Glossary
Third-party keyboard
A third-party keyboard is a keyboard app from a developer other than the phone's maker, which you install and switch to in place of the built-in keyboard. Apple calls the iPhone version a custom keyboard, and Apple's rules limit what it can do, such as network access and microphone use.
Updated October 17, 20264 cited facts, each traced to its source
Also called keyboard extension, custom keyboard.
A third-party keyboard is a keyboard that someone other than your phone's maker writes and you install. It replaces the built-in keyboard in the apps where you type. Apple calls the iPhone version a custom keyboard, and you may also see it called a keyboard extension. The name changes, but the idea is the same.
On Android, an alternative keyboard is an input method
Android's developer documentation says its input method framework lets apps provide alternative input methods, such as on-screen keyboards or speech input 1. So a keyboard that does voice typing on Android is an app that the system lets you choose in place of the default keyboard.
A small example shows what this looks like. WhisperType, a free Android keyboard with a QWERTY layout, has a microphone key for speech-to-text that runs on the device, with a 25-second warning and a 30-second automatic stop 2. The limits on that recording time belong to that keyboard, not to Android in general.
On iPhone, Apple limits what a custom keyboard can do
Apple's developer documentation says a custom iPhone keyboard runs in a sandbox that by default disallows network access, and that users must switch on Allow Full Access to change this 3. A keyboard that sends speech to a server needs network access, so it needs that setting. Our page on Allow Full Access explains the setting and the privacy warning that comes with it.
Microphone use on iPhone was limited in 2017
In 2017, TechCrunch explained that Apple does not let third-party keyboards use the microphone, so Gboard's voice typing runs in the Gboard app, which is allowed to use it 4. That report is from 2017, so Apple's current rules may differ. Check Apple's current documentation before you assume a keyboard can or cannot use the microphone.
What this means when you choose a keyboard
Pick a keyboard by the job you need. If you need speech to be recognized on the phone, look for that claim in the keyboard's own description and privacy text, and check whether it needs a connection. If you need the keyboard to reach the internet, read what it asks for and why. Our question on whether a third-party keyboard can see what you type covers the privacy side in more detail.
Related terms
- Allow Full Access: the iPhone setting that gives a custom keyboard open access.
- Gboard: Google's keyboard app, which has a microphone key for voice typing.
- Samsung voice input: the voice input built into the Samsung Keyboard.
- Dictation: the general act of speaking words that software writes down.
Guides that cover it
Evidence
Every number on this page, with where it comes from. Open a fact to see the exact words in its source.
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
Related terms
- Dictation and Voice to Text on iPhone and AndroidThe topic this term belongs to
- Allow Full AccessAllow Full Access is an iPhone setting that you switch on for a third-party keyboard before it can have open access, such as network access. Apple warns that a keyboard with this setting on is permitted to collect and transmit the text you type.
- GboardGboard is Google's keyboard app for Android and iPhone, and its microphone key turns speech into text in any app where you can type. On Android it can run speech recognition on the phone, while on iPhone the voice input is handled inside the Gboard app and sent to Google.
- Google voice typingGoogle voice typing is the speech-to-text input that Google provides on Android, so you can speak words into a text field. Its name and location vary by phone: Gboard shows a microphone key, while Samsung Galaxy phones list Google Voice Typing next to their own voice input.
- Live CaptionsLive Captions is a feature that shows text for speech and audio as it happens, using the phone's own processing. Google calls it Live Caption on Pixel phones, and Apple calls it Live Captions on iPhone. It reads what others say, so it is the reverse of dictation.
- Live TranscribeLive Transcribe is a Google app for Android phones that turns the speech of people around you into captions as they talk. It helps you follow a conversation. It does not type your own words into a text field, which is what dictation does.
- Real-time text (RTT)Real-time text (RTT) is a way of sending text as it is typed, so the other person can read each word before the sender finishes. It is used in conversation by many deaf and hard of hearing people, and it has no send step like an ordinary text message. It is a typing channel, not a speech technology.
- Samsung voice inputSamsung voice input is the voice-to-text feature built into the Samsung Keyboard on Galaxy phones and tablets. It works only with that keyboard, so it is a separate choice from Google Voice Typing.
- Speech Services by GoogleSpeech Services by Google is the Android speech engine from Google that turns speech into text for other apps and reads on-screen text aloud. Google's Play Store listing now uses the title Speech Recognition & Synthesis, and reviews on that listing still call the app by the older name.
- Transcript Assist (Galaxy AI)Transcript Assist is a Samsung Galaxy AI feature that converts a saved recording in the Voice Recorder app into text. It works on select Galaxy models and needs a working internet connection. It transcribes recordings you already made, so it is not live dictation into a text field.
- Voice Access (Android)Voice Access (Android) is a Google feature that lets you operate an Android phone or tablet by speaking commands, such as opening an app or tapping a labelled item. Google built it for people who have difficulty using a touch screen. It is a control tool that can also enter text, and it is separate from Windows Voice Access on PCs.
- Voice message transcriptsA voice message transcript is written text of the words in an audio message, produced by the messaging app so you can read instead of listen. Apple, Google and WhatsApp each offer one, with different defaults and different privacy arrangements. It turns audio into text, the reverse of dictation.
Pages that use this term
- Dictation and Voice to Text on iPhone and AndroidTopic
- iPhone Dictation Not Working? How to Fix ItGuide
- Voice Typing Not Working on Android: How to Fix ItGuide
- Best Dictation Apps for iPhone and AndroidGuide
- Voice Typing in WhatsApp and Messaging AppsGuide
- Dictation App Permissions: Mic, Full Access, ClipboardGuide
- Offline Voice Typing on iPhone and AndroidGuide
- Can a third-party keyboard see what you type?Question
- Can you use Whisper AI as a keyboard on iPhone or Android?Question
- How do dictation keyboards work on iPhone and Android?Question
- What is the best free dictation app for iPhone?Question
- Why did the microphone disappear from my Android keyboard?Question
- Why is Gboard voice typing not working?Question
- Why is talk to text not working on my Samsung?Question
- Why is the dictation button missing on my iPhone keyboard?Question
- Allow Full AccessGlossary
- GboardGlossary
- Input method editor (IME)Glossary
- Samsung voice inputGlossary