How do you turn on voice typing in WhatsApp?

WhatsApp has no voice typing setting for your replies. The words come from your phone's keyboard, so you turn voice typing on there. On an iPhone, that means turning on Dictation in the phone's settings. On Android, it means allowing the keyboard, usually Gboard, to use the microphone. After that, the microphone key on the keyboard types what you say into the message box, and you can read and correct the text before you send it.

WhatsApp has no switch, so the setting is in your keyboard

Most people look for a voice typing option inside WhatsApp, and there is none for typing replies. The microphone button beside the message box is a different control. It records a voice message to send, and it does not type anything. The microphone key on your keyboard is the one that types.

This also explains why voice typing can work in Notes but not in WhatsApp. The keyboard is the same, so the problem is usually a permission for the app or a setting that is off. For a full comparison of the three microphone controls, read the guide to voice typing in WhatsApp and messaging apps.

WhatsApp is testing a voice-to-text feature of its own. In September 2026, WABetaInfo, a site that tracks WhatsApp beta builds, reported that WhatsApp's voice-to-text feature is under development on Android ¹. WABetaInfo also warned that WhatsApp often tests features that never reach a public release, and we found no official WhatsApp announcement about it. Until WhatsApp publishes it, use the keyboard.

On iPhone, turn on Dictation first

1. Open Settings, tap General, then tap Keyboard. Turn on Enable Dictation. If a prompt appears, tap Enable Dictation ².
2. Open the chat in WhatsApp and tap the message box so the keyboard appears.
3. Tap the microphone key on the keyboard and speak. Dictation stops by itself after 30 seconds without speech ³, so for a longer message tap the key again.

If the microphone key does nothing in WhatsApp but works in Notes, WhatsApp may not have microphone access. Apple says that if the microphone does not work in an app, you should go to Settings, tap Microphone and make sure the app is enabled ⁴.

On Android, allow Gboard's microphone

The steps below use Gboard, Google's keyboard. If your phone uses another keyboard, such as the Samsung Keyboard on Galaxy phones, see the separate guide: Talk to Text on Samsung Galaxy.

1. Tap the text field in WhatsApp.
2. Tap the microphone at the top of the keyboard. When you see "Speak now," say the message ⁵.
3. When Android asks for recording access, choose one of three options: While using app, Only this time, or Don't allow ⁶. Choose While using app if you dictate often.

Choosing Don't allow blocks voice recording, so the microphone key will not work until you change the permission in the phone's app settings ⁶.

Gboard also has its own voice typing switch. Guiding Tech says that if voice typing is disabled in Gboard, you cannot use its voice-to-text feature until you switch it on again ⁷. Check that setting in Gboard before you change anything else.

It depends on what is missing

The right fix depends on which part of the setup is absent:

If none of these fixes works, read why voice typing is not working in WhatsApp, which goes through each check in order.

Turning on dictation does not transcribe the messages you receive

Voice typing only types your own replies. It does not turn a voice message someone sends you into text. That is a separate feature, the voice message transcripts, which you turn on in WhatsApp under Settings, then Chats, then Voice message transcripts ⁸. Its steps are in how to convert WhatsApp voice messages to text.

To send a text without touching the phone at all, a voice assistant does that job, which is covered in how to dictate and send a text hands-free. For the full overview of dictation on phones, start with dictation on phones and tablets.