How do I remove microphone from Google search?

In an era of smart devices and voice assistants, privacy is more important than ever. Many people wonder whether Google is secretly listening and recording them through their smartphone’s microphone. This concern stems from the fact that Google apps request microphone access to enable voice search features and other functionality. While Google states they do not listen without your permission, some users want to fully disable microphone access to feel more secure.

This article will explain how Google uses microphone permissions, how to check which apps have access, steps to revoke mic access for Google and other apps, using Google without voice features, alternative voice assistants focused on privacy, and additional ways to bolster privacy when using Google products.

How Google Uses Microphone Access

Google can use microphone access for several of its products and services, the main one being Google Assistant. Google Assistant relies on microphone access to listen for the “Ok Google” hotword and to understand voice commands and queries ¹. When a user grants microphone access to Chrome or the Google app on Android, it allows Google Assistant to passively listen at all times for its activation cue.

Microphone access also enables voice commands and dictation in Gmail, Google Docs, and other apps. Users can dictate emails or documents by speaking into their device’s microphone. Additionally, voice search in the Google app or Chrome relies on microphone access to understand the spoken search terms.

On smartphones, microphone access allows “Hey Google” or “Ok Google” voice commands to launch Google Assistant even when the screen is locked or while using other apps. Users can say voice commands to get directions, set reminders, play music, or ask questions without needing to type or touch the phone.

In summary, Google requires microphone access for its voice assistant, voice commands, dictation, and voice search features across its products and services. The microphone provides hands-free convenience to users, but also gives Google constant audio of its surroundings ².

Checking Microphone Permissions

To see which apps have access to your microphone on Android, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Advanced > App permissions. Here you will see a list of permissions, including Microphone. Tap on Microphone to see which apps have been granted this permission.

On iOS, go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone. You will see a list of apps and whether microphone access is enabled or disabled for each app. This allows you to view and control which apps can access your microphone.

As per Google’s Android permissions guide, you can check microphone permissions by tapping the top right of your screen to view which app is actively using the mic. Tap again to modify permissions.

Android Police provides instructions on managing Android permissions settings to control microphone access on a per-app basis. This gives users granular control.

Disabling Microphone For All Apps

The easiest way to disable microphone access across all apps on your device is through your system settings. Here is how to turn off microphone permissions entirely:

Android Devices

On Android, open the Settings app and go to Apps & Notifications > App Permissions > Microphone. Here you can toggle the microphone switch off, which will disable microphone access for all apps. Android will prompt you to confirm this decision. After toggling off microphone access globally, you can still selectively enable it for certain apps if needed.

iOS Devices

On iOS, open the Settings app and go to Privacy & Security > Microphone. At the top, toggle off the switch for Microphone. This will disable microphone access for all apps. iOS will ask you to confirm. You can still go in and make exceptions to enable the microphone for certain apps after disabling it globally.

By disabling microphone permissions at the system level, you prevent any apps from tapping into your microphone without your knowledge. This gives you full control and privacy. The only downside is you may need to manually enable the microphone for certain apps you want to use voice features on.

Removing Mic Access for Google App

Here are the steps to remove microphone access for the Google app on Android and iOS:

Android

1. Open your phone’s Settings app.

2. Tap Apps or Application Manager.

3. Select the Google app.

4. Tap Permissions.

5. Toggle the Microphone permission to the off position. The switch should turn gray.

Source: https://www.kentfaith.com/blog/article_how-do-i-turn-off-google-microphone-on-android_1299

iOS

1. Go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone.

2. Locate Google and toggle the switch next to it to the off position.

Source: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/stop-google-android-listening/

Using Google Without Voice

You can still use Google’s search engine effectively without relying on voice search. The main alternative is to use keyboard search.

To turn off voice search on Android devices, go to Settings > Apps or Application Manager. Find the Google app, select it, choose Permissions and toggle off Microphone access. You can also go to Settings > Google > Accounts services > Search, Assistant & Voice > Voice and toggle off “Hey Google” detection. (Source)

On iOS devices, go to Settings > Siri & Search and toggle off Listen for “Hey Siri” and Press for Siri. Go back and choose Google > Search > Voice Search and disable it. (Source)

Once voice search is disabled, you can still search Google by typing search terms into the search bar in the Google app or Chrome app. This allows you to get Google search results without the privacy concerns of microphone access.

Voice Alternatives

Using voice assistants often comes with giving up some privacy, even if you’re not using Google’s Assistant. However, there are alternatives that may provide more privacy protections according to some experts.

Apple’s Siri voice assistant is seen as having better privacy safeguards than Google Assistant. As one article notes, “Apple has always been praised for how much they value the privacy of their customers.” (source) Siri processes voice data locally on the device rather than sending it to Apple servers. This helps prevent Apple from accessing or storing private conversations.

Amazon’s Alexa and Samsung’s Bixby may also hold some privacy advantages over Google, but experts advise reviewing their privacy policies carefully before use. Voice assistants often store data to improve performance, which carries inherent privacy tradeoffs.

The best privacy protection is still likely not using any internet-connected voice assistant at all. But for those wanting hands-free convenience with potentially fewer privacy risks, Siri, Alexa or Bixby may be alternatives worth considering over Google Assistant.

Improving Google Privacy

While removing microphone access is important, there are other settings and steps you can take to limit the amount of data Google collects. Here are some tips for improving your overall Google privacy:

• Turn off Web & App Activity tracking in your Google account settings. This stops Google from recording your searches and activity across services.
• Disable location history and location tracking in your account and device settings. This prevents Google from accessing your location data.
• Use Google’s My Activity page to delete past activity and turn off tracking for specific services like YouTube and Maps.
• Consider using Firefox or DuckDuckGo as alternatives to Chrome and Google Search. These options collect less personal data.
• Avoid signing in to services with your Google account. Signing out reduces data connections.
• Turn off personalization and ad settings in your Google account. This limits how your data is used for targeted advertising.

Taking a comprehensive approach to managing your Google account, apps, and activity settings is key to gaining more control over your privacy.

Weighing Convenience vs Privacy

There is an inherent tradeoff between the convenience of voice assistants that utilize microphone access and maintaining privacy. As the article points out, voice assistants raise valid privacy concerns, yet many find them useful and convenient.

On the one hand, allowing microphone access means your conversations and ambient sounds may be recorded and analyzed. This data could potentially be used to profile you or target ads. However, voice controls can streamline certain tasks like setting timers or asking questions hands-free.

Each user must decide what level of convenience is worth the privacy tradeoff. Options like disabling the microphone for specific apps or using push-to-talk voice features can help mitigate privacy risks while retaining some functionality.

There are also emerging privacy-focused voice assistants like Open Voice Network that aim to provide utility without surveillance. As the technology evolves, more choice may become available.

In the end, it is about finding the right balance for your needs and comfort level when it comes to potential privacy invasion.

Conclusion

In summary, while Google and many other apps request microphone access to enable voice features, you can control what access is granted through your device settings. Removing microphone access breaks certain voice functionality but may provide more privacy. Decide what level of convenience versus privacy suits you.

As a final recommendation, critically evaluate any app requesting microphone access and only enable it if you’re comfortable with how that access might be used. Periodically check your permissions and what data may be collected from your device. Find alternatives for voice functions if needed, or use services anonymously if privacy is a priority. Though inconvenient, limiting app permissions and using privacy tools can help safeguard your information.