Gboard could soon get a useful feature you probably assumed it already had

Google appears to be working on Bluetooth microphone support in Gboard
This would allow you to use microphones on headphones or earphones for voice typing.
Right now you have to use the phone microphone, which is not always ideal

Gboard is a capable keyboard whether you’re typing by hand or using your voice, but the latter mode could soon improve substantially, as Google appears to be working on a feature that would let you use the microphone on your headphones or Bluetooth headphones.

Currently, voice typing with Gboard relies entirely on your phone’s microphone, even if you have headphones or earphones connected.

That’s not ideal. It means you have to hold your phone closer to your face or speak loudly if you’re in a noisy environment, and you may not even have realized that limitation existed, leading to poor results when voice typing when you have headphones on.

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A new lever

(Image credit: Google/Android Authority)

Fortunately, the days of this limitation could be numbered, as Android Authority has found evidence that Google is working on support for Bluetooth devices. The feature was found in a beta version of the Gboard app, as you can see in the screenshot above. The site claims to have been able to enable it and that it worked as expected.

That said, since the feature is still being tested internally at Google, there’s no guarantee it will actually be rolled out to a finished version of Gboard. But we can’t see why it wouldn’t, since it’s a useful update and based on Android Authority’s findings, it appears to work.

Since the feature seems almost finished, it is very likely that it will be released soon, if at all. We certainly hope so, as this is one of those things that feels like it should have been offered for years.

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