Talk Instead of Type: Let Your Phone Do the Typing

If tiny phone keyboards make you want to throw the thing across the room, I've got good news: you almost never have to type on one again. Your phone can listen to you talk and turn your words into text. It can also make calls, set reminders, and answer questions — all by voice. This isn't some fancy new trick. It's built right into your phone already, waiting for you. Let me show you how to wake it up.

Meet your voice helper

Every iPhone has Siri. Every Android phone has Google Assistant. Think of them as a helpful neighbor who lives inside your phone and never gets tired of your questions. On an iPhone, hold down the button on the right side of the phone for a second or two. You'll see a colorful circle appear at the bottom of the screen. That's Siri, listening. On an Android phone, either say "Hey Google" out loud, or hold down the round home button (or the circle icon) at the bottom of the screen. You'll see Google's colored dots start moving. It's listening.

Things you can say out loud

Once it's listening, just talk the way you'd talk to a person. Try any of these: "Call my daughter." (If her number is in your contacts, the phone dials it.) "Text John and say I'll be there at noon." The phone will read back the message and ask if you want to send it. Say "yes." "Remind me to take my medicine at 8 tonight." The phone sets a reminder and will chime at 8. "What's the weather tomorrow?" It'll tell you, out loud. "What time is it in California?" Handy when the grandkids live two time zones away. Don't worry about getting the words exactly right. These helpers are good at figuring out what you mean, even if you stumble a bit. And if it gets something wrong, just say "cancel" and try again. No harm done.

Dictate instead of type

Here's the one that changes everything for texting. When you're writing a text message or an email and that tiny keyboard pops up, look for the little microphone icon — it's usually in the bottom corner of the keyboard.

1. Tap the microphone icon. You'll see it start listening.
2. Just speak your message, the way you'd say it out loud. Say "period" when you want a period, "comma" for a comma, "question mark" for a question mark.
3. When you're done, tap the keyboard icon to stop listening.
4. Read what it typed to make sure it's right, then hit send.

That's it. No pecking at letters. You can write a whole long message to your sister while your coffee's still hot.

A few honest tips

Speak at your normal volume. You don't need to shout. Holding the phone about six inches from your mouth works best. It learns your voice. The more you use it, the better it gets at understanding you. Background noise confuses it. If the TV's blaring, pause it for a moment while you talk to your phone. It's okay to feel silly. Everybody does at first. Then it becomes second nature, and you wonder how you ever lived without it.

The good Lord gave you a voice — turns out it's also the easiest remote control ever made.

If this helped you, share it with someone who still types every text with one finger. They'll thank you.