or Correct to call.
- No or Incorrect to try again.

When asked which location, say

- an offered <location> to call.
- No to try again or continue on to next contact in a list.

Examples

- Call Karen Archer
- Call Karen Archer on mobile
- Call City, Light and Power
- Dial 555-0100
- Dial 1-800-555-0100
- Dial +46 555 1212 555
- Dial 411
- Redial

Notes

- SIM contacts are not included. Copy SIM entries to Contacts application to enable with Voice Command.
- Sometimes the name differs from the FileAs property shown in the Contacts list.
- Contacts without a phone number cannot be called.
- The recommended maximum number of contacts is 1000 for 32 MB and 2000 for 64 MB devices.

See Also
Making Phone Calls Tips
Making Phone Calls Troubleshooter
Personalization
Table of Contents

Continue on to Showing Contacts

Showing Contacts

You can show a contact card using voice commands.

Say

- Show <contact>
- Lookup <contact>
  to display a contact.

<Contact> supports the following formats:

- Nickname
- First Last
- First Last Suffix
- First Middle Last
- First Middle Last Suffix
- Company (if shown in contacts list view)

Examples

- Show Robert Barker
- Show City, Light and Power

Notes

- SIM contacts are not included. Copy SIM entries to Contacts application to enable with Voice Command.
- When multiple contacts sound similar, they are returned as a list, use no to Continue on to the next contact.
- Sometimes the name differs from the FileAs property shown in the Contacts list.
- The recommended maximum number of contacts is 1000 for 32 MB and 2000 for 64 MB devices.

See Also
Showing Contacts Tips
Showing Contacts Troubleshooter
Table of Contents

Continue on to Reading Appointments

Reading Appointments

You can request information from your calendar using voice commands. There are several variations of each calendar command. Use the one you find the most natural.

Calendar reminders are read aloud as they occur. This can be turned on and off.

Say

- What's my next appointment? to hear the next upcoming appointment.

- What's my schedule today? to hear today's upcoming appointments.

- What's my schedule tomorrow? to hear appointments for tomorrow.

- Reminders On to enable reminder announcements.

- Reminders Off to disable reminder announcements.

Variations for Next

- What's my next meeting?
- What's my next appointment?

Variations for Today

- What are my appointments (today)?
- What are my meetings (today)?
- What's my schedule (today)?
- What's my calendar (today)?
- What's my calendar for today?

Variations for Tomorrow

- What are my appointments tomorrow?
- What are my meetings tomorrow?
- What's my calendar for tomorrow?
- What's my schedule tomorrow?

While listening to appointments, you can push the Voice Command Button to interrupt and say

- Next for the next appointment
- Previous for the previous appointment
- Repeat to hear the current appointment again
- Cancel to stop reading appointments

Notes

- If no day is specified, appointments for today are spoken.

See Also
Reading Appointments Tips
Reading Appointments Troubleshooter
Personalization
Table of Contents

Continue on to Playing Music

Playing Music

You can easily play music grouped by album, artist, or genre and you can control Windows Media using voice commands.

Say

- Play anything to play all media.

- Play music to have Voice Command guide you through selecting music.
  (Variant: Play media).

- Play album, to choose from available albums.
  (Also: Play artist and Play genre).

- Play <album> to listen a specific album.
  (Also: Play <artist>, Play <genre> and Play album by <artist>).

- Next Track, Previous Track, Play, Pause, or Stop to control Windows Media.

- Turn Shuffle On to play tracks randomly.
  (Also: Turn Shuffle Off).

- What song is this? to hear about the current track.
  (Variant: What track is this?).

While listening to options, you can push the Voice Command Button to interrupt and say

- That One to choose the current option
- <choice> to choose an option

Examples

- Play Artist
- Play Scott Bishop Band
- Play Album by Scott Bishop Band
- Play Rock
- What track is this?
- Stop

See Also
Playing Music Tips
Playing Music Troubleshooter
Personalization
Table of Contents

Continue on to Starting Programs

Starting Programs

You can start and switch to programs located in the Start menu, Programs folder or its subfolders using voice commands.

Say

- Start <program> to start or switch to a program.

Variations

- Show <program>
- Open <program>

Aliases

The following are aliases for common programs:

- Internet Explorer: IE, Pocket IE, Browser
- Pocket Word: Word Mobile, Word
- Pocket Excel: Excel Mobile, Excel
- Pocket MSN: MSN
- Messaging: Email, Inbox
- Windows Media: Media Player
- MSN Messenger: Messenger

See Also
Starting Programs Tips
Starting Programs Troubleshooter
Personalization
Table of Contents

Continue on to Phone Status

Phone Status

You can set the ring volume and configure flight mode plus learn the battery level, signal strength, date and time using voice commands.

