Guide
Voice Typing With a Keyboard on iPhone
On iPhone you talk text in with the microphone key on the onscreen keyboard. If you want more, add another keyboard under Settings, General, Keyboard, Keyboards, for example SpeechDone.
Updated
Talking with Apple’s keyboard
The onscreen keyboard on iPhone has a microphone key. Tap it and Dictation starts listening, and your text appears where the cursor is. To finish, tap the icon again or say “Stop dictation.”
If the key isn’t there, turn the feature on first: Settings, General, Keyboard, then Enable Dictation. The details are in our guide to dictating without Siri.
Apple says that when you add a keyboard for another language, you can dictate in that language too. Whether a language is available on your device is listed on Apple’s iOS and iPadOS feature availability page.
Add another keyboard
Open Keyboards
Open Settings, tap General, tap Keyboard, then tap Keyboards.
Add
Tap Add New Keyboard, then choose a keyboard from the list. Repeat to add more.
Switch
While typing, touch and hold the switch icon at the bottom of the keyboard, then tap the keyboard you want.
Remove
In the Keyboards list, swipe left on a keyboard and tap Delete.
Why third-party dictation keyboards work differently
Apple doesn’t let keyboards use the microphone. So a keyboard from another developer can’t record by itself. With SpeechDone, the first dictation briefly opens the app to record, and your text then goes back into the field you started in.
After that, the mic stays open, 15 minutes by default, and you start your next dictations right from the keyboard. The top of your iPhone shows it’s open the whole time, and one tap ends it. Only what you say between start and stop is saved or sent.
SpeechDone runs on iPad too, using the iPhone layout. It requires iOS 18 or later.
For you that means the first start takes a moment longer, then you dictate right in the keyboard. You end the open mic any time with a tap at the top of your iPhone, and it’s closed again.
What SpeechDone adds as a keyboard
Text while you speak
You see the text as you talk. After you stop, the finished text is in the field right away, a median of 0 ms after stop (measured October 13, 2026).
Cleanup and tone
SpeechDone cleans up in your speech pauses. “Tuesday, uh, no, Wednesday” becomes “Wednesday.” Your original stays in your history next to the cleaned-up version.
Translate, Ask, Rewrite
In the keyboard you can translate, ask questions and rewrite selected text by voice. These are part of Pro.
Dictionary and snippets
Add names and technical terms to your dictionary and call up snippets with a shortcut. Signed in, both are the same on all your devices.
Where your voice goes
Unlike Apple’s built-in Dictation, SpeechDone turns your voice into text on servers. Our server is hosted at Hetzner in Germany, and recognition runs only on EU servers. Your recording isn’t stored on our server, it’s only processed in memory during recognition.
The details are in our privacy policy. For a checklist when choosing a dictation app, see GDPR and dictation apps.
SpeechDone isn’t in the App Store yet. Join the waitlist below and we’ll email you once when it is.
Common questions
Where is the microphone on the iPhone keyboard?
The microphone key is on the onscreen keyboard. If it’s missing, turn on Enable Dictation under Settings, General, Keyboard.
Can I dictate in German or other languages?
Apple says you can dictate in the language of any keyboard you’ve added. Whether a language is available on your device is on Apple’s feature availability page.
How do I add a different keyboard?
Go to Settings, General, Keyboard, Keyboards, tap Add New Keyboard and choose one from the list.
Why does SpeechDone briefly open its app when I dictate?
Apple doesn’t let keyboards use the microphone. So SpeechDone records briefly in the app the first time, then your text goes back into the field you started in.
How long does the mic stay open?
15 minutes by default. The top of your iPhone shows it’s open, and one tap ends it.
Does SpeechDone work on iPad?
Yes, with the iPhone layout, on iOS 18 or later.
Sources
- 1Apple: Add or change keyboards on iPhone, retrieved October 16, 2026
- 2Apple: Dictate text on iPhone (iOS 26), retrieved October 16, 2026