The microphone button on Gboard can get in the way if you never use voice typing. Turning off Gboard voice typing removes that shortcut from the keyboard, so you are less likely to trigger it by accident.
This applies to Android phones and tablets that use Gboard, including Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, and other devices where Gboard is selected as the active keyboard. Your device may look a little different, but the setting you need is part of Gboard’s voice typing options.
Video Tutorial
Turn off voice typing in Gboard
You need to open Gboard first, since its settings are easiest to reach while the keyboard is on screen. Open any app where you can type, such as a messaging app, notes app, or browser search field.
- Tap a text field to bring up the Gboard keyboard.
- Open Gboard Settings. If you do not immediately see the settings shortcut, open the keyboard toolbar to find it.
- Select Voice typing.
- Turn off the setting that enables voice typing.
- Return to the keyboard and check the suggestion strip and toolbar.
Once voice typing is disabled, the microphone key should no longer appear as an available voice input shortcut. This gives you a cleaner layout and stops the keyboard from starting voice input when you tap the microphone area by mistake.
What changes after you disable it
Gboard uses voice typing to turn spoken words into text. With voice typing enabled, the keyboard can show a microphone button in its controls, such as the suggestion strip or toolbar. Disabling the feature removes access to that voice input function from Gboard.
You can still type normally with the on-screen keyboard. Your letters, numbers, symbols, suggestions, autocorrect settings, clipboard, themes, and other Gboard features are not removed by this change. You are only switching off voice-based text entry.
This is useful when you regularly hit the mic button instead of another key. It can also help if you prefer not to have a microphone shortcut displayed while typing.
If you cannot find the voice typing setting
First, make sure you are actually using Gboard. Android phones can have more than one installed keyboard, and some Samsung phones use Samsung Keyboard by default. A setting in another keyboard app will not change the buttons shown by Gboard.
Bring up the keyboard and confirm that Gboard is the active keyboard before looking for its settings. If your keyboard layout does not match the video exactly, look for Gboard’s settings area and then its voice typing controls. The wording and placement can vary with your Android version and Gboard version.
If the microphone button remains after you turn off Gboard voice typing, close the app you are typing in and open the keyboard again. Check both the suggestion strip and the toolbar, since Gboard can display shortcuts in more than one place.
Turn voice typing back on later
You can reverse this at any time. Open Gboard, go back to Gboard Settings, open Voice typing, and enable voice typing again. The microphone shortcut can then return to the keyboard controls.
This is handy if you only want to remove the microphone while you are typing certain messages or if you decide voice input is useful later. You do not need to reinstall Gboard or reset your keyboard settings to change this option.
Keep your Gboard layout simpler
Removing voice typing is one small way to make Gboard less crowded. It is particularly helpful on smaller phone screens, where every keyboard shortcut takes up space. After disabling it, spend a moment typing in a text field to make sure the layout feels right for you.
If you use a Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, or another Android device, the key point is the same: change the voice typing option inside Gboard, not a similarly named setting in a different keyboard. Once it is off, Gboard stays available for regular typing without the voice input microphone shortcut.
More Android Tips & Tutorials:
Subscribe Now! 🙂
Discover more from Gauging Gadgets
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
