If the Microphone Key is missing from the keyboard of your iPhone, you won’t be able to activate the Dictation feature and type by speaking words or sentences into the Microphone of your iPhone.
While the most common reason for Microphone key or Icon missing from iPhone Keyboard is due to the Dictation feature being accidentally disabled, it can also occur due to other reasons.
Microphone Key Missing on iPhone Keyboard
If the Microphone Key is missing or not available on the keyboard of your iPhone, you should be able to fix the problem using the following steps.
1. Make Sure Dictation Mode is Enabled
As mentioned above, the most common reason for the Microphone Key missing or not being available on iPhone is due to the dictation feature being disabled on your device.
1. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard.
2. On the next screen, scroll down and move the toggle next to Enable Dictation to ON position
After this, you should be able to find the Microphone key on the Keyboard of your iPhone.
2. Restart the App
If you cannot find the Microphone Icon while using WhatsApp, Google Hangouts or any other App, the problem could be due to that particular app going through problems.
In most cases, this can be fixed by quitting the App and Restarting it back again. After the App restarts, you should find the Microphone Icon back on the Keyboard of your iPhone.
3. Restart iPhone
The problem could be due to a software glitch or stuck program preventing the Microphone key from appearing or working properly.
1. Go to Settings > General > Shut Down.
2. On the next screen, use the Slider to power OFF iPhone.
3. Allow iPhone to completely shut down > After 30 seconds, Restart iPhone and see if the Microphone Icon is now available on the keyboard of your device.
4. Install Updates
Make sure that your iPhone is up-to-date with the latest available updates.
1. Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
2. On the next screen, wait for iPhone to check for Updates and tap on Install (if an update is available).
5. Disable Third Party Keyboards
The problem could be due to a third-party keyboard being installed on your device.
1. Go to Settings > General > Keyboards.
2. Select the third-party Keyboard > on the next screen, move the toggle next to Allow Full Access to OFF position.
If this does not help, uninstall the Third Party Keyboard App from your iPhone and see if this helps in fixing the issue.
6. Force Restart iPhone
If above steps did not help, follow the steps below to Force Restart iPhone and this should fix the problem on your device.
iPhone 8 and above: Press and release Volume Up > Volume Down buttons > and then press and hold the Side button (ON/OFF), until Apple logo appears.
iPhone 7/7 Plus: Press and hold Volume Down + Power (ON/OFF) buttons, until you see Apple logo.
iPhone 6 and below: Press and hold Home + Power (ON/OFF) buttons, until you see iPhone starting with Apple logo.
7. Reset All Settings
Note: This method Resets all Settings on iPhone, but it will not remove any data from your iPhone.
1. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > select the Reset option.
2. On the next screen, select Reset All Settings option.
3. On the conformation pop-up, tap on Reset All Settings to confirm.
8. Factory Reset iPhone
If above methods did not help, you might be able to fix the problem by performing a Factory Reset on your iPhone using steps provided in this guide: How to Factory Reset iPhone.
A Factory Reset will completely erase all the Data on your iPhone, including corrupted files which might be causing the problem on your device.
After the Factory Reset, you can either Restore iPhone using a Backup (if available) or Setup iPhone as a New Device.