Initiating SMS by voice command over bluetooth.

[HoosierDaddy]

I mentioned to another Cadillac ATS owner that my Windows phone (521) can notify via bluetooth that I have an SMS and read it to me and let me respond all via verbal command only. He asked if I can initiate an SMS but I've never wanted to so don't know. I know that the notification, reading and reply are limited by the phone OS since iPhones and Android can't do this in the Cadillac at least not without 3rd party apps and some tweaking. But some aspects must be handled by the car, so this may not be a question a WP expert can answer unless they also have a 2013-14 Cadillac. Anyone here know how to initiate an SMS via bluetooth and a WP8?

 

[Verkunder]

As far as using the phone, hold Start button and then say, "Text [contact name]." I'm assuming there's a button on your steering wheel that activates it.

 

[Rellik66]

On my Bluetooth headphones, pressing the call button once activates the TellMe feature where you can say "call so and so" or "text so and so." (among other possible voice commands.)

Long pressing the call button will dial the last caller.

So I guess if you have a call button in your care somewhere, try pressing that.

 

[Guzzler3]

Are you sure you are using the phone's speech recognition with the "one call button" press? The one Bluetooth headset I played with, the one button press started the Bluetooth's own speech recognition which was very limited and not very accurate. I tried to say "Find Pizzahut" (just a quick test example) and it failed miserably. The same with "Open calendar".

Only if I did a long press on the window button on the phone, did the TellMe start through the Bluetooth headset, which in my mind defeated the purpose of using the headset..

 

[hopmedic]

The BT integration is going to be varied by BT device. I have a set of BT stereo headphones (LG Tone+) that will go to phone voice commands if I tap the call button, and same with my BT headset (a Plantronics one), but my car (2007 Camry Hybrid) won't do it - it has its own voice command system that it goes to.

The way that will never fail, though, would be as described above, tap/hold the start button, then say, "Text [contact name]." The phone will say, "Texting [contact name]. Say your message.] After that it works just as it has worked for you when you have it read, and then reply to a text message.

 

[gwinegarden]

Mine works fine, when I press the bluetooth button. But, I wish it would say something to let me know it is ready.

 

[cleverclogs]

Hey! SO I got a new car with all this Bluetooth fanciness - and of course Windows Phone doesn't quite integrate the same way as iOS or Android... BUT HERE IS WHAT I FOUND!

Despite the car only wanting to know commands like "call...", and not able to initiate text messaging, I pressed the button on the car and just said "VOICE". THIS ACTUALLY STARTED THE SPEECH SERVICE ON WINDOWS PHONE! It wasn't easy to start with because it didn't kick in with the phone saying anything until a few seconds later when it said "sorry, I didn't hear anything [please try again, or whatever it says..."

 

[hopmedic]

Hmmm.... I wonder if my car will do that...

 

[cleverclogs]

Any luck?

 

[hopmedic]

Nope. My car doesn't have a command to get to the voice commands of the phone. It's an '07, so before voice commands became common.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Stumbled onto this when looking for something else.

In case anyone else is reading this thread and looking for the answer:

The ability to initiate texts by voice in any car with blue-tooth was added at some point when Windows phone started adding a "fake" phone number for Cortana. You can call Cortana over blue-tooth and when she answers you can use any voice command Cortana accepts, including the command to text <name>.