How do I get voice-to-text back on my Samsung phone?

Voice-to-text technology, also known as speech recognition or speech-to-text, allows users to dictate speech which is transcribed into text. This technology has become widely adopted, with global revenue for the speech-to-text market projected to reach $5 billion by 2026 (1). Voice-to-text provides many benefits such as convenience, accessibility, and efficiency.

Samsung phones come equipped with built-in voice-to-text capabilities, allowing users to easily dictate text messages, notes, and other content. However, some Samsung device owners have encountered issues where the voice-to-text feature suddenly disappears or stops working properly.

This article will provide troubleshooting steps to try and restore voice-to-text functionality when it goes missing on Samsung phones.

Sources:

(1) https://webinarcare.com/best-text-to-speech-software/text-to-speech-statistics/

Confirm Voice-to-Text was Enabled

The first step is to open the Settings app on your Samsung device and check if Voice Assistant was enabled. Voice Assistant allows you to operate your device using voice commands and can transcribe your speech to text.

To check if Voice Assistant is enabled:

Open the Settings app.
Go to Accessibility.

Look for Voice Assistant and check if the toggle is on.

If Voice Assistant is disabled, simply tap the toggle to turn it on. You may need to agree to some permissions.

According to Samsung’s support article Use TalkBack or Voice Assistant on your Galaxy device, Voice Assistant needs to be enabled to use voice-to-text features.

Update Software

One potential solution is to update your Samsung phone to the latest software version. An outdated operating system can sometimes cause issues with certain features like voice-to-text. As Samsung releases new software updates, they include fixes and optimizations that could help if voice-to-text has stopped working.

To update your Samsung phone’s software, go to Settings > System updates and check for any available updates. Install the latest software update and then restart your device. This may resolve any bugs that were causing problems with using voice-to-text on your Samsung phone.

According to a Samsung community post, updating to the newest software version fixed speech-to-text issues for many users. Software updates routinely include fixes for voice assistant services and text-to-speech engines. So installing the latest update from Samsung may get voice-to-text functioning again on your device.

Clear App Cache and Data

One solution that may help restore voice-to-text is to clear the app cache and data for apps related to the voice input functionality. Go to Settings > Apps and locate apps such as Samsung Keyboard, Google, Android System, etc. Tap on each app and go to Storage. Then tap on “Clear Cache” and “Clear Data” to delete any temporary files or old settings.

As recommended in this Google support thread, clearing the cache and data for relevant apps like Samsung Keyboard can help resolve corrupted data that may be preventing voice-to-text from working properly.

Other users on Reddit have also reported clearing the cache and data for the Google app and Gboard brought voice typing functionality back, at least temporarily.

Overall, clearing the cache and data gives a fresh start to the apps and services that power voice input. Any glitches or corrupted data get wiped clean. Just be aware you may need to redo some settings in the apps afterwards.

Factory Reset

As a last resort if none of the above steps resolve the issue, a factory reset can be performed to wipe the device and reinstall the operating system from scratch (Source 1). However, this will delete all data and settings, so be sure to backup anything important first.

To factory reset a Samsung phone, go to Settings > General Management > Reset > Factory Data Reset. Tap Reset and confirm. The device will reboot and install a clean version of the OS. You’ll then need to set up the device from scratch.

A factory reset should restore full functionality as it reinstalls a fresh OS. However, it’s an extreme measure to take if the basic troubleshooting steps don’t resolve the issue. Only use it as a last resort once data is backed up.

Contact Samsung Support

If you are still unable to get voice-to-text working after trying the troubleshooting steps above, the next recommended step is to contact Samsung support directly. Samsung has dedicated customer support teams that can provide customized troubleshooting and solutions.

When you contact Samsung support, be prepared to provide details about your specific device model, the software version you are running, and a clear description of the voice-to-text problem you are experiencing. Support agents may walk you through additional troubleshooting steps specific to your device and issue.

If the issue appears hardware related, Samsung support may suggest a software repair you can try on your own. Or, if your device is still under warranty, they may initiate a warranty replacement process to get you a functioning device.

Samsung’s official support contact page provides phone, chat, and email options to get in touch with their team. Calling them can provide the quickest resolution, as you can get live troubleshooting assistance. Expect the call to take some time as they gather details about your case.

Contacting official Samsung support is recommended before considering more complex options like factory resetting your device or using third party apps. Their technicians will be most familiar with any known voice-to-text issues on Samsung devices. Leverage their expertise to hopefully get your Samsung device’s voice-to-text working again.

Use a Third-Party App

If the built-in Samsung voice-to-text feature isn’t working properly, you can download and use third-party voice-to-text apps instead. There are many highly-rated dictation apps on the Google Play Store that can provide similar functionality.

Some top options include Google Voice Typing, Dragon Anywhere, and Speechnotes. These apps allow you to dictate text and have it converted to digital text in real-time. They work well as an alternative to Samsung’s built-in tool.

To use a third-party app, simply download it from the Play Store, grant it microphone access, and then open the app and start dictating. You can dictate text messages, notes, emails, and more. The app converts your speech to text onscreen. These apps provide robust voice-to-text capabilities in cases where Samsung’s version is having issues.

Check Microphone Access

One common reason the microphone may be missing in the Samsung keyboard is if the app no longer has permission to access the device’s microphone. To check this:

Open your phone’s Settings app.
Scroll down and tap Apps.

Tap the three dot menu icon and choose ‘App permissions.’
Look for Samsung Keyboard or Gboard in the list (depending on your default keyboard).
Make sure the toggle next to Microphone is enabled.

If microphone access was previously revoked, you may need to re-enable it for voice typing functionality. Grant the keyboard app permission to use the microphone when prompted.

Conclusion

In this article, we covered several troubleshooting steps to try and get Samsung’s voice-to-text feature working again on your phone. This feature can be extremely useful for accessibility, allowing you to dictate messages and notes rather than typing them.

We started by ensuring the voice-to-text feature was actually enabled in your phone’s settings, since occasionally an update may have turned it off. Next, we recommended updating your phone’s software, in case a bug was causing voice-to-text to malfunction.

Clearing the cache and app data for Samsung’s keyboard app can potentially help by resetting any problematic data. If that still doesn’t work, a factory reset may be necessary, though it should be a last resort. Contacting Samsung support directly is another option if you need additional help troubleshooting.

As a workaround, using a third-party voice dictation app from the app store could provide voice-to-text functionality while you’re troubleshooting the Samsung version. And finally, double checking microphone access permissions may reveal the cause if Samsung’s app lost access for some reason.

With any luck, one of these steps should get Samsung’s useful voice-to-text feature working again on your device. Don’t hesitate to contact support if you need additional assistance.