Voice-to-text technology transforms spoken words into written text in real time, using advanced AI models. Adding this feature to your app can improve accessibility, enable hands-free interaction, and support global users with multilingual capabilities. Platforms like Adalo make it easy to integrate voice-to-text functionality without writing code. Here's how you can do it:
- Choose a Speech-to-Text API: Popular options include Google Cloud Speech-to-Text and Microsoft Azure Speech Services, which support multiple languages and features like real-time transcription and speaker identification.
- Use Adalo for No-Code Development: Adalo's drag-and-drop builder and Custom Actions let you visually design your app and connect to APIs for seamless integration.
- Test and Optimize: Ensure high transcription accuracy by testing API responses, refining settings, and addressing any issues with audio quality or performance.
- Deploy Across Platforms: With Adalo, you can launch your app as a Progressive Web App (PWA) and natively on iOS and Android - all from a single build.
Adalo simplifies the process, allowing you to focus on creating a user-friendly app while leveraging powerful AI tools for voice-to-text functionality.
4-Step Process to Add Voice-to-Text Feature Using Adalo
Tools and Platforms You'll Need
To create a voice-to-text feature, you'll need a no-code platform to handle the app's interface and logic, as well as a speech-to-text API to convert audio into text. Platforms like Adalo allow you to visually design your app and integrate voice transcription by connecting to external APIs such as Google Cloud Speech-to-Text or Microsoft Azure Speech Services.
Building with No-Code Platforms
Adalo simplifies app development with its visual tools and Custom Actions, which let you connect to external APIs by configuring endpoints, API keys, and data mapping. Features like Magic Text make it easy to display API responses directly in your app’s interface, so transcriptions appear in real-time. Adalo also includes a built-in database to store audio file URLs alongside their transcriptions. For secure API management, the API Connector in the platform's settings handles authentication keys. To streamline the process further, Adalo offers specialized components like audio recorders and a Version History feature for testing and refining your app configurations.
Speech-to-Text APIs Explained
APIs like Google Cloud Speech-to-Text and Microsoft Azure Speech Services use advanced AI to transcribe speech into text. Google Cloud’s Chirp 3 model supports over 125 languages and costs approximately $0.016 per minute. Microsoft Azure, on the other hand, offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model and a 30-day free trial. Both services include features like automatic punctuation and speaker diarization, and they allow you to adapt the models for domain-specific needs. If you're a new user, you can explore these services with free credits - Google offers $300 in credits, while Azure provides a 30-day trial.
How to Choose the Right Tools
When picking tools for your voice-to-text feature, look for seamless integration with your no-code platform. Adalo’s Custom Actions make it easy to connect with REST APIs, ensuring smooth communication with speech-to-text services. Consider whether you need real-time streaming for live captions or asynchronous processing for pre-recorded audio (up to 480 minutes). For best results, record audio at a sample rate of 16,000 Hz, as lower rates can reduce transcription accuracy. Using free credits to test your setup with real voice data is a smart way to validate functionality before full deployment.
Adalo’s single-codebase approach makes updates simple - modify your app once, and you can deploy it as a Progressive Web App or natively to iOS and Android app stores without rebuilding. Ready to take the next step? Let’s dive into implementing these tools to bring your voice-to-text feature to life.
How to Build a Voice-to-Text Feature
Designing the User Interface in Adalo
Start by opening Adalo's visual builder and clicking the + button to add components. The drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to place buttons, text boxes, and other elements onto your canvas. Add a button that users can tap to start voice recording, and place a text component below it to display the transcribed results.
To link the transcribed text to your app, use Magic Text (marked by the red "T" icon). Connect Magic Text to the response from your speech-to-text API so the transcriptions appear automatically once the processing is done. Since there might be a small delay during speech processing, include a progress indicator to keep users informed. Aim for a clean and straightforward interface to ensure a smooth user experience.
