Thankfully, we have apps like Skyvi that make our lives a lot easier (and safer). This is by far the best app to use while texting. Not because of the fancy keyboard, but because of the fully voice controlled experience. Although I have this app listed in the best Siri like apps for Android list, this app is less and at the same time more than that. As a standalone assistant, this app fails miserably. But as an on-road SMS app, this virtual assistant for Android shines bright.
The Good
Skyvi comes with a simple interface that’s not too difficult to master. The voice recognition works well, and the app can perform basic tasks quite nicely. The best part of the app is its ability to send texts without having you touch the smartphone. The app takes over your default app and displays the texts as they arrive, giving you the option of replying back easily.
The Bad
While advertised as an Android virtual assistant, I found Skyvi quite lacking. Compare it side by side with apps like Assistant and Pocket Assistant and you’ll immediately feel the difference. It’s a bare bones assistant that doesn’t pull its own weight when it comes to the actual assisting.
The Bottom Line
Get Skyvi if you need a reliable and easy to use voice to text messaging app. The app can handle SMS, Tweets, Facebook status updates, and emails extremely well. The voice recognition works quite well, but background noise can make it wobble a bit. Overall, this Android virtual assistant works well for the things it was designed to do.
The First Boot
Obtain the app from the Google Play Store. It’s small size and should download in under a minute with a decent Wi-Fi connection or using faster mobile data. After the app is on your Android phone or tablet, launch it from the app drawer or the notification bar. Unfortunately, there is not a detailed welcome screen or any tutorials here. The app takes you straight to the main screen and leaves you alone to figure things out. I would have liked at least some hints about how to use the app.
Interface
The interface of the app is usable. There is nothing remarkable about it, but it does the job well. I like the color scheme of the design. It’s rare to see this yellow/orange scheme on an app. There is a gigantic mic button on the bottom-middle of the screen. Press it and talk to the phone. It’s a great way to make sure the app is listening to you. If you are driving, there is a driving mode button located on the left side of the mic button. As I said, this app was probably made with driving mode in mind. I have yet to see another Android assistant app that features a prominent drive mode button.
Features
The app has some quality features. For example, you can easily Tweet using this app. It can also help you call a friend if you need to. Other than that, the app doesn’t offer much in terms of features. When it comes to other features, the app will play music, update your Facebook and do simple Google searches. But that’s about it.
Voice Recognition
The app understood my thick Asian accent quite well. In a quiet room, it almost felt like talking to a real person. It understood each and every word I spoke without any errors. The app also helped me write a couple of text messages with ease. I replied to all my birthday wishes using this handy app, and it worked remarkably well. In the car, usage was just OK. It didn’t wow me while driving and did make some mistakes that required me touch the phone. Disctractions like this are what the app is attempting to prevent.
Permissions
The app has access to your contacts, text messages, your browsing history and has access to your social network accounts and share your location. These are all valid permissions for an assistant app for Android. The app can’t perform any of the useful tasks if it doesn’t have permission to do them. This app gets a clean bill from me.
Conclusion
Skyvi is an excellent example of an app that is advertised wrong. Right on the main Google Play landing page, the app is claiming to be a Siri-like app for Android. I mean it’s right there in the name. But having used Siri myself, this app is nowhere near that quality. However, the voice texting feature of this app can give any other assistant a run for its money. I would, however, recommend this app to frequent drivers. If you have a job that involves a lot of driving, this app can help you answer texts with relative ease. Even in congested areas, the app will be able to listen and translate your voice into send-able texts. Do you use a better voice-to-text message app? What is it and why is your favorite app better than Skyvi?
