Search Google By Voice on Your Android Smartphone

I think I’ve discovered a secret keyboard shortcut to launch the search by voice feature of on my Android phone.

Motorola Cliq XT with MOTOBLUR

I have the Motorola Cliq XT (aka MB501) with Android 1.5 with T-Mobile and I’ve been loving it!

I was showing my dad the phone one day and he accidentally activated the voice search by doing something.  Both of us weren’t sure what happened.  We started experimenting, but didn’t get too far.  I figured the next logical step was to Google it.  It is running Google’s Android operating system, so why shouldn’t the answer be found there?

I couldn’t find anything!

I forgot about the problem for a while, until this morning I accidentally activated the feature again.  Another unfruitful Google search later and with some more experimentation I think I figured it out.

Pressing the menu and search buttons at the same time always brings up the Google search by voice feature!  Awesome!

To confirm this was true I asked my sister and her husband who both have Android phones to try it on theirs.  He has a Droid, it didn’t work.  She has an Incredible, it didn’t work.  Weird!

But my brother in law said to press and hold the search key and it should do the same thing.  I tried it on mine, and it worked!

However it takes a second longer than pressing menu and search at the same time.

So pull out your Android phone, or your friend’s phone and give it a try!  Then leave me a comment, if you like, with whether or not it worked and what phone it worked on.  If you know how to check, look up the firmware version.  (Settings > About phone > Firmware version)