[5+ Methods] Fix Google Docs Voice Typing Not Working

There’s no better player in this domain than Google Docs when it comes to online word processors tools. Beholding a plethora of valuable features, this offering from Google has managed to checkmark most of the prerequisites that one could have asked for.

Some of its pretty impressive features are the ability to live collaborate and edit documents on the go, edit images on its drawing board, or type in the desired texts just via your voice.

The latter one, also known as Voice Typing, goes a great length in speeding up your everyday workflow as it negates the need to type in those long passages of texts. However, not everyone is able to make full use of the same.

A slew of complaints is lined up across Google Support Forum regarding the feature not working along the expected lines. If you are also getting bugged with the same, then fret not. In this guide, we have shared some potential workarounds that shall help you fix the issue of Google Docs Voice typing not working. So without any further ado, let’s get started.

We have listed five different methods to rectify the aforementioned issue. You should try out each of them until one spells out success for you. So with that in mind, let’s get started.

Fix 1. Check Docs Server Status

To begin with, we will advise you to verify whether the Docs servers are up and running or not. For that, head over to the Google Support Forum and check the status next to Google Docs, corresponding to today’s date. If there’s a yellow exclamation mark, then there’s currently some service outage.

So, as of now, all you could do is wait until the issue is rectified from Google’s end. You could also click on that exclamation mark to get hold of the estimated time of fix. On the other hand, if it’s all well and sound from the server-side, then here are some other methods that you could try out to fix the Google Docs Voice typing not working issue.

Fix 2. Use Chrome Browser

When this feature first made its way, it was only supported on the Chrome browser. Even other Chromium browsers like Edge weren’t under its compatibility list. While that has now changed, the feature is still best optimized to work with Chrome.

So try using this feature on Google’s browser and then verify if the Docs Voice typing not working issue has been fixed or not.

Fix 3. Verify Microphone Permissions

First off, you should verify that the Google Docs website has been granted the microphone permissions. Along the same lines, the browser where Docs is running also needs to have the said permission enabled. Here’s how to check and then allow these permissions, if needed.

Enable Microphone in Chrome

If Google Docs shows the error message, Google Docs Can’t Turn on your Microphone. Then the following Chrome tweak can come in handy.

1. Click on the Lock icon after you load the Docs page.
2. Here click on Microphone.
3. Select Allow option and Reload the Page, the Voice type should work properly.
   

Set Docs Microphone Permission

1. Launch Chrome and head over to the below location:

   chrome://settings/content/microphone

2. Now make sure that Docs (https://docs.google.com:443) is listed under the ‘Allowed to Use your Microphone’ section.
   
3. If it is under the Blocked section, then click on it and select Allowed from the drop-down menu.

Check Browser Microphone Permission

1. Bring up the Windows Settings menu via Windows+I shortcut keys.
2. Then select Privacy and Security from the left menu bar and go to the Microphone section.
   
3. Make sure that the Microphone Access and Let Apps Access your Microphone toggles are enabled. If that is not the case, then do so right away.
   

Now the microphone permissions have been enabled across the browser as well as the site, check if the Google Docs Voice typing not working issue has been fixed or not.

Fix 4. Increase Microphone Volume

If your PC’s microphone volume is set to a low level, then it might not be able to get hold of your voice. This would, in turn, result in the inability of the Voice Type feature to function correctly. So use the below-given instructions and double-check that the microphone’s level is adjusted to a suitable level:

1. Open the Windows Settings menu via Windows+I shortcut keys.
2. Now go to the Sound section.
   
3. Then scroll to the Input section and click on Microphone.
   
4. Set the Input Volume toggle to a decently high level.
   
5. Now verify if it is able to fix the Google Docs Voice typing not working issue.

Fix 5. Check Mac Microphone Permission

You can set mic permissions on a macOS computer. This will work across all the supported apps installed on your Mac PC including Browsers.

1. Open on MacBook System Preferences.
   
2. Open Sound settings option.
   
3. Here click on Input and increase the mic slider to full.
   

This will make sure your will voice is clearly recorded by the MacBook Microphone to be used for voice typing on GDocs.

Fix 6. Delete Browser Data

In some instances, if the accumulated data gets corrupted or outdated, then it could conflict with the proper functioning of the browser or/and its associated features. So the best way out is to delete those data and let the browser recreate them from scratch. Here’s how:

1. Launch Chrome and copy-paste the below location in the address bar:

   chrome://settings/clearBrowserData

2. Now check-mark Cookies and other site data and Cached Images and Files.
   
3. Finally, hit the Clear Data button and wait for the process to complete.
4. Once done, restart the browser and try accessing Docs; the microphone issue should now have been rectified.

Fix 6. Enable Mic Permissions

Conclusion

So with this, we round off the guide on how you could fix the Google Docs Voice typing not working issue. We have shared five different methods for the same. Do let us know in the comments section which one worked out in your favor.