Tech Reference

How to enable voice typing on your Gboard app and make the virtual keyboard type for you

Gboard
You can enable voice typing on Gboard to have the keyboard type for you. Google
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Speech-to-text is a useful accessibility feature for those who are less inclined toward typing on a phone or other mobile device's small screen.

Gboard, the keyboard app produced by Google, is one such keyboard that will record your speech in the form of text that you can then send to your contacts. Here's how to enable voice typing on Gboard.

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How to enable voice typing on Gboard and use it

Before you get started, you'll need to make sure you have Gboard installed and set as your current keyboard. Once you've got Gboard as your primary keyboard, follow the steps below.

1. Open the messaging app of your choice. For the purposes of this guide, we're using Facebook Messenger, but Gboard's voice typing should work with almost any messaging app out there.

2. Tap on the person to whom you want to send a message. 

3. If Gboard does not open automatically, tap in the area where you would normally type text.

4. Tap and hold on the microphone icon located toward the top of Gboard. 

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Tap and hold the microphone icon.  Chrissy Montelli/Business Insider

5. When you release your finger from the microphone icon, you will see text that says "Speak now." When you see this text, speak to your mobile device the message you want to send. 

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You will see the line "Speak now."  Chrissy Montelli/Business Insider

6. Tap on the arrow icon to send the message the way you normally would in your chosen messaging app.

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Tap the arrow to send message.  Chrissy Montelli/Business Insider

 

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Chrissy Montelli is a writer and content creator originally from Long Island, NY. She is the author of two poetry chapbooks, Heart Float (Bottlecap Press) and Going to Ithaca (Ghost City Press), as well as various online publications. Read more from her at chrissymontelli.wordpress.com.