Speech to Text Not Working? 9 Fixes for iPhone, Android, Mac and PC
Voice to text usually stops working for a dull reason: the microphone permission got switched off, dictation itself is disabled, or the phone is listening through the wrong mic. A mismatched language setting is the other usual suspect, and fixing any of these takes a couple of minutes.
The same few causes are behind speech to text not working on a phone or a computer. This guide starts with iPhone and Android, because that's where most people run into it, then works through nine fixes that also cover Mac, Windows, Chrome, Google Docs and Microsoft Word. The menu paths match Apple's, Google's, Samsung's and Microsoft's own help pages as of October 2026.
Why is my voice to text not working?
Here are the causes, roughly in the order worth checking:
- The app or keyboard has lost microphone permission. Updates and phone "cleaner" apps sometimes revoke it.
- Dictation or voice typing is switched off, so the mic key has vanished from the keyboard.
- Sound is going to a different microphone, usually earbuds still connected over Bluetooth or a car stereo.
- The dictation language doesn't match what you're saying, which gets you nonsense or nothing.
- You're offline and the speech service needs a connection. iPhones dictate on the device in many languages, but Windows voice typing and Microsoft Word's Dictate both need the internet.
- Something is blocking the mic outright, like a Screen Time restriction on iPhone or the Microphone access switch on Android 12 and later.
Short on time? Check 1 and 3 first.
Quick check before you troubleshoot
Test the microphone on its own. Open Voice Memos on an iPhone or Mac, a recorder app on Android, or Sound Recorder on Windows, record five seconds and play it back. If you hear silence or crackle, you have a hardware or routing problem and no dictation setting will fix it. On a computer, also watch the input level meter in sound settings while you talk: a mic can be connected and still turned all the way down.
Next, turn Bluetooth off for a minute. AirPods sitting in their case on the desk can grab the audio, and so can the car parked in the driveway. If dictation starts working with Bluetooth off, you've found it.
Then fully close and reopen the app you're dictating into. Some apps only read their permissions when they launch.
Talk to text not working on iPhone
On iPhone, talk to text lives on the keyboard. You tap the microphone button, speak, then tap it again or say "stop dictation". If the button is missing, or it appears and nothing gets typed, go through these in order.
Turn dictation back on
Open Settings → General → Keyboard and turn on Enable Dictation. If it's already on, turn it off, wait a few seconds, and turn it back on, tapping Enable Dictation if a prompt appears. If the mic button is missing, this switch is the first suspect.
Switch back to Apple's keyboard
Third-party keyboards don't always include Apple's dictation button. If you use Gboard, SwiftKey or Grammarly's keyboard, touch and hold the globe key, choose the standard keyboard, and look for the mic again.
Check the language
Dictation follows your keyboard. Apple's help page says that when you use a keyboard for another language, you can dictate in that language too. The reverse is the trap: speak Spanish into an English keyboard and you'll get gibberish. Add the right one in Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard, then switch to it with the globe key before you talk.
Look for Screen Time restrictions
Phones set up by a parent, school or employer can have Siri and related features blocked. Go to Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions. On iOS 27, check the Siri section and Other Features. Older versions of iOS had a Siri & Dictation switch under Allowed Apps. If you don't know the Screen Time passcode, whoever set it up will need to change this.
It types for a while, then stops
That one is by design. Apple says iPhone dictation stops automatically after 30 seconds of silence, so a long pause to think ends the session. Tap the mic again and keep going.
Check the mic hardware
Record a Voice Memo. If the playback sounds muffled, take the case off and look at the small grilles along the bottom edge for lint. If the problem started the day you changed case, that's a strong hint.
Talk to text not working on Android
Android talk to text usually runs through Gboard, Google's keyboard, or Samsung Keyboard on Galaxy phones. Not sure which one you have? Search Settings for "keyboard" and look at what's set as default.
Gboard: give it the microphone
Open Settings → Apps → Gboard → Permissions → Microphone and choose Allow only while using the app. It's the first thing Google's own Gboard troubleshooting page tells you to check.
