How to dictate an email on Android

To dictate an email on Android, use the microphone on your keyboard: open Gmail or Outlook, tap in the message field, tap Microphone at the top of Gboard and start talking when you see Speak now. Say "comma", "period" or "new paragraph" to add punctuation. Keyboard dictation writes down exactly what you say, word for word. If you would rather talk the way you think and get back a finished, polite email, use an AI dictation app that writes the email for you.

Dictate an email in Gmail with Gboard

These steps come from Google's Gboard help page ("Type with your voice", checked September 25, 2026). Google says voice typing works "in most places where you can type with a keyboard."

1. Make sure Gboard is your keyboard. If it is not installed, get it from Google Play.
2. Open Gmail and start a new email, or open an email and reply to it.
3. Tap the message field so the keyboard opens.
4. At the top of the keyboard, tap Microphone.
5. When you see Speak now, say what you want written.

To fix a single word, touch and hold it, tap Microphone again and say the new word. Google also notes that talk-to-text "doesn't work with all languages" and that some steps need Android 7.0 or later.

Punctuation and voice commands

With standard voice typing, you say the punctuation out loud. Google lists these phrases:

Google adds that "punctuation might not be available in all languages."

Advanced voice typing on Pixel

On a Pixel 6 or later (including Fold and Tablet), Gboard has advanced voice typing features. According to Google's help page:

• Punctuation is added automatically as you speak.
• You can edit by voice with commands such as "Delete", "Clear" or "Clear all", and say "Send" to send a message.
• It supports English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish.
• The text you speak stays on your device, except when you use the "Fix it" or detailed edits features.

To turn it on, tap in any text field, tap Settings at the top of the keyboard, then Voice typing, and turn on Advanced voice typing features.

Dictate an email in Outlook on Android

Outlook for Android had its own Dictate button. Microsoft's help page now says: "The dictate feature will be retired from Outlook Mobile starting in September 2024." If you cannot find it, use your keyboard instead:

1. Open Outlook and start a new email, or open an email and reply to it.
2. Tap the message body.
3. Tap Microphone at the top of Gboard and speak.

If your phone uses a different keyboard, it may have its own voice input with a different button. The steps above are for Gboard.

Why dictated emails often still need work

Keyboard dictation is a transcription: it writes what you say, in the order you say it. That is great for short, clear sentences. It is less great when you think out loud:

• You restart sentences ("can we, actually, could we move it").
• You correct yourself ("Tuesday, no, Wednesday").
• The important point comes last, after the context.
• You still have to add the greeting, the sign-off and the paragraphs yourself.

So you either speak very carefully, like reading from a script, or you spend time fixing the text afterwards. An AI dictation app takes a different approach: you say what the email should say, and it writes the email.

Speak loosely, get a finished email: Retexta

Retexta is a cloud voice to text and AI writing app for Android. It is not a keyboard: you do not dictate into Gmail directly. You speak in Retexta, get a finished email there, and then send it through your email app.

1. Open Retexta and tap New task.
2. Under What do you want to do?, tap Write a message.
3. Under What kind of message?, choose Email as the message type. Then pick a writing style: Professional, Formal, Friendly, Casual, Clear & concise, Warm or Persuasive. Tap Next.
4. Tap Record audio and talk. Say who the email is for, what it is about and anything that matters. You can correct yourself as you go ("send it Friday, no, Thursday"); the app's own tip is to speak naturally and add details while you talk.
5. Stop the recording. Retexta transcribes what you said and writes the email.
6. Not quite right? On the result screen you can change the text type, writing style, language or length without recording again.
7. Tap Share and then Send email to open the draft in your email app, or copy the text and paste it into Gmail or Outlook. Copying and sharing need Retexta Pro or credits.

Read the email before you send it. Retexta marks results with "AI-generated. Check important details." Names, dates, amounts and promises must be right, because the email goes out in your name.

Write a message is part of Retexta Pro. Retexta is free to try: new users get a few free Pro results to view in the app. Copying, sharing and exporting need Retexta Pro or credits, and so does everything after the free results.

Example: from a spoken ramble to a finished email

We wrote this example ourselves to show the idea. It is not real app output, and your results will look different.

What you might say:

Okay, email to Priya from the print shop. So, the flyers, we need to push the delivery, the event moved, it's now on the fourteenth, not the seventh. So can they deliver on the tenth instead? Oh, and we need two hundred more, so seven hundred total. And ask if the price changes. Keep it friendly, she's been really helpful. Oh, and say thanks for the proof, it looks great.

The finished email (Email, Friendly):

Subject: Flyer order: new delivery date and quantity

Hi Priya,

thank you for the proof, it looks great!

Our event has moved from the 7th to the 14th, so we need to change the order:

- Delivery on the 10th instead of the original date
- 700 flyers in total (200 more than before)

Could you let me know if the new quantity changes the price?

Thanks again for all your help.

Best,
[Your name]

Everything in the email was in the voice note. The difference is order: the thanks comes first, the two changes are easy to spot, and the question stands on its own line.

Tips for dictating emails

• Say the recipient and the goal first. "Email to Priya, we need to move the delivery" gives the AI (or your future self) the frame.
• Spell unusual names. Voice recognition can get names wrong. Check every name before you send.
• Say numbers clearly and check them in the result: dates, prices, quantities, order numbers.
• Find a quiet spot. Background noise makes any transcription worse.
• Keep the final check. Whether you use Gboard or an AI app, read the email once before you hit send.

Gboard or Retexta?

If your emails are short and you speak in finished sentences, Gboard is enough and costs nothing. If you think out loud and spend time rewriting, a tool that writes the email saves that step.

What to dictate next

Emails are often the last step after a meeting: our guide on how to write meeting minutes includes a template and a follow-up flow. If you already have a voice recording, see how to transcribe a voice memo on Android. More about the app: Retexta, voice to text for Android.

Sources

Checked by FLAME Apps on September 25, 2026.

• Gboard Help, Type with your voice (Android): steps, punctuation phrases, language and Android version notes.
• Gboard Help, Use advanced voice typing features: Pixel 6 or later, automatic punctuation, voice commands, supported languages, on-device note.
• Microsoft Support, Dictate your emails in Outlook Mobile: retirement of the Dictate feature.
• Retexta: names of goals, message types, writing styles and plans as shown in the app and on its Google Play listing.