The truth is that, over the years, we have become accustomed to using mobile phones in an unimaginable way not long ago. The voice dictation of the keyboard is one of the best functions they have, since it allows us to write only with our speech. Something that can sometimes stop working properly, so you can fix it on your Android phone.
Usually, most Android mobiles come with built- in Gboard. That is, the keyboard app that is used by default on these phones as a regular tool. However, sometimes voice dictation stops working in an unexpected way. Well, there is a solution that can help you get it back.
Check the keyboard and voice-typing setting
This guide covers Gboard on Android. If you use Samsung Keyboard or another keyboard, its settings may differ. A missing microphone button or failed dictation can result from a disabled voice-typing setting, a denied permission, a language or connection issue, or an app problem. It does not by itself prove a broken microphone.
Open a text field, select Gboard, then open the keyboard’s Settings > Voice typing and enable Use voice typing. On the phone, check Settings > Apps > Gboard > Permissions > Microphone and allow access while using the app. Menu labels vary between Android devices.
Solve the problem
The solutions that we are going to give you are based on software, but you also have to check that the phone’s hardware, or what is the same, the microphone itself, works correctly.
To do this, try to record a voice memo on WhatsApp or record a video with the phone’s camera. If you do not hear anything in both, it is likely that the problem is hardware, although it could also be due to the software itself. So we will have to try the following alternatives to see which may be the real culprit and solve it.
Restart the mobile
If you have not restarted your device in a long time, now is a good time to do so, since with this simple action we could get it to work normally again. And is that restarting the mobile deletes all open applications and eliminates the possible processes that have failed. Therefore, this is the fastest solution to your problem since you simply have to turn off the phone and wait between 10 and 30 seconds before turning it on again.
Removes dirt
Few of us are used to cleaning our smartphone every so often. The phone is one of the devices that accumulates the most dirt throughout its useful life. And this is because we continually carry it with us, whether in our pocket or bag. So we leave it exposed to different external agents.
Remove any case that covers a microphone opening and follow the phone manufacturer’s cleaning instructions. Wipe the outside gently with a soft, dry cloth. Do not insert a pin or other object into an opening, or force liquid or compressed air into it. If dictation and an ordinary voice recording both fail after checking permissions, contact the manufacturer for diagnosis.
Check the language and connection
Verify that the selected keyboard language supports voice typing on your device. Test with a working internet connection; offline and advanced voice-typing availability depend on the phone and language. Update Gboard through Google Play and restart the phone. Disabling Google Assistant is not a required general step.
Any headphones connected?
You may not remember, but you may have connected a Bluetooth device that has its own microphone to your phone. Make sure to disconnect other equipment from the mobile, turning off bluetooth if necessary, and restart the smartphone again to see if it works fine again. If in your case it still does not go normally, go to the next option.
Permission issues
If in your case the error is only found in certain applications that you have installed on your phone, it may be that they do not have access to use the mobile microphone or, if they did, it has been revoked at some point.
Check microphone permission for Gboard as well as the recording app used for your test. If your Android device has a system-wide Microphone access control in privacy settings or Quick Settings, make sure it is enabled. Grant permissions only to the apps you intend to use. For a broader review of unfamiliar apps and their permissions, see our Android spyware checks. A voice-typing failure alone does not show that the phone is infected.
Clear the cache before resetting Gboard
In Settings > Apps > Gboard > Storage & cache, try Clear cache, then test voice typing again. If the problem persists, Clear storage or Clear data resets Gboard and can remove saved preferences and learned data. Review that consequence before using it.
Use Google’s Gboard troubleshooting guide for current steps. Uninstalling updates is not a guaranteed fix, and leaving an old version installed can miss later fixes. A missing Google search button is not a reason to reset the keyboard.