How do you remove the dictation button on iPhone?

On iPhone, the dictation button is the microphone key on Apple's keyboard. You cannot delete that single key on its own. Apple's documentation for Dictation describes one switch that controls the key, and that switch is Enable Dictation. Turn it off under Settings, then General, then Keyboard ¹. Apple's steps for dictation are written for iOS 27, so check the names on your own screen if your phone runs an older version.

Apple's steps describe one switch, not a separate key setting

We read Apple's article on dictating text on iPhone, and it describes one control for the feature. It has no separate option for the microphone key. The article tells you that if the key does not appear, you should go to Settings, tap General, tap Keyboard, and turn on Enable Dictation ². That makes the key part of the Dictation feature, not a separate item you can remove.

So the way to remove the key is to turn Dictation off. This also stops you from dictating anywhere on the phone, so it is a trade-off, not a tidy-up. If you only want the words to stop appearing without losing dictation, the guide to turning off dictation on iPhone covers the smaller changes, such as turning off the automatic punctuation.

Apple also says that with Dictation on iPhone you can dictate text anywhere you can type it ³. Turning the switch off ends that in every app, so the choice applies everywhere, not just in the app where the key bothers you. The overview of Apple dictation sets out how the key works when it is on.

A microphone key from another keyboard is a separate control

Some microphone keys do not come from Apple. If you have installed another keyboard, such as Gboard, it can show its own microphone key. That key is not turned off by the Apple switch in Keyboard settings, because Apple's article describes Apple's keyboard only. Google's App Store listing for Gboard on iPhone says that voice input from the Gboard microphone is sent to Google for transcription ⁴. To remove that key, you use that keyboard's own settings, or you remove the keyboard. To go back to Apple's keyboard, you can touch and hold the Globe key to see your enabled keyboards, or tap it to switch ⁵.

The Gboard voice typing guide for iPhone explains that keyboard in more detail.

If Enable Dictation is greyed out, a restriction may be the cause

Some third-party guides report that Enable Dictation can be greyed out when a restriction is set. We did not confirm that report from an Apple page. What Apple does document is Screen Time, where built-in features can be turned off. The path on iPhone is Settings, then Screen Time, then Content & Privacy Restrictions, then Allowed Apps ⁶. We could not confirm from Apple that Dictation appears in that list, so check the list on your phone. If the switch is locked, ask the person who set up the restriction.

If the key is there but does nothing, the problem is microphone access

A different problem is a key that appears and does nothing in one app. 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 ⁷. That is a permission problem, not a missing key, so turning off Enable Dictation will not fix it. The troubleshooting guide for iPhone dictation works through the causes in order.

Put the key back by turning Dictation on again

If you remove the key by turning Dictation off, you can bring it back in the same place. Go to Settings, then General, then Keyboard, and turn on Enable Dictation. If a prompt appears, tap Enable Dictation ². The key returns when you next tap the onscreen keyboard in a text field where it appears ⁸.

Related answers

• What is dictation on iPhone?
• How do you turn off dictation on iPhone?
• How do you dictate notes on iPhone?
• Gboard voice typing on iPhone

The overview of dictation on phones and tablets links the rest of the phone guides, including iPhone dictation commands.