Say

- What time is it? to hear the current time.

- What date is it? to hear the current date.

- What is my battery level? to hear the current battery level.

- Turn flight mode on to turn on flight mode and disable all wireless radios including Bluetooth, WIFI and cellular phone.

- Turn flight mode off to turn off flight mode and restore the previous state of all wireless radios including Bluetooth, WIFI and cellular phone.

The following require Windows Mobile™ software for Pocket PC Phone Editions

- What is my signal strength? to hear the current state of the phone on the network.

- What calls have I missed?
- What missed calls do I have? to hear each missed call and reset the missed call count.

- Set Ringer High
- Set Ringer Loud to set ringer volume to 5

- Set Ringer Medium
- Set Ringer Middle to set ringer volume to 3

- Set Ringer Low
- Set Ringer Soft to set ringer volume to 1

- Set Ringer Quiet
- Set Ringer Off
- Set Ringer Mute to set ringer volume to off

- Set Ringer Vibrate to set ringer to vibrate

See Also
General Tips
General Troubleshooter
Personalization
Table of Contents

Continue on to Messaging

Messaging

Messaging Notifications can be configured so that incoming email and SMS messages are spoken. Voice Command will read the sender and the subject of incoming messages. The messages will be announced according to the Notifications settings.
In the Voice Command control panel, highlight the Messaging option and select the Options button
You can configure Voice Command to:

- Not announce incoming messages
- Announce all incoming messages
- Announce only high priority messages

See Also
General Tips
General Troubleshooter
Personalization
Table of Contents

Continue on to Notifications

Notifications

Notifications options allows you to control how notifications are announced to you. With the Bluetooth hands free integration, it is possible to create a whisper mode where notifiations are whispered to you through a Bluetooth headset rather than spoken out loud. Notifications can also be spoken through a Bluetooth car kit.
You can select one of the following options:

- Announce notifications using Bluetooth hands free only - This option will route all notifications to the Bluetooth hands free device. If there is no connection with a Bluetooth hands free device, the notifications will not be spoken
- Announce notifications using Bluetooth hands free if Available - This option will attempt to route all notifications to the Bluetooth hands free device. If there is no connection with a Bluetooth hands free device, the notifications will be spoken through the device speaker
- Announce notifications using device speaker or wired headset only - This option will speak notifications through the device speaker or wired headset only

Selecting Only during free time will cause Voice Command not announce notifications during times that your calendar shows as busy.
See Also
General Tips
General Troubleshooter
Personalization
Table of Contents

Continue on to Getting Help

Getting Help

Context sensitive help is always available to assist you with the currently available commands.

Variations

- Help
- What can I say?
- What are my choices?

While listening to choices, you can push the Voice Command Button to interrupt and say

- <choice> to choose that choice

See Also
General Tips
General Troubleshooter
Personalization
Table of Contents

Personalization

Tap > Settings > Voice Command to begin personalizing.

General Options

- Enabled - When checked, Voice Command is running.
- Password Protected- When checked Voice Command is disabled before the system password is entered . This prevents others from using voice commands to access your data while the device is locked. Note if the current security policy prevents overriding the password screen in this manner, this checkbox will not appear.
- Feature checkboxes - When checked, the corresponding feature is enabled and its commands are available.
- Options button - When pressed, opens the personalization options for the currently selected feature.

Calendar Options

- Announce calendar reminders - When checked, Voice Command reads Calendar reminders aloud.
- Only during free time - When checked, Voice Command only reads Calendar reminders when your schedule time in Calendar is shown as Free.

Media Options

- Announce media selections - When checked, Voice Command announces the name of the album, artist, or genre that you choose.

Phone Options

- Confirm when calling by name - When checked, Voice Command asks you to confirm that the correct name was recognized before placing the call.
- Confirm when dialing by number - When checked, Voice Command asks you to confirm that the correct number was recognized before placing the call. This also applies to callback and repeat
- Announce incoming calls - When checked, Voice Command will speak the calling name or number aloud interleaved with the current ring tone.

Starting Programs Options

- Include items in Programs folder - When checked, Voice Command will start any program located in the Start menu, Programs folder or its subfolders.

Go back to Table of Contents

Tips and Tricks

This section lists tips and tricks for:
General Tips
Phone and Contacts Tips
Reading Appointments Tips
Playing Music Tips
Starting Programs Tips

Continue on to Troubleshooting
Go back to Table of Contents

General Tips

How do I get Help? - Say Help, it is context sensitive and will assist you with currently available commands.

