Why is dictation not working in Gmail?

Gmail has no dictation of its own on a computer, as far as Google's help pages show. When dictation fails in a Gmail draft, the tool you are using is the place to look: your computer's dictation, Google Docs voice typing, or a Chrome extension. Test the system first, then the browser, then the extension. The checks below follow that order.

Check that the system's dictation is turned on and set up

On a Mac, Apple's first check for Dictation is whether it is turned on in Keyboard settings ¹. If it is off, nothing will type into Gmail, whatever the browser. Turn it on in Keyboard settings. Then confirm the language is right. Apple's checklist tells you to choose the correct language and region when Dictation does not work as expected ².

On Windows, voice typing starts with the microphone. Microsoft's troubleshooting begins by asking you to select the microphone you want to use in Settings, under System, Sound, Input ³.

Make sure the cursor is in the message body

Dictation writes into the field that has focus. If the cursor is in the subject line, the words go there, and the body looks empty. Click into the body and wait for the signal. Apple says that when the cursor is highlighted and pulsing, or you hear a tone, your Mac is ready for dictation, and you can speak ⁴. If you do not see the pulse or hear the tone, click the body again.

Check the microphone and the connection on Windows

Microsoft says voice typing on Windows needs a working microphone, an internet connection and the cursor in a text box ⁵. If any one of the three is missing, voice typing will not type what you say.

Chrome may have blocked the microphone for the site or the extension

When a website wants the microphone, Chrome on a computer asks you to choose Allow while visiting the site, Allow this time, or Never allow ⁶. If you chose Never allow earlier, the site cannot use the microphone, so a dictation tool running in Gmail cannot hear you. Open Chrome's site settings for the microphone and look for Gmail's site, and for the extension if it has its own entry. Then reload the Gmail tab and try again.

Browser speech tools may send your audio to a server

Some extensions use the browser's built-in speech recognition. MDN says that on some browsers, including Chrome, speech recognition on a web page uses a server-based engine, and the audio is sent to a web service ⁷. That engine does not work offline, so a dictation tool can fail when the connection is weak. Chrome 139 added on-device recognition to the Web Speech API ⁸, so where the audio is processed depends on the browser version and on how the extension is built. Check its listing and privacy policy.

Test the microphone outside Gmail

If you are unsure where the fault is, dictate into a plain text app, such as Notes on a Mac or Notepad on Windows. If it works there, the problem is the browser, the extension or Gmail. If it fails there too, the problem is in the system settings or the microphone, and the checks above come first.

Our guide to dictation not working on any device covers the causes that apply across apps. For Mac-specific steps, see why Mac dictation is not working.

What to do if you use a Chrome extension

If the built-in dictation works but the extension does not, the extension is the likely cause. Check its store listing before you reinstall it. Dictation for Gmail's listing, for example, shows that it was last updated on January 1, 2025 ⁹. A date that old suggests the extension may not have been updated for the current version of Chrome, though the store shows only the date of the last upload, so treat it as a clue and not a verdict. The question on whether there is a dictation extension for Gmail covers how to judge one before you install it.

If you still cannot get dictation working, use the built-in route for the email. You can dictate into Google Docs, check the text there, and paste it into Gmail, as the question on whether Gmail has voice typing explains. The Outlook question covers the same microphone checks for Outlook.