How to Turn Off Google Voice Typing on Android Devices

Google Voice Typing is the built-in speech to text feature on Android that activates when you tap the microphone icon on the keyboard. It converts spoken words into typed text in real time. Most users want to disable it to prevent accidental microphone activation, address privacy concerns, reduce interruptions while typing, or stop incorrect speech recognition from interfering with text input. This guide covers every method available to turn off Google Voice Typing on Android: through Gboard settings, system settings, Samsung device settings, and fixes for when it refuses to stay disabled.

Date April 3, 2026 · Sophie Turner

Disable Google Voice Typing from Android System Settings

This method works on most Android devices and disables Google Voice Typing at the system level. Use this first before trying keyboard-specific settings.

  1. Open the Settings app on your Android device.

  2. Tap System (or General management on Samsung devices).

  3. Select Language and input or Languages and input.

  4. Tap On-screen keyboard or Virtual keyboard.

  5. Tap Manage keyboards if the option is shown.

  6. Find Google voice typing in the list and toggle it off.

  7. Restart the device if the change does not apply immediately.

Menu names vary depending on your Android version and device manufacturer. On some devices, the path reads Settings > System > Language > Keyboard and on others it reads Settings > General management > Language and input. The toggle itself is consistently labeled Google voice typing or Voice typing.

Turn Off Voice Typing from Gboard Settings

If you use Gboard as your keyboard, you can disable voice typing directly within the keyboard interface without navigating to the system settings.

  1. Open any app that displays the keyboard, such as Messages or Gmail, and tap a text field so Gboard appears.

  2. Tap the gear icon at the top of the keyboard. If you do not see it, press and hold the comma key and then tap the gear icon that appears.

  3. Tap Voice typing in the Gboard settings menu.

  4. Toggle off Use voice typing or Assistant voice typing.

  5. Go back to the text field and confirm the microphone icon is no longer visible on the keyboard.

Disabling voice typing in Gboard removes the microphone button from the keyboard bar and prevents the voice typing interface from appearing when the keyboard is active. This method applies only to Gboard and does not affect other keyboard apps that may be installed.

Turn Off Google Voice Typing on Samsung Devices

Samsung devices run One UI on top of Android and use a slightly different settings path than stock Android. Samsung also includes its own keyboard alongside Gboard, which means voice typing may need to be disabled in two separate places.

Disabling through system settings on Samsung:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Tap General management.

  3. Tap Language and input.

  4. Tap On-screen keyboard.

  5. Tap Manage keyboards.

  6. Toggle off Google voice typing.

Disabling Samsung Keyboard voice input:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Tap General management.

  3. Tap Language and input.

  4. Tap On-screen keyboard.

  5. Tap Samsung Keyboard.

  6. Tap Voice input and set it to off or select the option to not show the voice input key.

On Samsung devices, both Google voice typing and Samsung Keyboard's own voice input feature can display a microphone icon. Disabling one without the other may leave the icon visible. Disable both to remove the microphone from the keyboard entirely.

For Samsung Galaxy devices on One UI 5 and later, the path may read Settings > General management > Samsung Keyboard settings > Voice input rather than going through Manage keyboards.

Remove the Microphone Icon from the Keyboard

If the microphone icon continues to appear after disabling voice typing, multiple keyboards or input methods may be active simultaneously. Each active keyboard can add its own microphone button independently.

  1. Go to Settings > System > Language and input > On-screen keyboard.

  2. Tap Manage keyboards and review the full list of active keyboards.

  3. Toggle off any keyboards you are not actively using, particularly any that include voice input by default.

  4. Set a single default keyboard: go to Settings > Language and input > Default keyboard and choose your preferred keyboard.

  5. Open a text field and confirm the microphone icon is no longer present.

On Samsung devices, the path to manage keyboards reads Settings > General management > Language and input > On-screen keyboard > Manage keyboards.

Having only one active keyboard simplifies the settings and prevents voice input from being reintroduced by a secondary keyboard app.

How to Turn Off Hey Google and Voice Match on Android?

Hey Google and Voice Match are separate from Google Voice Typing on the keyboard. Hey Google is a voice activation feature that listens for the wake phrase to launch Google Assistant. If you want to disable voice activation rather than just the keyboard microphone, the settings are in a different location.

  1. Open the Google app on your Android device.

  2. Tap your profile photo in the top right corner.

  3. Tap Settings.

  4. Tap Google Assistant.

  5. Tap Hey Google and Voice Match.

  6. Toggle off Hey Google.

Alternatively, go to Settings > Google > Settings for Google apps > Search, Assistant and Voice > Voice > Voice Match and toggle off Hey Google from there.

