The short answer: tap where you want to type, tap the microphone on the keyboard, and speak. On iPhone, turn it on first in Settings > General > Keyboard > Enable Dictation (Apple). On Android with Gboard, tap the Microphone at the top of the keyboard and talk when you see “Speak now” (Google). Say “period” or “question mark” to add punctuation, and read it over before you send.
iPhone: turn on Dictation (one time)
- Open Settings, tap General, then Keyboard.
- Turn on Enable Dictation. If a message appears, tap Enable Dictation (Apple).
iPhone: talk instead of type
- Open Messages (or any app) and tap in the text box where you want the words.
- Tap the microphone button on the keyboard.
- When the microphone icon appears near the cursor, start talking (Apple).
- Tap the microphone again when you’re done, read it over, then send.
The keyboard stays open while you dictate, so you can mix talking and typing (Apple).
Android (Gboard): talk instead of type
- Open Messages, Gmail or another app and tap where you want to type.
- At the top of the keyboard, tap Microphone.
- When you see “Speak now,” say what you want written (Google).
Gboard is Google’s keyboard app. If your phone uses a different keyboard, see the Samsung section below or look for a microphone on your keyboard. Talk-to-text doesn’t work in every language (Google).
Samsung Galaxy phones
Samsung phones come with two voice-to-text options: Samsung voice input (only works with Samsung Keyboard) and Google Voice Typing (Samsung). With Samsung Keyboard open, tap Voice input in the toolbar above the keys. To switch options, go to Settings > General management > Keyboard list and default (Samsung). The first time, you may need to accept terms or allow permissions (Samsung).
Say your punctuation
- “Period,” “comma,” “question mark,” “exclamation point” (Google).
- “New line” or “new paragraph” to start a new line (Google, Apple).
- On iPhone, say an emoji’s name, such as “heart emoji” (Apple).
Example: say “Running ten minutes late comma see you soon period” to get “Running ten minutes late, see you soon.”
Fix mistakes
- iPhone: say “delete” or “select” followed by the words to change, or “undo.” To spell a name, say it and spell it: “Steven S-T-E-P-H-E-N” (Apple).
- Android: touch and hold the wrong word, tap Microphone, and say the right word (Google).
- You can always tap into the text and fix it with the keyboard.
If it isn’t working
- Check that Dictation (iPhone) or the voice input option (Samsung) is turned on, as above.
- Make sure the keyboard language matches the language you’re speaking.
- Speak at a normal pace in a quiet room.
- Restart the phone and install updates. See how to install updates safely.
Prefer bigger text on screen while you check what you said? See how to make text bigger on iPhone and Android.
Questions people ask about voice-to-text
Does voice-to-text use the internet?
On iPhone, dictation is processed on the phone in many languages and doesn’t need an internet connection. Text you dictate into a search box may be sent to the search engine (Apple). Apple notes cellular data charges may apply when using Dictation (Apple).
How do I add a period or a new line?
Say the punctuation out loud: “period,” “comma,” “question mark,” “exclamation point,” “new line” or “new paragraph” (Google, Apple). On iPhone, commas, periods and question marks are often added for you (Apple).
Can I use voice-to-text in email and notes too?
Yes. It works almost anywhere the keyboard appears, such as Messages, Mail, Gmail or Notes (Apple, Google).
Why is the microphone button missing?
On iPhone, turn on Settings > General > Keyboard > Enable Dictation (Apple). On a Samsung phone, go to Settings > General management > Keyboard list and default and turn on Google Voice Typing, or use Samsung voice input from the Samsung Keyboard toolbar (Samsung).
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