Autovoice stopped working

[Mike Kramer]

I have 2 identical tablets (Samsung Galaxy Tab 3) with autovoice installed, both in continous listening mode. One is still working fine, the other one stopped receiving any voice (i do not get any toasts for anything any more). I have not installed any new apps, or changed any settings. I turned the continuous mode on and off a few times, nothing. I tested the microphone by activating s voice to see if the microphone is working, and that is fine. I normally have a external microphone connected, i tested that as well as with the internal one, no joy. I uninstalled autovoice and reinstalled, still nothing. Looking at my logs, i can see a problem:

Continuous - 2014-11-10 13:17:52.066 - Message Start listening
Continuous - 2014-11-10 13:17:52.056 - Muted Successfully
Continuous - 2014-11-10 13:17:52.045 - Message canceled recognizer
Continuous - 2014-11-10 13:17:51.959 - Unmuted Successfully
Continuous - 2014-11-10 13:17:51.950 - Probably another app used the microphone.  Restarting continuous listener
Continuous - 2014-11-10 13:17:51.941 - Ready for continuous speech...
Continuous - 2014-11-10 13:17:50.499 - Message Start listening
Continuous - 2014-11-10 13:17:50.495 - Muted Successfully
Continuous - 2014-11-10 13:17:50.489 - Message canceled recognizer
Continuous - 2014-11-10 13:17:50.411 - Unmuted Successfully
Continuous - 2014-11-10 13:17:50.403 - Probably another app used the microphone.  Restarting continuous listener
Continuous - 2014-11-10 13:17:50.395 - Ready for continuous speech...
Continuous - 2014-11-10 13:17:49.650 - Message Start listening
Continuous - 2014-11-10 13:17:49.645 - Muted Successfully
Continuous - 2014-11-10 13:17:49.640 - Message canceled recognizer
Continuous - 2014-11-10 13:17:49.581 - Unmuted Successfully
Continuous - 2014-11-10 13:17:49.574 - Probably another app used the microphone.  Restarting continuous listener
Continuous - 2014-11-10 13:17:49.566 - Ready for continuous speech...


and this keeps going. It looks as if there is another app blocking autovoice, but there is nothing else running ? I have closed everything, i tried rebooting the tablet, no change.

[João Dias]

There is probably some other app using the microphone in the background. Maybe a samsung app or maybe the Google Search app?

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[Mike Kramer]

How can I close / disable them ? I have closed all open applications with the task manager, but whatever is blocking the microphone it has not been closed even with reboots

[João Dias]

Maybe it's S-voice itself? Try to find out if there are any running processes that may be using the mic in Android Settings->apps->running.

[Mike Kramer]

I could not find anything, S Voice was disabled. I did see a lot of battery usage by google search. I uninstalled the app, which left me with the normal google search which I disabled. It still did not work, at that point I recorded another log which showed a different error (see below) I got fed up so factory reset the tablet and reinstalled everything... back up and running again. But it would still be good to find out what it was in case it happens again. Maybe the logs give us some idea ?

 

Continuous - 2014-11-12 19:15:28.178 -

Error: RecognitionService busy

Continuous - 2014-11-12 19:15:28.071 -

Message Start listening

Continuous - 2014-11-12 19:15:28.067 -

Muted Successfully

Continuous - 2014-11-12 19:15:28.050 -

Error: RecognitionService busy

Continuous - 2014-11-12 19:15:27.942 -

Message Start listening

Continuous - 2014-11-12 19:15:27.938 -

Muted Successfully

Continuous - 2014-11-12 19:15:27.919 -

Error: RecognitionService busy

Continuous - 2014-11-12 19:15:27.813 -

Message Start listening

[João Dias]

That points to the same thing unfortunately :/ Seems that something was using the recognition service other then AutoVoice... maybe it was just broken for some reason? sorry!

[Mike Kramer]

This is so annoying. Last night everything was still working fine. I did not touch my tablet (its on the wall only displaying security cameras and listening for voice commands). This morning, voice control stopped working again. Looking at the logs, another app is using the microphone. S Voice is disabled, Google Now not installed, all voice controls in setings turned off. I compared the settings to my other tablet (same tablet, same apps installed), they are identical. One tablet voice control is working fine, the other one even after the reset starts playing up again. Is it possible to gove Autovoice full control over the microphone ? So that no other app could grab it and thereby stop the continous recognition ?

