How VoicePad works on Android
VoicePad is a native Android app built with Kotlin. The Float Orb overlay stays visible above all your apps, ready to dictate whenever you need it.
The Float Orb
A floating microphone button that hovers over any app. Tap it, speak, tap again — your text appears in the focused text field. Works in WhatsApp while chatting, Gmail while composing, Chrome while searching. No copy-paste needed.
AccessibilityService text injection
VoicePad uses Android's AccessibilityService to inject text directly into any app's text field. This is the same API that password managers and accessibility tools use — standard Android functionality, not a hack.
Background recording
Start recording, lock your phone, keep talking. VoicePad transcribes in the background. Perfect for long dictations, meeting notes, or voice memos on the go.
Apps it works with on Android
Messaging apps
- WhatsApp — dictate messages directly in chat
- Telegram — works in any conversation
- Signal — private messaging + private dictation
- SMS — built-in messaging app
Email & productivity
- Gmail — compose emails hands-free
- Outlook — Microsoft 365 support
- Google Docs — document creation
- Notion (mobile) — notes and databases
Browsers & web apps
- Chrome — search bars, forms, web apps
- ChatGPT / Claude (web) — talk to AI by voice
- Any web form — if you can tap it, VoicePad can type in it
Rule of thumb: If an app has a text field, VoicePad can dictate into it.
Technical implementation on Android
| Component | Implementation |
|---|---|
| Whisper runtime | whisper.cpp (JNI bindings) |
| Acceleration | CPU (NEON SIMD) |
| Audio capture | AudioRecord API |
| Voice detection | Silero VAD (ONNX) |
| Text injection | AccessibilityService |
| UI framework | Jetpack Compose |
| Float overlay | System overlay permission |
| Codebase | Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) |
VoicePad uses AccessibilityService for text injection — the same API that password managers and screen readers use. No root required, works on any Android 8+ device.
VoicePad vs Google Voice Typing
| Feature | VoicePad AI | Google Voice Typing |
|---|---|---|
| Works offline | Yes, always | Limited (poor accuracy) |
| Accuracy | Whisper (95-98%) | Good online, poor offline |
| Privacy | 100% on-device | Voice sent to Google |
| Works in any app | Yes (Float Orb) | Keyboard only |
| Background recording | Yes | No |
| Custom dictionary | Yes | Limited |
| Price | $0-50 one-time | Free |
Google Voice Typing is convenient but limited. VoicePad brings Whisper-level accuracy with offline operation and the Float Orb for dictating into any app.
System requirements
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Android version | Android 8 (Oreo) | Android 12+ |
| RAM | 3 GB | 4 GB+ |
| Storage | 300 MB | 500 MB |
| CPU | Snapdragon 660 equivalent | Snapdragon 7 series+ |
| Permissions | Microphone, Accessibility, Overlay | |
Works on Samsung, Google Pixel, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and most Android phones. Whisper Small runs in real-time on any mid-range phone from the last 4 years.
Frequently asked questions
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