Gboard Gets New Toolbar and Voice Typing Features on Pixel and Select Other Phones

There's a new toolbar which appears pill-shaped at the bottom of the screen.

Written by Shaurya Tomer, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 16 April 2025 22:59 IST

Photo Credit: Google

Gboard can now show voice commands that can be spoken by the user

Highlights

Pixel users can add emojis by describing them aloud with Gboard
Commands like “Send,” “Stop,” “Delete,” and “Undo” offer quick actions
Additional tools include clipboard, emoji panel, and translation

Gboard, the virtual keyboard app developed by Google, is adding new voice typing features on Pixel smartphones and select other devices. Users can now take advantage of voice commands which enable them to add emojis, edit text, turn off the microphone, or send the message. Although Gboard has provided voice typing capabilities for years now, these capabilities potentially improve the experience, making it easier to type on the device in situations where the hands are occupied.

New Voice Typing Features on Pixel

Until now, hitting the microphone icon on the Gboard enabled voice typing while the keyboard remained on the screen for editing in real-time. However, the latest change tweaks this. First spotted by 9to5Google, Pixel users can now access a new toolbar which provides more real-estate on the screen for the user to type with voice.

New voice typing features on Pixel

When voice typing is activated, the toolbar is minimised and appears pill-shaped at the bottom of the screen. There's also a hamburger menu on the left side of the toolbar which presents tools for dictation. This includes an option dubbed Show voice commands.

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This feature displays the voice commands which can be spoken by the user. For example, saying “Send” sends the message, while the “Stop” command turns off the microphone. “Delete” removes the last word or the highlighted word, “Clear” removes the last sentence, “Clear All” removes all of the text, and the “Undo” voice command does as the name suggests. Users can also speak out to emoji descriptions to add them in the text.

Lastly, “next” and “previous” voice commands enable them to move up and down the entries.

Meanwhile, it also has options like Show clipboard, Show emoji, and Show translate. Gboard also provides an option to switch to a vertically-placed toolbar through the same hamburger menu which potentially provides more space to work on by changing its orientation. Alternatively, users can also choose to bring back the full-sized keyboard with a dedicated option.

According to 9to5Google, the new voice typing features are available on Google Pixel phones and allegedly select Samsung smartphones. Gadgets 360 users were able to confirm the presence of this feature on a Pixel 9.

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Further reading: Gboard, Google Pixel, Samsung, Voice typing, Google Keyboard

Shaurya Tomer

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Shaurya Tomer is a Sub Editor at Gadgets 360 with 2 years of experience across a diverse spectrum of topics. With a particular focus on smartphones, gadgets and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), he often likes to explore the industry's intricacies and innovations – whether dissecting the latest smartphone release or exploring the ethical implications of AI advancements. In his free time, he often embarks on impromptu road trips to unwind, recharge, and ...More