Tech giant Google has officially added Javanese and Sundanese languages to its Voice Search feature on Tuesday.

Available on the Google app, Google Translate app and smart keyboard app Gboard on Android, the new language option is the result of a collaboration between the company and Indonesian universities, namely Gajah Mada University (UGM) and Sanata Dharma University in Yogyakarta, as well as Indonesia University of Education (UPI) in Bandung, West Java.

Those wanting to use Javanese or Sundanese on Google Voice Search need to set their language in the Google app's Voice Setting menu. After changing the setting, users can then dictate questions in either of the languages by clicking the microphone icon.

The same thing applies for those wanting to use the feature on Gboard.

Read also: Waze allows iOS users to use own voice as navigation sound

Google Speech and Keyboard Team technical program manager Daan van Esch said in a press release that the new language option aimed to make the internet more inclusive and useful for many people, this is why the language barrier needs to be overcome.

Esch added that the local language option was relevant to the Indonesian market, as the number of internet users has increased.

The company said in a statement that the number of Google Voice Search users in Indonesia has quickly increased, 50 percent above the global number.

To incorporate the new languages, Google has worked together with native speakers to collect samples of conversations by asking them to read general phrases. This process uses machine learning to understand voices and words from time to time, improving its accuracy. (kes)

Popular

The fragile promise of pluralism, religious freedom in Southeast Asia

Coffee, gold push up inflation to 1.95 percent in April

Power begins to return after outage in Indonesia's Bali island