Turning off Hey Google stops the device from listening for the wake phrase in the background. This is separate from the keyboard microphone and requires its own setting to disable.

Fix: Google Voice Typing Will Not Turn Off

If Google Voice Typing continues to reappear or the microphone icon returns after disabling it, one or more of the following is likely causing the issue:

  • Restart the device. Setting changes do not always apply until the device is restarted, particularly for keyboard and input method changes.

  • Update Gboard and the Google app. Older versions of Gboard sometimes have bugs that cause voice typing settings to reset. Update both through the Play Store.

  • Clear the Google app cache. Go to Settings > Apps > Google > Storage > Clear cache. This removes temporary data that may be overriding your settings.

  • Check accessibility settings. Some accessibility services enable voice input features independently of the keyboard settings. Go to Settings > Accessibility and review which services are active. Disable any that use voice input if you no longer need them.

  • Ensure only one input method is active. Multiple active keyboards frequently cause conflicts. Go to Manage keyboards and disable all keyboards except the one you use.

  • Check Google Assistant settings. If Google Assistant is configured to activate with voice commands, it may reintroduce voice input behavior even after the keyboard microphone is disabled.

  • Uninstall Gboard updates. If the issue began after a Gboard update, go to Settings > Apps > Gboard > three-dot menu > Uninstall updates to roll back to the factory version.

  • Reinstall Gboard. If uninstalling updates does not resolve the issue, uninstall and reinstall Gboard from the Play Store to reset all keyboard settings to default.

When to Keep Google Voice Typing On?

Disabling Google Voice Typing is the right choice for many users, but it is worth noting the scenarios where keeping it active is useful.

Voice typing is practical when typing quickly on a small screen is uncomfortable, during long-form dictation where speaking is faster than typing, for users with mobility impairments that make physical typing difficult, and when hands are occupied and a voice-activated shortcut is needed.

If the issue is not voice typing itself but rather that the microphone activates unexpectedly, the fix may be simpler than fully disabling the feature. Repositioning the keyboard so the microphone icon is less accessible, or switching to a keyboard layout that places the microphone in a less prominent position, can reduce accidental activation without removing the feature entirely.

For users who want a reliable way to capture spoken content for meetings, interviews, or notes rather than keyboard dictation, Smart noter's audio to text and transcription features convert recorded audio into structured, searchable text with speaker labels and timestamps.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I turn off Google Voice Typing on Android?

Open Settings > System > Language and input > On-screen keyboard > Manage keyboards and toggle off Google voice typing. For Gboard users, also go to Gboard settings > Voice typing and toggle off Use voice typing.

How do I turn off Google Voice Typing on Samsung?

Go to Settings > General management > Language and input > On-screen keyboard > Manage keyboards and toggle off Google voice typing. Also check Samsung Keyboard settings and disable the voice input key separately.

How do I remove the microphone icon from my keyboard?

Disable Google voice typing in both system settings and the keyboard app settings, then go to Manage keyboards and ensure only one keyboard without voice input is active.

Why does Google Voice Typing keep turning itself back on?

Multiple active keyboards, accessibility services, or Google app permissions can reactivate voice typing. Disable all secondary keyboards, check accessibility settings, and clear the Google app cache.

How do I turn off Hey Google on Android?

Open the Google app > Settings > Google Assistant > Hey Google and Voice Match and toggle off Hey Google. Alternatively, go to Settings > Google > Settings for Google apps > Search, Assistant and Voice > Voice > Voice Match.

How do I disable voice typing on Gboard specifically?

Open Gboard while a text field is active, tap the gear icon, select Voice typing, and toggle off Use voice typing or Assistant voice typing.

How do I turn off voice-to-text on Android completely?

Disable Google voice typing in system settings, disable it within Gboard, turn off Hey Google under Google Assistant settings, and disable any accessibility services that activate voice input.

How do I stop voice typing from activating accidentally?

Ensure only one keyboard is active, disable voice typing in both system and keyboard settings, and check that no accessibility services or assistant features are configured to launch voice input automatically.

Does turning off Google Voice Typing affect other features?

Disabling keyboard voice typing only affects the microphone button on the keyboard. It does not disable Google Assistant, voice search, or any other voice features unless those are also disabled separately.

How do I turn off Google Voice Typing on a tablet?

The steps are identical to a phone. Go to Settings > System or General management > Language and input > On-screen keyboard > Manage keyboards and toggle off Google voice typing.

How do I fix Google Voice typing not turning off?

Restart, update or reinstall Gboard, clear the Google app cache, check accessibility settings, and ensure only one input method is active.