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Adding microphone on keyboard for dictate typing on iPhone 5s

My carpal tunnel makes it often impossible to type. How can I add the microphone icon to my keyboard so I can dictate instead of type for search, email, sms, etc?

iPhone 5s, iOS 12

Posted on Dec 29, 2019 1:56 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 30, 2019 2:56 AM

Yes, English.

I found a solution, I went ahead & added the Gboard keyboard app & now I got my mic back plus I got glide typing. Woohoo! Takes 136 mb's & I'd prefer not to have to add another app, but Apple is currently not making that possible. I didn't try Siri, because we just don't get along well. So, I'm satisfied!!! Hope this helps others too!! Thanks for your prompt attention to this matter & appreciate the feedback none the less.

11 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 30, 2019 2:56 AM in response to sberman

Yes, English.

I found a solution, I went ahead & added the Gboard keyboard app & now I got my mic back plus I got glide typing. Woohoo! Takes 136 mb's & I'd prefer not to have to add another app, but Apple is currently not making that possible. I didn't try Siri, because we just don't get along well. So, I'm satisfied!!! Hope this helps others too!! Thanks for your prompt attention to this matter & appreciate the feedback none the less.

Dec 29, 2019 3:58 PM in response to sberman

thank you. I know it’s possible because 2 or 3 updates ago I was able to dictate type via the microphone icon on my keyboard. I dont have the “Enable dictation” option. I’ve read through many previous communities questions related to the 5s but they don’t seem to apply due to the current iOS version. I’m at 12.4.4. I wonder if I must re-activate Siri, which I’ve not found to be useful in the past

Jan 9, 2020 4:04 PM in response to sberman

Greetings S. I got my dictation option back!! This is FYI, that I couldn’t wait to share with you once i fell upon this miracle in disguise. Please bear with me as i retrace my actions to the best of my recollection. I ended up tapping on the “ reset advertising identifiers“. I believe it had to do with the “location services” under “privacy”. Unfortunately, I lost all my apps. Since I had to start over, I thought this time I’d give Siri a full hearted chance, which I hadn’t done before. tapping to “re-activate”, it showed “Siri & dictation”. So that put it back on my keyboard. Unfortunately, again however, I lost the ability to “glide” or “slide type” which was fun and easy. If you have any information on that I may be able to use, I’d really dig it. once I figure it out I will let you know in case any of my fellow Apple heads Could use what I’ve have fallen upon. Thanks for listening take care

Adding microphone on keyboard for dictate typing on iPhone 5s

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