Many people are surprised to find that the microphone on the iPhone keyboard will not write Bangla. Apple’s Dictation has not offered Bangla as a dictation language, even when the Bangla keyboard is installed – for years iPhone users in the Apple Support Community have asked for it. Until Apple adds it, use one of the methods below.
Quick check: open Settings → General → Keyboard and look at Dictation Languages. If বাংলা ever appears there on your iPhone, Apple has added it and you can simply use the keyboard mic.
Method 1: Gboard for iPhone (recommended)
Google’s keyboard is available for iPhone and has its own microphone key that uses Google’s speech recognition, which supports Bangla.
- Install Gboard from the App Store.
- Open Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard and choose Gboard.
- Tap Gboard in that list and turn on Allow Full Access (needed for the microphone).
- Open the Gboard app → Languages → add Bangla (Bangladesh).
- In any app, switch to Gboard with the globe key, choose বাংলা, then tap the mic and speak.
Gboard on iPhone may open a short recording screen while it listens; this is normal. If the text comes out in English, the Gboard language is still English – switch it to বাংলা first.
Method 2: Speak Bangla, get English – BanglaSpeech
If you need your Bangla speech in English, open this page in Safari and use the tool above. If your iPhone shows a message that the browser cannot listen, dictate into the box with Gboard (Method 1) and tap Translate typed text – you will get the English translation straight away.
Method 3: Google Docs on a computer
For long Bangla documents, voice typing in Google Docs on a computer is often the most comfortable option. See Bangla voice typing on PC and laptop.
Tips for iPhone users
- Messenger and Facebook open links in their own browser, which can block the microphone. Tap the menu and choose Open in Safari.
- Check microphone access: Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and make sure Gboard / Safari are allowed.
- Speak whole sentences in a quiet place, and add the দাঁড়ি (।) yourself afterwards.
বাংলায় সংক্ষেপে
আইফোনের নিজস্ব ডিক্টেশনে এখনো বাংলা নেই। তাই App Store থেকে Gboard ইনস্টল করুন, Allow Full Access চালু করুন, বাংলা (বাংলাদেশ) ভাষা যোগ করে মাইক্রোফোন চাপুন। ইংরেজি অনুবাদ লাগলে লেখাটি ওপরের বক্সে দিয়ে Translate চাপুন।
Frequently asked questions
Why does my iPhone mic write English when I speak Bangla?
Because Apple Dictation does not support Bangla, it tries to understand your speech as English. Use Gboard’s mic with the বাংলা language instead.
Is Gboard safe to give Full Access?
Full Access is needed for voice typing and some Gboard features. Google explains what it collects in Gboard’s privacy settings; you can turn sharing options off there.
Does Bangla voice typing on iPhone cost anything?
No. Gboard and the BanglaSpeech tool are free.
What about Android?
See Bangla voice typing on Android – it is built into Gboard there.