Gboard: make sure voice typing is on
Open any app with a text box and tap the gear on the Gboard toolbar. Go to Voice typing and turn it on. Now tap the microphone at the top of the keyboard and wait for "Speak now" before you start talking. Google also notes that talk to text doesn't work in every language, so if you've added a less common one, switch to English briefly to test.
Gboard: clear the cache
Go to Settings → Apps → Gboard → Storage and tap Clear cache. Still broken? Go back and tap Clear storage (Clear data on some phones). That second option wipes your keyboard settings and learned words, which is why cache comes first. Force stop, on the app's main settings screen, is a quicker reset worth trying in between.
Samsung Keyboard
On a Galaxy phone, go to Settings → General management → Keyboard list and default, tap Samsung Keyboard, then Voice input. Samsung lets you choose between Samsung voice input and Google voice typing there. When one breaks, switch to the other and test. The same screen has offline language packs for Samsung voice input if you want dictation with no signal.
The Microphone access switch
Android 12 and later have a privacy switch for the microphone in Quick Settings. Swipe down from the top of the screen, expand the panel, and look for Microphone access. With it off, every app hears silence, Gboard included. It's an easy one to tap by accident when you're reaching for the torch.
Update the speech parts
Update Gboard from the Play Store. While you're there, search for Speech Recognition & Synthesis from Google and update that too. It supplies Google's speech engine on many phones and updates separately from Android itself.
Fix 1: Check microphone permissions (most common cause)
Phones aside, the permission problem hits computers too, and an OS update can reset it without telling you.
If you're not sure the microphone itself works, our free mic test shows its live level in your browser in a few seconds.
Mac: Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone. The app you're dictating into needs its switch on. For dictation in a website, the browser needs it. If an app isn't listed, it hasn't asked yet: open it, try voice typing, and the system prompt should appear.
If you dismissed that prompt, the app may not ask again. You can make macOS forget the decision by running this in Terminal:
tccutil reset Microphone com.example.appname
Replace com.example.appname with the app's bundle identifier (for Chrome that's com.google.Chrome), then relaunch the app.
Windows: Go to Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone. Turn on Microphone access at the top, then make sure both Let apps access your microphone and Let desktop apps access your microphone are on. It's one master switch: with it off, nothing gets the mic, and big Windows updates sometimes flip it.
iPhone: Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone lists the apps that have asked for the mic. This matters for apps with their own voice features, like voice notes in a messaging app. Apple's keyboard dictation doesn't need a switch here.
Chrome: Click the three dots, then Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Microphone. If the site you're using is in the Not allowed list, remove it and reload the page.
After changing a permission, quit and reopen the app.
Fix 2: Toggle dictation off and back on
Sometimes the speech feature just gets stuck. Switching it off and on again makes the system start it fresh.
On a Mac, open System Settings → Keyboard, find Dictation, and turn it off. Wait ten seconds and turn it back on. While you're there, look at the text under Dictation: it tells you whether your Mac processes dictation on the device or needs an internet connection.
Check the Shortcut menu on the same screen too. Apple also lets you start dictating from Edit → Start Dictation in the menu bar, so if that works and the shortcut doesn't, the shortcut is your problem.
On Windows, voice typing opens with Windows key + H. Microsoft says it needs an internet connection, a working microphone and your cursor in a text box. If the panel opens but nothing types, click the gear icon in the panel to check which mic it's using, then look for the Online speech recognition switch under Settings → Privacy & security → Speech and turn it off and on. Flaky Wi-Fi shows up as voice typing that cuts out with no error.
For iPhone and Android, use the steps in the sections above.
Fix 3: Update your operating system and apps
Speech bugs ship in OS updates, and later updates fix them. If dictation broke recently, the fix may already be waiting.
On a Mac it's System Settings → General → Software Update, and on an iPhone it's Settings → General → Software Update. Windows keeps it under Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates.
Android menus vary by brand, usually Settings → System or Settings → Software update. The system update matters less than the apps, though: update Gboard and Speech Recognition & Synthesis from Google in the Play Store, because those carry the actual speech engine.
In Chrome, click the three dots → Help → About Google Chrome. It checks and installs in one go.
Fix 4: Check your language settings
A language mismatch rarely shows an error. You just get garbage, or an empty text box.
