Record from the car microphone

You can use your car's CarAppService and CarAudioRecord API to grant your app access to the user's car microphone. Users must grant permission to your app to access the car microphone. Your app can record and process user input in your app.

Declare permission to record

Before recording any audio, you must first declare the permission to record in your AndroidManifest.xml and request that the user grant it.

<manifest ...>
   ...
   <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO" />
   ...
</manifest>

You must request the permission to record at runtime. To learn more about how to request permissions in your car, see Request permissions.

Record audio

After the user gives permission to record, you can record the audio and process the recording.

Kotlin

val carAudioRecord = CarAudioRecord.create(carContext)
        carAudioRecord.startRecording()

        val data = ByteArray(CarAudioRecord.AUDIO_CONTENT_BUFFER_SIZE)
        while(carAudioRecord.read(data, 0, CarAudioRecord.AUDIO_CONTENT_BUFFER_SIZE) >= 0) {
            // Use data array
            // Potentially call carAudioRecord.stopRecording() if your processing finds end of speech
        }
        carAudioRecord.stopRecording()

Java

CarAudioRecord carAudioRecord = CarAudioRecord.create(getCarContext());
        carAudioRecord.startRecording();

        byte[] data = new byte[CarAudioRecord.AUDIO_CONTENT_BUFFER_SIZE];
        while (carAudioRecord.read(data, 0, CarAudioRecord.AUDIO_CONTENT_BUFFER_SIZE) >= 0) {
            // Use data array
            // Potentially call carAudioRecord.stopRecording() if your processing finds end of speech
        }
        carAudioRecord.stopRecording();

Acquire audio focus

When recording from the car microphone, you must acquire audio focus first. This stops any ongoing media. If you lose audio focus, stop recording. For example, to acquire audio focus:

Kotlin

val carAudioRecord = CarAudioRecord.create(carContext)

        // Take audio focus so that user's media is not recorded
        val audioAttributes = AudioAttributes.Builder()
            .setContentType(AudioAttributes.CONTENT_TYPE_SPEECH)
            // Use the most appropriate usage type for your use case
            .setUsage(AudioAttributes.USAGE_ASSISTANCE_NAVIGATION_GUIDANCE)
            .build()

        val audioFocusRequest =
            AudioFocusRequest.Builder(AudioManager.AUDIOFOCUS_GAIN_TRANSIENT_EXCLUSIVE)
                .setAudioAttributes(audioAttributes)
                .setOnAudioFocusChangeListener { state: Int ->
                    if (state == AudioManager.AUDIOFOCUS_LOSS) {
                        // Stop recording if audio focus is lost
                        carAudioRecord.stopRecording()
                    }
                }
                .build()

        if (carContext.getSystemService(AudioManager::class.java)
                .requestAudioFocus(audioFocusRequest)
            != AudioManager.AUDIOFOCUS_REQUEST_GRANTED
        ) {
            // Don't record if the focus isn't granted
            return
        }

        carAudioRecord.startRecording()
        // Process the audio and abandon the AudioFocusRequest when done

Java

CarAudioRecord carAudioRecord = CarAudioRecord.create(getCarContext());
        // Take audio focus so that user's media is not recorded
        AudioAttributes audioAttributes =
                new AudioAttributes.Builder()
                        .setContentType(AudioAttributes.CONTENT_TYPE_SPEECH)
                        // Use the most appropriate usage type for your use case
                        .setUsage(AudioAttributes.USAGE_ASSISTANCE_NAVIGATION_GUIDANCE)
                        .build();

        AudioFocusRequest audioFocusRequest =
                new AudioFocusRequest.Builder(AudioManager.AUDIOFOCUS_GAIN_TRANSIENT_EXCLUSIVE)
                        .setAudioAttributes(audioAttributes)
                        .setOnAudioFocusChangeListener(state -> {
                            if (state == AudioManager.AUDIOFOCUS_LOSS) {
                                // Stop recording if audio focus is lost
                                carAudioRecord.stopRecording();
                            }
                        })
                        .build();

        if (getCarContext().getSystemService(AudioManager.class).requestAudioFocus(audioFocusRequest)
                != AUDIOFOCUS_REQUEST_GRANTED) {
            // Don't record if the focus isn't granted
            return;
        }

        carAudioRecord.startRecording();
        // Process the audio and abandon the AudioFocusRequest when done
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