How do you change the voice typing language on Android?

On Android, voice typing is provided by Gboard, so the voice typing language is a Gboard language. You change it in two steps. First, add the language to Gboard. Then, while voice typing is open, switch to it from the toolbar. The steps below follow Google's Gboard help pages, which we read on October 17, 2026. Google's menu names can change between Gboard versions, so if a name differs on your phone, look for the same option in the Gboard settings.

Add the language to Gboard before you switch

1. Open any app where you can type, tap a text field, then open Gboard Settings. Tap Languages, then Add keyboard. Pick the language you want to turn on, then pick the layout you want to use ¹.
2. Changing languages with Gboard does not change your phone's own language. Google says that when you change languages with Gboard, your Android device's language settings aren't affected ². So you can dictate in Spanish on an English phone without changing the phone.

Switch the language from the voice toolbar

1. Tap a text field, then tap the Microphone at the top of the keyboard. Speak when you see "Speak now" ³.
2. At the bottom left of the toolbar, tap the abbreviation for your default language, then select a language ⁴.

That abbreviation is for your default language, so read it before you start speaking.

On Pixel 6 and later, the language can switch on its own

Google's advanced voice typing feature needs a Pixel 6 or later, which includes Fold or Tablet models ⁵. On a supported phone, Google says that automatic language detection is turned on by default ⁶. The feature detects a spoken language among six languages: English, French, German (coming soon), Italian, Japanese and Spanish ⁷.

The automatic switch has a condition. To use advanced voice typing, your primary Gboard language and your device language must be the same ⁸. If your phone is set to one language and you dictate in another, the feature may not appear, and you must switch with the toolbar instead.

It depends: which method you need

• You have a phone that is not a Pixel 6 or later. Use the toolbar method above. The automatic switch does not apply.
• Your language is not one of the six. Advanced voice typing does not detect it, so switch with the toolbar abbreviation.
• Your device language is different from your Gboard language. The advanced feature needs them to match. Either change the device language or use the toolbar.
• Your phone uses Samsung Keyboard. Other keyboards have their own steps, so the Gboard steps above may not match your screen. Follow Samsung talk to text for that keyboard.

What to do

1. Add each voice typing language to Gboard before you need it, with its layout.
2. Check the language abbreviation at the bottom left of the voice toolbar before you speak.
3. Dictate one short sentence with a name in it. If the words come out in another language or as nonsense, switch the language and try again.

For the same steps on other devices, read how to change the dictation language on any device. For the rules on each platform, read our overview of dictation languages. On Android, the microphone is covered in the guide on voice typing on Android. If you need a shortcut on another system, see how to switch dictation languages quickly and how to change the voice typing language on Windows. Our glossary defines Gboard, and the microphone key is defined there as well.