Mac: System Settings → Keyboard, then click Edit next to Languages under Dictation. Tick every language you dictate in. If you set up more than one, you can switch while dictating by clicking the language shown next to the cursor.
Windows: Settings → Time & language → Speech. Make sure the speech language matches the one you speak.
Android: In Gboard settings, open Languages and check the active one. Gboard's advanced voice typing on Pixel phones expects your Gboard and device languages to match.
Google Docs: After Tools → Voice typing, there's a language menu above the microphone. Google says voice commands like "select paragraph" only work when both your account language and the document language are English.
Fix 5: Disable conflicting features
Voice Control on a Mac takes over from Dictation. Apple puts it plainly: when Voice Control is on, standard macOS Dictation isn't available. Turn it off in System Settings → Accessibility → Voice Control if you don't need it.
Another app can also be sitting on the mic. Zoom, Teams, Discord and screen recorders are the usual ones. Quit them and try again.
Then there are browser extensions. Privacy tools and ad blockers can block mic access for whole sites. Open an Incognito window, where extensions are off by default, and test voice typing there. If it works, turn extensions back on one at a time until it breaks.
Fix 6: Fix Google Docs and Microsoft Word voice typing
Google Docs voice typing and Word's Dictate button both work separately from your computer's own dictation. One can be broken while the other is fine.
Google Docs
According to Google's help page, voice typing works in the latest versions of Chrome, Edge and Safari. Firefox isn't on that list, so if Tools → Voice typing is missing, try another browser before anything else.
Check the site permission next. On a Google Doc, click the icon to the left of the address bar and make sure Microphone is allowed for docs.google.com. Then check your computer gives the browser itself mic access (Fix 1).
If voice typing worked once and now ignores you, clear the browser's cached files and cookies for the site (in Chrome, three dots → Delete browsing data), then reload the document. If the mic icon switches itself off, click it again before you assume something is broken.
If it starts, works for a bit, then goes quiet, keep the Docs tab in front while you talk and close anything else using the mic. Docs is an online app, so if your Wi-Fi drops, voice typing stops with it. There's more on this in our Google Docs voice typing troubleshooting guide.
Microsoft Word
Microsoft says Dictate is only available to Microsoft 365 subscribers and needs a microphone and a reliable internet connection. If you bought Office outright, such as Office 2016 or 2019 for Windows, the button won't be there.
If you do have a subscription and it still won't work:
- Sign in to your Microsoft account inside Word.
- Update Office through File → Account → Update Options → Update Now.
- Check the document isn't read-only. That's the reason Microsoft gives for a greyed-out Dictate button.
- Check the system mic permissions (Fix 1).
Word also tells you what's wrong, if you know how to read its messages:
| Message | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| We don't have access to your microphone | Another app is using the mic, or the browser hasn't been given permission |
| There is a problem with your microphone | The mic isn't plugged in or isn't working |
| We can't detect your microphone | Same as above: check it's connected and selected |
| Dictation can't hear you | The mic is muted or the input level is too low |
If Dictate keeps failing on a PC, press Windows key + H instead. Windows voice typing types into whatever text field has focus, Word documents included, and gets you working while you sort out the Word problem. Our guide to voice typing in Microsoft Word covers the feature in full.
Fix 7: Disconnect Bluetooth devices
Connect headphones and your phone or computer will often switch the microphone to them. If those headphones have a poor mic, or you're not wearing them, speech to text hears almost nothing.
Disconnect every Bluetooth audio device and test with the built-in mic. If dictation suddenly works, reconnect devices one at a time to find the culprit.
On a Mac you can pin the dictation mic directly. Go to System Settings → Keyboard, then use the menu next to Microphone source under Dictation. Automatic lets the Mac guess; picking your built-in or USB mic stops the guessing.
Also check System Settings → Sound → Input. macOS sometimes switches mics after waking from sleep or connecting to a dock, which is the classic "my mic works but voice typing doesn't" case. If the input level meter doesn't move when you talk, the problem is the hardware.
On Windows, check Settings → System → Sound → Input, choose the right device and make sure the volume isn't at zero.
Fix 8: Restart your device (yes, really)
A restart clears stuck audio processes, and after an OS update it's often needed before audio and accessibility changes fully apply. On a phone or Mac, a full shut down and start up is enough.
