How to turn off Dictation on an iPhone
2 min read · 3 steps · Updated 4 October 2026
Open Settings, tap General, then Keyboard, scroll down to Dictation and switch off Enable Dictation. The microphone key then disappears from the keyboard. Switch it on again in the same place to dictate text.
- Device
- iPhone
- Shown on
- iOS 26.5 (iPhone 17)
- App
- Settings
- Path
- Settings › General › Keyboard
- Real screenshots
- 3 of 3 steps
- Checked
- October 2026
- Sources
- 1 official, linked below
Dictation puts a microphone key on the keyboard, and it is easy to hit by accident. If you never dictate, you can switch the feature off. Apple notes that Dictation is processed on the iPhone in many languages and needs no internet connection.
The screenshots show iOS 26.5 on an iPhone 17. On older versions the rows have the same names, with a slightly different look.
Step by step
Open Settings and tap General
General is the first row of the first group in the main Settings list.
Tap Keyboard
It is in the second group of the General page, below Fonts.
Scroll down and switch off Enable Dictation
It is under the heading Dictation, near the bottom of the page. In the picture it is on.
Good to know
If you keep Dictation, the next switch decides whether it adds commas and full stops by itself: how to stop iPhone Dictation adding punctuation.
About Dictation & Privacy, the blue link below the switches, explains what is shared with Apple.
In short: Settings, General, Keyboard, Enable Dictation off.
Links checked on 3 October 2026. Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you act.