Do I have to wait until a question finishes to answer? - No. You can press the Voice Command Button anytime during a question to interrupt. As soon as you see the microphone icon, you can speak your answer.

What's a quick way to cancel? - Try one of the following:

- You can press and hold the Voice Command Button to cancel the current interaction. (*Not available on all devices)
- You can respond with Cancel.

Changing the Voice Command Button - To select a Voice Command Button, see Using the Voice Command Button.

Longer command variations are easier to recognize - If you are having trouble with recognition, try using the longest command variation. For example, say Correct instead of Yes to place a phone call.

Does Voice Command work better if I yell at it? - No. When your voice is too loud, distorted audio is sent to Voice Command. Likewise, if you speak too close to the microphone, it will be more difficult to recognize your speech.

How do I get the best recognition results? - For best results, adjust your microphone gain setting as described in Getting Started and speak normally.

Pause before speaking - Wait until after the microphone icon appears before speaking. If you speak too soon, Voice Command will miss the beginning of your response.

Continue on to Phone and Contacts Tips
Go back to Tips and Tricks

Phone and Contacts Tips

How do I call voicemail? - Make a contact named 'voicemail' and add each of your voicemail numbers. Now you can simply say Call VoiceMail at Home.

Feel free to use friendly names - You can name contacts with friendly names such as Home, Mom, or Dentist. After doing this, call by simply saying Call Home.

Synchronizing fewer contacts - (For desktop sync only, doesn't work with server sync) You can save memory and improve recognition by synchronizing only the contacts you need. Open ActiveSync on your PC, and choose Tools > Options > Contacts >Settings. Select either individual contacts or categories to sync.

Redial and callback are easier than dialing - Use Redial to call the last person you called, and Callback to call the last person who called you.

Don't take long pauses during digit dialing - If you pause for a long time, Voice Command will attempt to recognize the incomplete number.

Call a contact at a location - Speed up calling by including the location. For example, Call Karen Archer at home.

What's the best way to enter couples as a contact?- If you know A & B Smith, try putting '& B' into the middle name field. This way you can either Call A Smith or Call A and B Smith.

What's the best way to enter company abbreviations?- If you are having trouble getting recognition on a company of the form 'ABC Painting' try renaming to 'A. B. C. Painting' to clarify that these letters are spoken individually.

Continue on to Reading Appointments Tips
Go back to Tips and Tricks

Reading Appointments Tips

Quiet Voice Command during a meeting or a movie - Voice Command will not make any noise if the device volume is off or set to vibrate.

Does the reminder stop when I press the Dismiss button? - Yes. Voice Command cancels the reminder announcement when the reminder window disappears.

Put names of meeting attendees in appointments - Try including meeting attendee names in the subject or location of an appointment so you'll hear them when it is announced.

Continue on to Playing Music Tips
Go back to Tips and Tricks

Playing Music Tips

What song is this? - Easily identify music by asking What song is this?

Random Play - Say Shuffle on to play your selection in random order.

How do I select an album by a specific artist? - Say Play Album by <Artist>.

Is there a faster way to choose music? - Yes. If you don't want to be guided through your selection, say Play <album>, Play <artist>, Play <genre>, or Play album by <artist>.

How can I choose the current selection? - You can interrupt Voice Command and say That One to select the current album, artist, or genre.

How do I change the Media Player skin? - Use the Skin Chooser: tap > Media Player > Tools > Settings > Skin Chooser and choose a different skin. The included Voice Command skin only works in the portrait 320x240 screen size.

Sometimes the artist isn't what I expect - Voice Command uses the AlbumArtist property to organize tracks by artist. This is different than the Artist property displayed by Windows Explorer and by default in Windows Media Player.

How do I modify the AlbumArtist? - To view the AlbumArtist property in Windows Media Player, switch to Media Library, right-click on the column headings and select "Album Artist". You may edit this property once it is visible.

How do I use DRM content? - In order to play files that have been secured using Digital Rights Management (DRM) you must copy them to your device using the Copy to CD or Device feature in Windows Media Player.

What's the fastest music layout? - Store all your tracks in one folder for fastest access to media.

Continue on to Starting Programs Tips
Go back to Tips and Tricks

Starting Programs Tips

Voice-enable IE Favorites - If you copy a favorite from \Windows\Favorites and paste it into \Windows\Start Menu, you can open it by saying Start <favorite>.

Rename a program so it's easier to say - You can change the name of a program directly on the device using a File Explorer type application or using the Explore functionality in ActiveSync.

