Enable Google Voice Typing (Gboard) — Switch Keyboards, Use Offline & Send Voice Messages

A clear, AdSense-friendly guide to get Google Voice Typing (speech-to-text) working on Android: enable it, switch back to the keyboard when needed, install offline language packs, and use the mic to send messages.

Quick overview

Google Voice Typing is built into Gboard (Google Keyboard) and provides fast speech-to-text input across apps. On most phones it’s enabled by default, but if you can’t see a mic icon on the keyboard, follow the steps below to enable it and to run it offline.

Gboard and Google Voice Typing screenshot — Gboard includes Google Voice Typing — look for the microphone icon on the keyboard.

How to enable Google Voice Typing

Open Settings on your phone.
Go to Language & input (or System > Languages & input on some phones).
Select Virtual keyboard (or On-screen keyboard), then tap Gboard (Google Keyboard).
Tap Voice typing and enable Use voice typing (or toggle Google Voice Typing).
Return to any text field and open the keyboard — the mic icon should now appear. Tap the mic to start speaking.

If your keyboard language doesn’t support voice input, switch the keyboard language to a supported language (e.g., English, Malayalam, etc.).

How to switch from Google Voice Typing back to a keyboard

If Google Voice Typing is active and you want to type normally, switch keyboards quickly:

When the keyboard appears, look for the keyboard icon (usually near the bottom-right) or long-press the spacebar.
Select your preferred keyboard (Gboard, Samsung Keyboard, SwiftKey, etc.).
If the mic is showing and you don’t want it, open Settings > Languages & input > Virtual keyboard and disable Google Voice Typing or toggle off the mic in Gboard settings.

Switching keyboards is fast — do it when voice results are inaccurate or when privacy is a concern.

Use Google Voice Typing offline (install offline speech package)

By default Google processes speech online. To use voice typing without an internet connection, download offline speech files:

Open Settings > Google > Settings for Google apps > Search, Assistant & Voice > Voice.
Tap Offline speech recognition > All and select the language you want (English, Malayalam, etc.).
Tap the language to download the offline recognition package. Wait for the download to complete (use Wi‑Fi to save data).
Once installed, return to Gboard > Voice typing — offline speech recognition will be available automatically.

Offline packs are compact but make sure you have enough storage before downloading.

Video: installing offline speech recognition and enabling voice typing.

How to send a message by voice

Open any messaging app (SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger) and tap the text field to open the keyboard.
Tap the microphone icon on the keyboard and speak your message clearly. The text appears as you speak.
Review the transcribed text, edit if needed, then send.

You can enable profanity filtering or punctuation insertion in Gboard settings if you prefer automated punctuation or censorship of offensive words.

Troubleshooting & tips

No mic icon? Ensure Gboard is set as the default keyboard: Settings > Languages & input > Virtual keyboard > Manage keyboards.
Poor recognition? Download the offline language pack, speak clearly, or try a different supported language variant (e.g., English (US) vs English (UK)).
Privacy: Voice input may be sent to Google servers unless offline mode and local processing are used. Review Google app permissions.
Battery/data: Online voice recognition consumes data; use Wi‑Fi for downloads and offline packs to save mobile data.

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Enable Google Voice Typing — Switch Keyboards, Use Offline & Send Voice Messages