How do dictation keyboards work on iPhone and Android?

A dictation keyboard is a normal keyboard with a microphone key. When you tap the key, the phone records your speech, a speech recognizer turns the recording into text, and the text is inserted at the cursor. Two parts do the work: the keyboard, which handles the microphone and the text field, and the recognizer, which turns sound into words. Whether the recognizer runs on your phone or on a company's server is the setting that matters most for privacy.

On Android, a voice keyboard is an input method that any app can use

Android treats every keyboard as an input method. Android's developer documentation says the framework lets apps offer alternative input methods, such as on-screen keyboards or speech input ¹. A voice keyboard is therefore a keyboard like any other, with a microphone key added, and it works in every app that accepts typed text.

Only one keyboard is active at a time. After you install one, you select it in the system settings, and it applies across the phone. Android's documentation puts it this way: only one input method can be enabled at a time ². Switching to a voice keyboard therefore replaces Gboard everywhere until you switch back.

On Gboard, the steps are short. Tap a text field, tap the microphone at the top of the keyboard, and speak when the phone shows "Speak now" ³. The microphone key is part of the keyboard, not a separate app, so it appears wherever the keyboard does.

On iPhone, Dictation is built in, and other keyboards run in a sandbox

Apple's Dictation key sits on the iPhone keyboard. Apple says Dictation is processed on the phone in many languages and that no internet connection is required ⁴. The phrase "many languages" is a limit, not a promise. The list depends on your iOS version and your keyboard languages, so check it in Settings on your own phone.

A third-party keyboard works under stricter rules. Apple's developer documentation says the default setup of a custom keyboard's sandbox "disallows access to the network" ⁵. A keyboard that needs the network must ask for open access, and you then have to switch on Allow Full Access for that keyboard in Settings ⁶. Without that switch, a voice keyboard that sends audio to a server cannot do so.

Full Access is the decision point for any third-party voice keyboard. Apple's documentation describes the switch and the sandbox. It does not say what each keyboard does with the access, so the keyboard's own privacy policy is the document that answers that question.

Where the recognizer runs decides where your words go

Apple's Dictation and Gboard can behave differently on the same iPhone. The Gboard listing on the App Store says that "If you use Gboard's microphone, voice input will be sent to Google for transcription" ⁷. That is the developer's own statement, not a test of network traffic, and it does not say whether the Android app behaves the same way.

In February 2025, 9to5Google reported that Gboard for Android features offline voice typing on all devices ⁸. The report does not say which languages work offline, so check the voice typing settings for the language you use.

For a closer look at the Gboard case on iPhone, see how Gboard voice typing works on iPhone.

Dictation keyboards are enough for short messages, and less so for long text

For short messages, email replies and notes, the built-in keyboard key is the right first choice. You do not need to install anything, and the results are usually usable with light editing.

Two limits matter more for longer work. First, a pause can end the session. iPhone Dictation stops when you stop speaking for a while, and the question on why iPhone dictation stops after a few words covers the causes. Second, a keyboard is limited to the text field in front of it. A separate app is worth comparing when you need long sessions, cleanup or a custom word list. See the best dictation apps for iPhone and Android.

If the key is missing, the cause is usually the keyboard settings rather than the recognizer. The question on the dictation button missing from the iPhone keyboard covers that case, and where to find voice typing on Android covers the Android side.

What to do: check the recognizer before you trust the keyboard

1. On iPhone, turn on Dictation in Settings, then follow the setup steps in the iPhone dictation guide.
2. On Android, check that Gboard or your voice keyboard is the active keyboard, then follow voice typing on Android.
3. For any third-party voice keyboard, read its privacy policy and check whether it asks for Allow Full Access before you turn that switch on. Leave it off if the keyboard works without it.
4. Test offline. Turn on Airplane Mode, dictate a short passage, and compare the result. If it still works, the recognizer is probably on the phone for that language. If it fails, the keyboard likely needs a connection.

For the full set of terms used here, see the glossary entries for microphone key, third-party keyboard, Allow Full Access, Gboard and on-device speech recognition. For the whole subject, see dictation on phones and tablets.