Can you dictate in Microsoft Word on iPhone, iPad or Android?

Yes. Word on iPhone, iPad and Android has a Dictate button ¹, and Microsoft's own steps start with tapping the microphone icon ². Dictation in Word needs three things: a microphone, a reliable internet connection ³ and an active Microsoft 365 subscription ⁴. If you have no subscription, you can try the keyboard's own dictation key in a Word document, which is a separate route with its own limits.

Word Mobile has Dictate on every mobile platform

Microsoft's article on dictation in Word Mobile applies to Word on iPad, Word on iPhone, and Word on Android tablets and phones ¹. In Microsoft's iOS steps, you begin by tapping the microphone icon, then wait for the Dictate button to turn on before you speak ².

We did not verify which spoken punctuation or commands Word's Dictate takes on a phone or tablet. Test the ones you need before a long session.

A Microsoft 365 subscription is required

Word's dictation is only available to Microsoft 365 subscribers ⁴. If you cannot see Dictate, Microsoft says to make sure you are signed in with an active Microsoft 365 subscription ⁵. Check the sign-in first, because it is the quickest thing to test.

Word dictation needs a reliable internet connection

Dictation in Office uses speech-to-text, and it needs a microphone and a reliable internet connection ³. That is the main difference from Apple's built-in keyboard dictation, covered in the next section. If you plan to write on a train or in a place with poor signal, test Word's Dictate before you rely on it, or use the keyboard's own dictation for that session.

Apple's keyboard dictation works in Word as well

Apple's keyboard dictation is a separate feature from Word's Dictate button. On an iPhone, Apple says you can dictate text in any place where you can type it ⁶. On an iPad, Apple says you start dictation in any text field where the dictation key appears ⁷. So the keyboard's dictation key should work in a Word document, even without a Microsoft 365 subscription.

We did not test this inside Word, and Apple's pages do not mention Word. Treat the keyboard route as Apple's feature working in the document, not as a Word feature. You will not get Word's own command list, and the text is handled by Apple's dictation. For a longer draft, try both routes and keep the one that produces cleaner text.

On Android, Gboard's voice typing also works in Word

On Android, the microphone on the keyboard works in any app where you can type. Google's example apps are Gmail and Keep ⁸. The same should apply to Word, so an Android phone or tablet has two routes: Word's own Dictate button, and the keyboard's microphone. Word's button needs a subscription and a connection. The keyboard route depends on the keyboard you use, so check the guide to voice typing on Android for the steps.

Google Docs is not the same on a tablet

Do not confuse Word with Google Docs. Google's May 2024 update extended Docs voice typing to Edge and Safari, and it says these features are available only on desktop ⁹. Because Docs voice typing works only on desktop, on an iPad or Android tablet use the keyboard's own dictation key or microphone for Google Docs text. We did not test that in Docs.

What to do

1. Open Word on your iPad, iPhone or Android device and sign in with your Microsoft 365 account.
2. Confirm you have an active subscription if the Dictate button is missing.
3. Check your internet connection, because Word's dictation needs one.
4. Tap the microphone icon, wait for Dictate to turn on, and speak.
5. If Word's dictation fails, try the keyboard's dictation key in the same document.

For the iPad steps in full, read our guide to dictation on iPad and Android tablets. For the iPhone version, see iPhone dictation. The microphone key glossary entry explains the button you tap on the keyboard. If you are choosing a dictation app for an iPad rather than working in Word, read the best dictation app for an iPad. If the dictation key is missing on an iPad, the answer is on the question about why dictation is not working on an iPad.