How to turn on voice to text on Android and dictate your first message

How do I turn on voice typing in Gboard?

Gboard’s voice typing puts your speech into whichever text field you have open. If you can already see a microphone at the top of the keyboard, tap it and try your reply.

If the mic is missing, turn voice typing on:

1. Tap Gboard’s gear icon to open its settings.
2. Open Voice typing and turn on Use voice typing.
3. Return to your message and tap the keyboard’s microphone.
4. Allow microphone access if asked. Wait for Speak now, then say your reply.

Try one sentence in your open message field. Once the words appear, tap the mic to stop.

Where is voice typing on Samsung Keyboard?

On a Galaxy, look at the bottom left of the screen. The microphone can sit below the keyboard, so searching its top row may leave you looking in the wrong place.

Samsung Keyboard lets you choose which service turns speech into text while keeping the keyboard you know.

1. Open Settings → General management → Samsung Keyboard settings → Voice input.
2. Choose Samsung voice input or Google Voice Typing.
3. Open Settings → General management → Keyboard list and default. Turn on Keyboard button on navigation bar.

On some versions, you’ll find Voice input by opening Samsung Keyboard inside Keyboard list and default.

Return to your message, tap the mic at the bottom left and say a short reply.

Everything is enabled, but the mic is missing or greyed out? Follow the steps for that problem here:

Fix a missing or greyed-out microphone

How do I dictate a message, note or email?

Voice typing writes into the field you select. In a chat or note, tap where the text should go. In Gmail, select the subject to dictate a subject line, then tap the email body to dictate the message.

Try this in your app:

Say: “Dinner at seven period”

Check for: “Dinner at seven.”

In ordinary English voice typing, say period for a full stop, comma for a comma and new paragraph to start a paragraph.

Check the time and any names before sending. To replace one word in Gboard, press and hold the word to select it, tap the keyboard’s microphone and say the replacement.

Need more punctuation commands?

Add punctuation while dictating

Can I speak my reply and make changes by voice?

You’ve got a message into the text field, and you can replace a word. Now you want to finish the thought without planning each spoken comma or reaching for the keys to rewrite a sentence.

Watch the reply appear while the familiar keyboard stays on screen.

Then watch a selected message change by voice.

Aqua Voice adds a floating button beside your own keyboard on Android 10 or later. It adds punctuation and leaves out filler words as it turns speech into text. Your familiar layout and swipes stay with you.

To write a reply, open the message field, tap Aqua, speak, then tap the checkmark. To change it, select the text, choose Edit and say what you want changed.

Try it on your next message while keeping the keyboard you know. Aqua offers a free start.

How do I stop voice typing?

Tap the built-in voice typing microphone again to stop listening. To turn off voice typing in Gboard, open its gear icon → Voice typing and switch off Use voice typing.

With Aqua, tap the checkmark to finish dictating and insert your text. You can then carry on typing on your usual keyboard.

Give your next reply a try now: dictate it, check the words and send it when you’re ready.

Want to handle the changes by voice too? Try dictating and editing that reply with Aqua beside your usual keyboard.