On Windows you can be more targeted. Press Windows key + R, type services.msc and press Enter. Find Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder, right-click each, and choose Restart.
Fix 9: Reset settings as a last resort
If nothing above worked, these go further. Try them in this order.
iPhone: Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset. Reset All Settings puts every setting back to its default without deleting your apps or data, though you'll re-enter Wi-Fi passwords. Reset Keyboard Dictionary only erases words you've added to the keyboard, so it rarely helps with dictation. Erase All Content and Settings is the nuclear option. Back up first.
Mac: Test in a fresh user account (System Settings → Users & Groups → Add User). If dictation works there, the problem is in your own account's settings and not the Mac. If it fails there too, look at the hardware or reinstall macOS.
Windows: Old guides tell you to create a new profile in Windows Speech Recognition. On Windows 11 version 22H2 and later, Microsoft has replaced that tool with voice access, so it may not exist on your PC at all. Voice typing (Windows key + H) and voice access are the current options. Microsoft says voice access uses on-device speech recognition that works without the internet, which makes it worth a try if voice typing keeps cutting out on a patchy connection.
Android: Clear storage for Gboard or Samsung Keyboard as described above. After that, the next step is a factory reset, which is rarely worth it for a keyboard problem.
Still not working?
If every fix fails and the mic records nothing even in a voice memo app, the microphone probably needs repairing. If the mic records fine but dictation still fails, it's worth trying a different dictation tool before taking the device in for repair.
If every setting checks out and the tool still drops words or cuts out on hotel Wi-Fi, the problem may be that it recognises speech online. Tools that run on your own device don't depend on the connection.
For phones there's plenty of choice, and our roundup of voice typing apps covers it. For Mac readers, there's one option we make ourselves, so weigh that accordingly: Blazing Transcribe is a free, open-source dictation app that runs 100% on the Mac, so your voice never leaves it. Hold fn, talk, let go, and the text appears in whatever app your cursor is in. It needs macOS 15 or later on Apple Silicon, so it won't help with your phone or a Windows PC.
If you're specifically troubleshooting Apple's built-in dictation on a computer, our guide to speech to text on Mac covers setup and settings in detail.
FAQ
Why did my talk to text stop working after an update?
Talk to text often stops working after an update because updates can reset permissions, switch dictation off, or change your default keyboard. Check the mic permission for your keyboard app, confirm dictation is still enabled, and make sure your keyboard language hasn't changed. On Android, also update Gboard and Speech Recognition & Synthesis from Google, since they update separately from the system.
Does voice to text need internet?
It depends on the device. Apple says iPhone dictation works on the device in many languages with no internet needed, and Apple silicon Macs handle most dictation locally too. Windows voice typing needs a connection, and so do Dictate in Microsoft Word and Google Docs voice typing. On Android, Samsung voice input has offline language packs you can download.
Why is my voice to text so inaccurate?
Voice to text is usually inaccurate because of background noise, distance from the mic or a language mismatch. Move somewhere quieter, keep the phone or mic within arm's length, and check the dictation language. Bluetooth headsets often use a lower-quality mic mode, so try the built-in mic for comparison.
Why does voice to text stop by itself?
On iPhone and Mac, Apple's voice to text is designed to stop after 30 seconds without speech, so a long pause to think will end it. Tap or click the mic again to continue. In Google Docs or Word, a dropped connection or another app grabbing the mic are the usual causes.
Why is my speech to text not working in Google Docs?
Speech to text in Google Docs usually fails because of the browser, the site permission or the connection. Google lists the latest Chrome, Edge and Safari, so if Voice typing is missing from the Tools menu, update or switch browser. Then allow the microphone for docs.google.com and check your Wi-Fi.
Why is the Dictate button greyed out in Word?
Microsoft says a greyed-out Dictate button usually means the document is read-only. If the button is missing altogether, Dictate needs a Microsoft 365 subscription, so standalone versions like Office 2019 won't have it.
Is Apple Dictation and Google voice typing free?
Yes. Apple Dictation comes with every iPhone, iPad and Mac, and Gboard voice typing is free on Android. Google Docs voice typing is free in supported browsers. If you want something else on a Mac, our list of free dictation software compares the options.