Does Google have a voice to text app?

Yes, but Google's tools are split by device. There is no single Google voice to text app that covers Android, the browser and Chromebooks in the same way. On Android, the tool to try first is Gboard, Google's keyboard. In Google Docs you can dictate through the browser. On a Chromebook you use Dictation. Each one has its own rules, so the right choice depends on where you write.

On Android, Gboard is the tool to test first

Gboard voice typing works like this: tap a text field, tap the microphone at the top of the keyboard, and speak when you see "Speak now" ¹. On Samsung phones there is a second built-in option. Samsung says its Galaxy phones and tablets have two built-in voice-to-text apps, Samsung voice input and Google Voice Typing, and that Samsung voice input works only with the Samsung Keyboard ². On a Galaxy phone, compare the two before you choose.

In 2019 Google moved Gboard voice typing onto the phone with an 80 MB speech recognizer that works even when the phone is offline, first on Pixel phones in American English ³. We could not open Google's current Gboard help page while writing, so we cannot say which phones or languages work offline today. Check the voice typing settings on your own phone.

In Google Docs, voice typing depends on your browser

In Google Docs, open a document in a supported browser, choose Tools, then Voice typing, and click the microphone box that appears ⁴. Which browsers work depends on which help page you read, and Google's two pages disagree. The current Docs help page says voice typing works with the latest versions of Chrome, Edge and Safari, and that the browser controls the speech-to-text service ⁵. A December 2020 archived copy of the older help page said it was only available in Chrome ⁶.

The current page is the newer source, so it is the one to trust. Still, the two pages do not match, so open a document in the browser you use and test it before you rely on it.

On a Chromebook, Dictation needs a matching language

Chromebook Dictation does not work if the language you speak does not match the device language ⁷. Turn on Dictation under Keyboard and text input in Settings, then start it by selecting Speak or pressing Search + d (or Launcher + d) ⁸. If Dictation does nothing, check the device language before you look for a fault elsewhere.

Which Google option to use

1. On Android, test Gboard first, then compare Samsung voice input if you have a Galaxy phone.
2. For documents in a browser, use Google Docs voice typing in a browser on the current list, and test it in your own browser.
3. On a Chromebook, speak the same language as the device language before you start.
4. Check the offline setting on your own phone, because Google's current help pages were not available to us while writing.

Google's voice typing tools have no separate price in the sources we read. For paid apps that cap words or add features, see how much dictation software costs. If you also use Apple or Microsoft, compare does Apple have a voice to text app and does Microsoft have dictation software.

For phone steps by device, see phones and tablets. For free options across all platforms, read our guide to free dictation software. For the broader category, see dictation software, and for the term, the voice typing entry. Free tools that run in a browser tab are covered at free online dictation.