[João Dias]

Unfortunately no, not as far as I know. :( Sorry, I wish I could help

[Mike Kramer]

My Tablet repaired itself all of a sudden. I did not do anything, but after a day of testing and not working, i put it back on the wall in frustration. All of a sudden i was talking and i see the toasts pop up. So up and running again. So i do not know why its working again, but it is. But i noticed i still have periods where it does not react to any voice, i have seen on here others have reported the same problem. So i turned on logging, and tried until it did not respond. And in the logs i could see another app was using the microphone. So that is the cause for the tablet not responding, and that can last any time from a few seconds to a few hours. To try and eliminate this, i have disabled S Voice, Google now recognition is disabled. The only apps i have installed are: Autovoice, Autovera, Tasker, Authomation, Vera Alerts and Tinycammonitor. This has not solved the problem, so there must be something else occasionally taking control of the microphone. How can we find out what it is, and or disable it ?

[jharr...@gmail.com]

In your device's settings, any chance you have a checkmark for something like unlocking with "okay google" or "hi galaxy"? Disabled or not, perhaps the setting would be screwing things up.

In Autovoice settings, what's the Timeout after another app takes mic set to?

Are you checking Persistent Notification?

[Mike Kramer]

I made sure 'ok google' and 'hi galax'y are unticked. Timeout is set to 1 second. Where is Persistent Notification ? I cannot find it in Autovoice

[jharr...@gmail.com]

Ah, sorry I meant in tasker.

[Mike Kramer]

Where about in tasker is the persistent notification ? And if it is not checked, should it be ?  I haven't got my tablet with me, but just looked at the tasker settings in my phone and cannot find it there, but I do not use autovoice on my phone

[jharr...@gmail.com]

I replied to this thread via email this morning with screenshots, but I don't see it here? Hopefully it's not a duplicate but here's a copy/paste from my email. I can't figure out how to attach pics to the post from my phone without going thru email?

Mike, I'm sorry. I have been speaking without looking and I'm not being very clear.

When you configure your Tasker action to turn on AutoVoice Continuous, there is a box to check for Persistent Notification...see the screenshot below.  That will help keep Android from killing the service after a while.

Also, in Tasker > Menu > Preferences > Monitor check that Run In Foreground is checked... is the same thing with a different name. See second screenshot.

I hope that solves it for you! I'm not sure I have any other ideas if it's not that unfortunately... :(

[Mike Kramer]

Hi, I got your email, thanks. I had the run in the foreground ticked already, but the persistent notification was not. I'll have to do some testing now, I think I still had some times yesterday where I did not have any voice recognition, so not sure yet if that made a difference, but thanks for your help, its appreciated !

[Mike Kramer]

I still have the problem of times where autovoice is simply not reacting. I will attach a log at the end of this post. I have completely disabled S Voice now in settings - applications, but still another app is using the microphone... I have rooted my tablet now, and plan to disable or uninstall every app i do not need. Maybe that will help. Am i the only one with this problem ?

Continuous - 2014-12-06 16:25:11.798 - Unmuted Successfully
Continuous - 2014-12-06 16:25:11.793 - Ready for continuous speech...
Continuous - 2014-12-06 16:25:11.233 - Message Start listening
Continuous - 2014-12-06 16:25:11.224 - Muted Successfully
Continuous - 2014-12-06 16:25:11.215 - Message canceled recognizer
Continuous - 2014-12-06 16:25:11.203 - Probably another app used the microphone.  Restarting continuous listener
Continuous - 2014-12-06 16:25:10.205 - Unmuted Successfully
Continuous - 2014-12-06 16:25:10.191 - Ready for continuous speech...
Continuous - 2014-12-06 16:25:09.634 - Message Start listening
Continuous - 2014-12-06 16:25:09.630 - Muted Successfully
Continuous - 2014-12-06 16:25:09.624 - Message canceled recognizer
Continuous - 2014-12-06 16:25:09.537 - Probably another app used the microphone.  Restarting continuous listener