Google introduces Australian accent for Android Apps and Maps

Google has introduced the Australian accent for its Google Maps and Google Now App on Android, offering a seamless experience for voice commands and directions.

The tech giant on 28 January said it worked with a team of Australian linguists to enable the native Australian accent for Google users in the country. In its latest video, Google Australia mentioned, "Google app's new Aussie voice goes with those tricky Australian place names."

Google users had been seeking a native voice command to interpret correct names of places like Gulgong or Maroochydore and slangs like Maccas and Footy.

Speaking to Mashable Australia, a Google spokesperson said, "People are starting to talk to their mobile devices more regularly — in fact, mobile voice searches have more than doubled in the past year alone. We wanted to make sure that Aussies were hearing an Australian voice speak back to them when they were asking questions during pub trivia or simply setting an alarm for tomorrow morning."

Earlier, Google Now App and Maps would follow the American accent failing to identify the voice commands from native Australians.

To change the voice setting for Google App, users can tap to Setting and look for 'Language Setting'. The language setting gives the option to change the language from English (American) to English (Australia). To change the setting on Google Maps, users can select 'Language and Input' and pick any desired language.

Google has been working on native languages for its users to connect with their smartphones. A Google mobile voice study that surveyed over 1,400 Americans across all age groups in 2014 revealed that 55% of teens and over 41% of adults were talking to their phones everyday. With the growing popularity of voice search and voice command, Technavio analysts estimated that in the next four years, the voice recognition space in the US would cross the $601m market size, dominated by Apple's Siri, Google Now and Microsoft's Cortana.