The Voice to Text app requires the RECORD_AUDIO permission to access the device’s microphone for speech recognition. This guide explains how to declare and request this permission.
Declaring permissions in the manifest
First, declare the permission in your AndroidManifest.xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools">
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO" />
<application
android:allowBackup="true"
android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
android:label="@string/app_name"
android:theme="@style/Theme.VoiceTotext">
<!-- ... -->
</application>
</manifest>
The RECORD_AUDIO permission is classified as a dangerous permission in Android, which means it must be requested at runtime for Android 6.0 (API level 23) and higher.
Runtime permission flow
The app implements a two-step permission flow:
Check if permission is granted
Before launching speech recognition, check the current permission status using ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission.if (ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(
context,
Manifest.permission.RECORD_AUDIO
) == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED
) {
// Permission granted - launch speech recognizer
} else {
// Permission not granted - request it
}
Request permission if needed
If the permission is not granted, request it using ActivityCompat.requestPermissions.ActivityCompat.requestPermissions(
context as Activity,
arrayOf(Manifest.permission.RECORD_AUDIO),
100
)
The request code 100 is used to identify this permission request when handling the result. You can use any unique integer value.
Complete implementation
Here’s how the app integrates permission checking into the speech recognition button:
Button(
onClick = {
if (ContextCompat.checkSelfPermission(
context,
Manifest.permission.RECORD_AUDIO
) == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED
) {
val intent = Intent(RecognizerIntent.ACTION_RECOGNIZE_SPEECH)
intent.putExtra(
RecognizerIntent.EXTRA_LANGUAGE_MODEL,
RecognizerIntent.LANGUAGE_MODEL_FREE_FORM
)
intent.putExtra(RecognizerIntent.EXTRA_LANGUAGE, Locale.getDefault())
intent.putExtra(RecognizerIntent.EXTRA_PROMPT, "Speak now...")
speechRecognizerLauncher.launch(intent)
} else {
ActivityCompat.requestPermissions(
context as Activity,
arrayOf(Manifest.permission.RECORD_AUDIO),
100
)
}
},
modifier = Modifier.padding(start = 8.dp)
) {
Text("Speak")
}
Required imports
To implement permission handling, you need these imports:
import android.Manifest
import android.content.pm.PackageManager
import androidx.core.app.ActivityCompat
import androidx.core.content.ContextCompat
Permission states
The permission check returns one of these states:
PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED
PackageManager.PERMISSION_DENIED
Best practices
Always check permissions before attempting to use the microphone. Failing to do so will cause a SecurityException on Android 6.0 and higher.
If the user denies the permission multiple times, Android may stop showing the permission dialog. Consider explaining why you need the permission before requesting it, especially after a denial.
Handling permission denial
The current implementation requests permission when the user taps the “Speak” button. For a better user experience, you might want to:
- Show an explanation dialog before requesting the permission
- Handle the permission result to provide feedback
- Detect when the user has permanently denied the permission and direct them to app settings
Alternative: Using accompanist permissions library
For a more Compose-friendly approach, consider using the Accompanist Permissions library:
@OptIn(ExperimentalPermissionsApi::class)
@Composable
fun VoiceRecognitionScreen() {
val permissionState = rememberPermissionState(Manifest.permission.RECORD_AUDIO)
Button(onClick = {
if (permissionState.status.isGranted) {
// Launch speech recognizer
} else {
permissionState.launchPermissionRequest()
}
}) {
Text("Speak")
}
}