Go back to Tips and Tricks

Troubleshooting

The following troubleshooting tips will help you work around common problems:

General Troubleshooter
Phone and Contacts Troubleshooter
Reading Appointments Troubleshooter
Playing Music Troubleshooter
Starting Programs Troubleshooter

Go back to Tips & Tricks
Go back to Table of Contents

General Troubleshooter

The Voice Command Button doesn't work when the password screen is displayed - The password screen blocks the Voice Command Button to avoid other people from placing phone calls while your device is locked. To enable, uncheck the 'Password Protected' option. Note some organizations prevent this override from working due to increased corporate security measures.

I only hear a thunk sound but don't see the microphone - This means that you are holding the Voice Command Button too long. This is activating the press and hold to cancel feature which is helpful in meetings when it isn't convenient to speak cancel aloud.

The Voice Command melody doesn't play - Try the following:

- Tap the speaker icon at the top of the screen. Verify that the volume is loud enough and not muted.
- Tap > Settings > Sounds & Notifications. Verify that sounds are enabled for Programs.

The microphone icon doesn't display - Try the following:

- Make sure the button you're pressing is assigned to Voice Command.
- Make sure you are not holding the button long enough to engage the press and hold to cancel feature.
- Make sure Windows Media™ is not using the button. Tap > Windows Media > Tools >Settings > Buttons. If the Voice Command Button is listed in Button Mapping, tap and hold it and select Un-map this button.

I can't use the Voice Command Button reliably - On some devices, one of the available buttons is a rocker switch. On this type of button it is very easy to accidentally press the UP or DOWN rocker instead of the button. Try assigning Voice Command to another button.

Voice Command says "Try again" or the microphone icon disappears - Try the following:

- Pause longer before speaking.
- Move your device further away.
- Speak in a normal tone, avoid pausing between words.
- Move to a less noisy environment.
- Make sure you didn't disable the command in Voice Command settings.
- Use the Notes application to record your voice and playback at full volume. If the playback sound volume is very soft, this device may be optimized for close talk use and you will need to move the device closer.

Recognition doesn't work - Some devices require a reset before Voice Command will operate.

Continue on to Phone and Contacts Troubleshooter
Go back to Troubleshooting

Phone and Contacts Troubleshooter

I can't use Voice Command during a call - Voice Command is temporarily disabled during phone calls.

I say a contact name but it is not recognized -

- Contacts without phone numbers cannot be called. Make sure that this contact has at least one phone number.

- Sometimes contacts are filed as a different name. Make sure that the name displayed in the contact list is the same as the first, middle, last name (or company) of the contact.

- Sometimes names have pronunciations that are not apparent to Voice Command. Try changing the spelling of the name.

I can't access my contacts - Contacts may become unavailable due to insufficient memory. Try increasing the amount of program memory, or synchronizing fewer contacts to the device.

Phone OFF/SIM Lock - If you turn the phone off or have SIM lock enabled, phone commands will be recognized, but will not work.

Continue on to Reading Appointments Troubleshooter
Go back to Troubleshooting

Reading Appointments Troubleshooter

Calendar reminders are not being announced

- Verify that the Announce Calendar Reminders option is enabled.
- If you want appointments announced during meetings, make sure that the Only during free time option is not enabled.
- See Personalization for more information on these options.

Continue on to Playing Music Troubleshooter
Go back to Troubleshooting

Playing Music Troubleshooter

Playing the first song takes a long time - Store all your tracks in one folder for fastest access to media.

My device cannot find my files - If your device cannot find files on your storage card, try removing it and re-inserting it.

Voice Command can't find some tracks - If your media files lack track information, Voice Command may not find them. Add track information with Windows Media Player on your desktop. Voice Command supports only WMA and MP3 files in its index.

Continue on to Starting Programs Troubleshooter
Go back to Troubleshooting

Starting Starting Programs Troubleshooter

Why am I getting a program when I ask to show a contact? - In order to support the most natural command style the word show is shared between show application and show contact. To specify an application try the variation 'start application'. To specify a contact try the variation 'lookup name'.

Go back to Troubleshooting

Legal Notice

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation – All rights reserved

Warning:
Operating certain parts of this system requires user attention. Diverting attention away from the road while driving can possibly cause an accident or other serious consequences. Even occasional, short diversions of attention can be dangerous if your attention is diverted away from your driving task at a critical time.

Microsoft makes no representations, warranties or other determinations that ANY use of the Software Product is legal, safe, or in any manner recommended or intended while driving or otherwise operating a motor vehicle.