News and journalism
Google's iOS Keyboard gets the one feature it really lacked: voice typing
Greg Kumparak, TechCrunch, 2017
Read the originalRead on October 17, 2026
- What it is
- A TechCrunch news report, published 23 February 2017, on the update that added voice typing to Gboard for iPhone. It describes how the feature was activated and why Gboard opens a separate screen to listen.
- How much weight it carries
- A dated news report by a named reporter, written when the feature launched. It describes the 2017 iOS app, not the current one, and the menu and gesture details may have changed since. Google's current help page for Gboard on iPhone could not be opened on 2026-10-17.
Facts taken from this source
- In 2017, TechCrunch explained that Apple does not let third-party keyboards use the microphone, so Gboard's voice typing runs in the Gboard app, which is allowed to use it.
“Apple doesn’t let third party keyboards access the microphone, but third party applications” (Article body, paragraph after the activation steps)
- When Gboard added voice typing for iPhone in February 2017, you started it by holding the microphone icon on the space bar for a second or two and then releasing it.
“just hold down the microphone icon on the space bar for a second or two and then release” (Article body, paragraph on activating voice typing)