Google Voice typing, also known as voice dictation, allows users to speak into their phone’s microphone and have their speech converted into text. This can be a useful accessibility feature for those who have difficulty typing on a mobile device keyboard. However, some users have reported that the Google Voice typing option is missing from their WhatsApp chats.
What is Google Voice Typing?
Google Voice typing is a speech-to-text feature developed by Google. It allows users to dictate messages, notes, emails, and other text instead of typing on a mobile keyboard. The technology uses advanced neural network models to analyze the user’s speech and convert it into text.
Here’s a quick overview of how Google Voice typing works:
- The microphone picks up the user’s voice and records it.
- Google’s speech recognition technology analyzes the vocal patterns.
- Advanced AI models match the speech to words and phrases.
- The recognized text is displayed on the screen.
- The user can edit any mistakes before sending or using the transcribed text.
Google Voice typing supports over 120 languages and works offline as well – the speech recognition happens on-device without an internet connection. Overall, it provides a convenient way to speak messages and notes instead of typing them.
Why Use Google Voice Typing?
There are several benefits to using Google Voice typing:
- It’s faster than typing on mobile keyboards for many users.
- Useful for accessibility – helps those with limited mobility or vision.
- Convenient when typing is difficult, like when driving.
- Accurate voice recognition even in noisy environments.
- Supports multiple languages and accents.
- Completely hands-free experience.
In short, Google Voice typing makes it easier for users to dictate messages, searches, notes, and anything else they would normally have to type. It saves time and effort while enhancing accessibility.
Why Google Voice Typing May Not Appear in WhatsApp
Now that we’ve looked at what Google Voice typing is and why it’s useful, let’s discuss some reasons why it may not show up as an option on WhatsApp for some users:
- Unsupported Android Version – Google Voice typing requires Android 4.1 Jelly Bean or later. If you are on an older Android version, it will not be available.
- Unsupported Device – The feature may not be available on very old or low-powered Android devices that cannot support Google’s speech recognition technology well.
- Keyboard App Overrides – Many users install third-party keyboard apps like SwiftKey, Gboard etc. If they become the default input method, WhatsApp will not show Google Voice typing.
- Regional Restrictions – Google Voice typing is not supported in all regions and languages. There may be restrictions for your country or language.
- Disabled Permission – WhatsApp requires microphone access permission to show Google Voice typing. If you have disabled microphone access, it will not appear.
- Disabled Setting – There is a setting within WhatsApp to enable Google Voice typing. Sometimes it may get disabled itself after WhatsApp updates.
- App Glitch – Like any app, WhatsApp also has bugs. The voice typing button glitching out is rare but can happen after an update.
These are some of the common reasons why Google Voice typing may not show up on your WhatsApp, even if your phone has the feature. But in most cases, it can be enabled again easily.
How to Get Google Voice Typing on WhatsApp
If Google Voice typing is missing from WhatsApp on your Android phone, here are some tips to get it back:
1. Update Your Android Version
As mentioned before, Android 4.1 Jellybean or later is required. If your phone is stuck on an older Android version, you won’t see voice typing in WhatsApp.
Check your Android version under Settings -> About Phone. If it’s older than 4.1, check if there is a system update available for your device. Newer phones can be updated to the latest Android 10 or 11 versions.
2. Check WhatsApp Settings
Open WhatsApp, and go to Settings – Voice Typing. Make sure the “Google Voice Typing” option is enabled here. If it’s disabled, just toggle it on.
This setting is sometimes turned off automatically after WhatsApp updates, so check it if voice typing disappears.
3. Allow Microphone Access
WhatsApp needs access to your phone’s microphone to record your speech for Google Voice typing.
Go to your phone’s Settings -> Apps -> WhatsApp -> Permissions. Make sure WhatsApp has microphone access enabled. If not, just toggle it on.
4. Set Google Voice as Default
Many Android phones come with third-party keyboards like SwiftKey pre-installed. If such keyboard apps become the default input method, Google Voice typing won’t appear.
To fix this, go to Settings -> Languages & Input -> Virtual Keyboard -> Manage Keyboards. Here set Google Voice Typing as the default keyboard.
5. Check Keyboard Settings
Some Android keyboards like Gboard also have their own settings and permissions. Open your keyboard app and make sure it has microphone access enabled.
Also check if there are any relevant settings related to Google Voice typing in the keyboard app and enable them.
6. Update Google App
The main Google app powers many services like Assistant and Voice typing. Try updating it to the latest version from the Play Store to see if that fixes any issues.
A Google app update may be required to enable voice typing if it stopped working due to a bug or change in WhatsApp.
7. Clear App Data
In rare cases, clearing WhatsApp’s cached data and storage can help if voice typing is not showing up due to a glitch.
Go to Settings -> Apps -> WhatsApp -> Storage -> Clear Data. This will log you out of the app, but can resolve Voice typing issues.
8. uninstall updates
If the problem started after a WhatsApp update, try uninstalling updates as follows:
- Go to Settings -> Apps -> WhatsApp -> Three dots (menu) -> Uninstall updates.
- This will roll WhatsApp back to the factory version. Check if Voice typing now works.
- You can then update WhatsApp again normally through the Play Store.
These troubleshooting steps should help you get Google Voice typing enabled again in WhatsApp in most cases. It’s a very useful feature, so try enabling it if you don’t have it already.
Using Google Voice Typing on WhatsApp
Once enabled, Google Voice typing is easy to use within WhatsApp chats:
- Open any chat in WhatsApp.
- Tap on the microphone icon next to the text box.
- You will see the “Speak Now” prompt for Google Voice typing.
- Start speaking what you want to type. Your speech is converted to text.
- You can pause, resume or delete the last spoken section.
- When done, tap Send or tap again to continue speaking.
Here are some tips to use Google Voice typing efficiently in WhatsApp:
- Speak clearly and audibly into your phone’s microphone.
- Use natural pauses between each sentence or phrase.
- You can insert commas, periods, question marks etc. by saying the word after your sentence.
- If a word is misrecognized, say “delete last (word)” to remove and re-speak it.
- You can mix voice typing and keyboard typing within the same message.
With some practice, you can dictate full WhatsApp messages and chats quickly hands-free. It’s great for longer messages and avoids typos from urgent replies when on the move.
Conclusion
Google Voice typing is an indispensable accessibility feature on Android. It allows composing messages by speech on apps like WhatsApp.
However, sometimes Voice typing goes missing on WhatsApp due to outdated Android versions, disabled settings, lack of permissions or app glitches.
By following the troubleshooting guide above, you should be able to re-enable Google Voice typing on your WhatsApp again easily.
When configured properly, voice typing makes conversing on WhatsApp much faster and easier without typing. Just tap the mic icon and start speaking your messages.