While it generally worked pretty well for whatever language you selected, switching out languages mid-stream was not an option that Google had, until now. (Duh duh dummmmmm.)
Google posted today on its Inside Search blog that you can now choose up to five languages to be recognized automatically. You’ll still need to stick to one language per sentence (sorry Spanglish speakers), but you can freely mix between any of the fifty languages that are currently available from sentence to sentence.
You’ll need Google Search 3.6 or higher, and once you’ve got that open Google settings, Search & Now, Voice, Languages, and select the languages you want Google to recognize.
You’ll have the option of choosing a primary language. My guess is this is so that when Google is in doubt about what language you’re speaking, it will fall back to that, but I don’t know. I haven’t managed to confuse it with my amazing Spanish speaking ability that somehow always manages to sound like I’m asking if I can take someone’s order.
Even if you don’t speak multiple languages, it probably can’t hurt to set it up if you’re going somewhere else where another language is the primary. You could always hand your phone to a native who can speak an address or launch a search using their voice for whatever the LOLCat of the day moment is.
One thing to note is that OK Google hotword detection only works with English set as the primary language at the moment according to Android Police. So if you’re a fan of that but English is not your first language, you’ll need to set it as it anyway.
[Google via Android Police]
