OmniROM will support Hotwords – Developer Demo

One of the advantages of owning and Android device is that is can be customized to fit the user’s needs, from changing the look of the lock screen or icons to flashing a new ROM. OmniRom, one of the most popular custom ROMs on the market, is about to introduce a new voice command feature to its supported devices. The Google Now launcher introduced firstly on the Nexus 5 has since been made available on many other devices as well. It works by using “OK, Google” phrase to bring up the voice search that will listen to your voice commands. The OmniROM devs want to take this to another level. Guillaume Lesinak, one of the developers, managed to make this voice command function available on their own ROM with some cool enhancements. Their voice command hotword is customizable, and can work as shortcuts to launching different apps. The video posted by the developer shows how easy it is to add your own phrases without the use of the “OK, Google” command. The video also shows that the hotwords can also be used for bookmarks and contacts which really expands its capabilities.

It’s unclear if this new feature will be available on all devices that are supported by OmniROM or only on devices using the Snapdragon 800. It might only be available for the Nexus 5 but the devs haven’t confirmed anything yet. It’s a cool feature nonetheless that could take voice command to a new level. The developers gave no information about the new feature affecting battery life. They also haven’t clarified if the hotword feature will work on any custom launcher available on the app market or only on the stock OmniROM launcher. The hotword feature is not yet present on the OmniROM nightly builds but it should appear soon and answer all these questions. Judging by the video, the feature is pretty solid already so we won’t have to wait for long.