Connecting to a Speech-to-Text API
To integrate a speech-to-text API, you’ll need an Adalo Professional Plan, which allows access to Custom Actions for API connections. Before diving into Adalo, test your API request using Postman to confirm the headers, authentication, and request body are set up correctly.
For example, if you're using Google Cloud Speech-to-Text V2, your endpoint will look something like this:
https://speech.googleapis.com/v2/projects/PROJECT_ID/locations/global/recognizers/_:recognize
Set up a POST request with Bearer token authentication. Ensure the audio data is Base64-encoded when making JSON-based REST API calls. Then, configure your Custom Action in Adalo to map the API’s JSON response - specifically the transcript field - to an Adalo-supported output type, such as Text, Number, or Date/Time.
For short voice commands (under one minute), use synchronous recognition for immediate results. For longer recordings (up to 480 minutes), asynchronous recognition is the way to go. To achieve the best accuracy, record audio at 16,000 Hz.
Once the API connection is set up, test it thoroughly and make any necessary adjustments.
Testing and Improving the Feature
Test your setup in the Google Cloud Console using sample audio files, and tweak the settings as needed. Pay attention to the transcription’s confidence score, which ranges from 0.0 to 1.0. For low-confidence results, consider prompting users to confirm the transcription. If your app deals with specialized terminology or uncommon words, enable model adaptation to improve accuracy by providing hints.
Use Adalo’s Staging Preview to test the feature on various devices - like iPhones, Android phones, and tablets - to ensure consistent performance across platforms. If your app includes niche vocabulary, explore domain-specific models tailored for use cases like phone calls or accents. Keep prompts concise and limit extra actions within Adalo to reduce processing time, as both speech APIs and large language models may take a moment to deliver results.
sbb-itb-d4116c7
Deployment and Scaling Your App
Publishing Your App with Adalo
Once you've thoroughly tested your app, it's time to publish it. Adalo makes this process straightforward by allowing you to deploy your app across three platforms from a single build: the web (using custom domains), the Apple App Store, and the Google Play Store. For native mobile apps, this ensures reliable access to features like the microphone.
Before submitting your app, make sure you have these essentials ready: a clear and concise app description, high-quality screenshots, and an eye-catching app icon. Apple typically reviews submissions within 24 to 48 hours, while Google Play Store approvals can range from a few hours to several days. To gather early feedback, you can use Apple's TestFlight program, which supports up to 10,000 testers. Keep in mind, publishing requires developer accounts: the Apple Developer Program costs $99 per year, and the Google Play Console has a one-time fee of $25. For web deployment, simply go to Settings → Domain in Adalo to connect your custom web address.
Once your app is live, the next step is preparing for growth and scaling to meet user demand.
Scaling for More Users
As your app's voice-to-text feature becomes more popular, scaling efficiently is critical. Start by keeping a close eye on API usage. For instance, the Google Cloud Speech-to-Text V2 API costs about $0.016 per minute. Use your analytics dashboard to monitor usage and manage costs effectively. Make sure you're using the right recognition method for the audio length your app processes. If your app deals with specialized terminology, you can improve accuracy by enabling model adaptation and using boost values for key phrases.
To handle increased traffic, integrate robust error-handling systems and retry mechanisms. These measures ensure smooth operations even during high-demand periods when API request limits might be reached. Integration platforms can help minimize workflow disruptions and keep things running seamlessly.
Maintaining and Updating Your App
Scaling is just the beginning - keeping your app reliable and up-to-date is an ongoing process. Regular maintenance is essential. Use your analytics dashboard to monitor user behavior: track where your users are located, identify the most popular screens, and detect any areas where users might be struggling with the voice-to-text feature. Address issues promptly to maintain your app's quality.
Adalo's Version History tool allows you to save and access up to 10 versions of your app, making it easy to test updates without losing stable builds. You can also use the Staging Preview or Share Your App features to collect feedback from testers before rolling out significant updates. Additionally, keep an eye on the confidence scores (which range from 0.0 to 1.0) returned by your speech-to-text API. If these scores drop consistently, investigate potential audio quality problems or adjust your model settings.
For apps with varying voice-to-text setups, be mindful of how custom actions are managed in Adalo. Changes to a custom action in one app will affect all apps using that action within your team. To avoid unexpected global changes, create separate custom actions for each app when necessary.
Adalo simplifies deployment by enabling you to release your app as a progressive web app (PWA) and as native iOS and Android apps - all from a single build. This ensures a smooth, production-ready experience without the need for additional rebuilds.
Conclusion and Next Steps
You've now explored the steps to integrate a voice-to-text feature into your app using no-code tools.
What You've Learned
You’ve gained a clear understanding of how to seamlessly add voice-to-text functionality to your app. This includes designing a user-friendly interface, connecting to speech-to-text APIs like Google Cloud Speech-to-Text (which supports over 125 languages), and following best practices to ensure high transcription accuracy. Using tools like Adalo's visual builder and AI-powered APIs, you can implement features such as automatic punctuation, noise handling, and multilingual support in just days or weeks.
The key takeaway? Picking the right tools and optimizing for practical use can drastically cut development time - no-code platforms can reduce timelines by as much as 90%, turning months of work into weeks. Plus, with Google Cloud offering up to $300 in free credits for new users, you can experiment and fine-tune your app without upfront expenses.
Armed with this knowledge, you’re ready to fast-track your app development process with Adalo.
Start Building with Adalo
This feature is just the beginning of your app’s growth. By 2026, it’s expected that 70% of new apps developed by enterprises will rely on low-code or no-code platforms, giving you an edge in this rapidly evolving space.
With your feature ready and a clear plan in place, the next step is to launch and scale your app using Adalo’s powerful tools. Start by selecting Adalo’s Professional Plan to unlock Custom Actions for API integrations, and take advantage of developer accounts to publish your app across web, iOS, and Android platforms. Use Adalo’s staging previews to test your app on various devices before going live, and monitor user engagement through the built-in analytics dashboard to refine your features.
Adalo’s platform is designed to let you deploy your app as a Progressive Web App (PWA) while also publishing natively to iOS and Android app stores - all without needing separate builds. It’s a streamlined, production-ready solution to bring your app to users quickly and effectively.
FAQs
What are the benefits of adding a voice-to-text feature to my app?
Adding a voice-to-text feature lets users interact with your app using their voice, offering both convenience and accessibility. This feature is especially useful for those who prefer hands-free input, have mobility challenges, or need to multitask while on the move. It helps create a smoother, more inclusive experience for everyone.
Voice-to-text can also take your app’s usability up a notch with features like automatic transcription, voice search, and real-time captioning. These tools not only make the app more accessible but also encourage user engagement by simplifying data entry and breaking down barriers. The result? A broader appeal and a better overall experience for your audience.
How can I improve the accuracy of speech-to-text transcriptions in my app?
To get the best transcription results, start with clean, high-quality audio and choose tools that suit your app's specific requirements. Record audio in formats like mono with a sample rate of 16 kHz or 44.1 kHz, and do your best to reduce background noise during recording. Leveraging advanced models tailored to your language, such as enhanced versions, can also make a big difference in accuracy.
If your app has unique terms or commands, consider uploading a list of frequently used words or phrases to help the API recognize them more accurately. Make sure to specify the language or locale code (like en-US) and provide context hints whenever possible to guide the system effectively. Regularly test and tweak your audio setup and vocabulary list to keep refining results. These steps will ensure your Adalo app delivers dependable voice-to-text transcriptions.
How do I publish my app to iOS and Android using Adalo?
To get your app live on iOS and Android through Adalo, you'll need to follow the platform's publishing process. This involves setting up your app-store credentials, generating the app's native files, and submitting them through Apple App Store Connect and the Google Play Console.
For a complete walkthrough, check out Adalo's official publishing guides. These step-by-step resources cover everything from initial setup to final submission, helping you ensure your app meets both platforms' requirements and is ready for users.
Related Blog Posts
