This content is likely not relevant anymore. Try searching or browse recent questions.
This post is a trending issue.
Google Voice Typing is inserting punctuation automatically and it's so broken. Can I disable this? 2 Recommended Answers 1013 Replies 1245 Upvotes
I think there's been a server-side change where Google is trying to guess where I would like periods and commas. Unfortunately, it's breaking up my sentences where it doesn't belong. Sometimes it's when speaking normally, or sometimes it's because I have to pause and think about how I'm going to word something or finish the sentence. I'm often sending a paragraph of information to someone about a project and I can't talk without a pause here and there.
Example: "So today I noticed for the first time that my dictation. Is breaking up. Words and making me type short sentences if I don't speak fast enough. Basically, it's trying to insert punctuation. Intelligently and it's not working at all."
Example: "So today I noticed for the first time that my dictation. Is breaking up. Words and making me type short sentences if I don't speak fast enough. Basically, it's trying to insert punctuation. Intelligently and it's not working at all."
If this is supposed to be a feature that is here to improve the dictation experience, then can it please be made optional? I guess I don't talk fast enough to keep it from breaking up sentences into 3 parts. And I like to be in control of punctuation. Please, please please let me know how I can disable this.
Details
Recommended Answer Recommended Answers (2)
Recommended Answer
It works again! And from what I can tell, it's not some adjusted version of it, it just was removed. And I hope it never comes back, or if it does, it is presented as an option that we can enable if we would like, but never turned on by default.
If it hasn't been changed on your phone, it will soon, I'm sure. Thank you everyone for the continued commenting and making your voices known.
If it hasn't been changed on your phone, it will soon, I'm sure. Thank you everyone for the continued commenting and making your voices known.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
A fix for this issue is rolling out:
Best,
Lilybell2
recommended this
marked this as an answer
All Replies (1013)
Recommended Answer
Hi Joshua. There doesn't appear to be an answer to your question. Are you by any chance referring to Google Assistant? If so, please see THIS thread.
Being a touch typist I don't use text-to-speak but do test it occasionally in Google Docs. It's excellent for 'words' but punctuation is a no-no. Sometimes there will be a correct punctuation mark and sometimes the word, say comma, will appear in full. It's far too frustrating for me to use, therefore I don't.
Regards, Penny
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I am having this exact same problem, and it only began within the last couple of days. It is a huge annoyance and I can't find any option to turn off auto-punctuation.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I started noticing this today. It's extremely annoying and very inaccurate. I would much rather tell it when and where I would like punctuation.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Exact same thing is happening with me on every application using the Android Google typing. Doesn't matter if it is a text message or if it is in a different app. If I pause too long, it will add up. And capitalize the next word. It also tries to guess and will put a? If it believes that is where it belongs just like it did. This also started for me this morning. I use Speech to text everyday because I am not able to use the tactile keyboard. I have also used different third-party apps like SwiftKey and Textra and have unchecked Auto punctuation and it still works. Even if I'm trying to search within Google. Something is very wrong. And this just happened.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Yep, I'm having the exact same problem! It's bad enough that identifying the words that I speak, but it's even Worse at identifying my inflection! Incidentally, I typed this using voice to text, So if there's any weird punctuation or capitalization, that is why!
I only had to make two Corrections for that amount of text, So that's honestly better than usual.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I use this feature of my phone to do voice-to-text on all of my work notes. This adding in of punctuation started happening today for the first time, and is as annoying and inaccurate as the other posts have already described. It has meant more time editing the mistakes in the dictation than ever before (which in the past has always featured the weird capitalization of words that do not need a capital letter in the middle of a sentence - many of these seem to be proper nouns in other contexts, such as names of companies, i.e. Keen rather than the English word keen).
Overall, using the dictation in the way that I do may save me a bit of time, but only just barely, what with all of the corrections and editing that I have to do after the fact. Writing things down on paper may actually have been more efficient.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
The same thing is happening to me and it is so annoying! I use Voice to Text due to a disability. And it keeps putting in punctuation. Where I don't want it. Google please fix. This
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
You've got to be kidding me. Whose brilliant idea was this to make this change? Having to constantly remove periods and question marks where they're not wanted. Is insanity. I just had to tell it to add it. Behind insanity, but I didn't want it behind the word wanted. This is a complete god-awful mess.
So who was it that we complain to to get something done?
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Same exact problem described by all users above. What I find particularly frustrating is having to go back and when you correct the period and also have to correct the capitalization of the word following it.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
This sudden, disastrous change is DRIVING ME CRAZY! It makes dictation useless!
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Doesn't sound like this will last long. Good.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
This just started 2 hours ago with me on my Galaxy S10 Plus. If I hesitate or pause for the shortest amount of time it will add a period or a comma and capitalize the next word. It takes longer to correct the speak to text message rather than just type it out.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I'm so glad this isn't just me! I've been searching all over the internet to find out. Why, after. Taking a nap. , my voice text is suddenly broken up. I've never had this thing try and guess my punctuation before and a simple pause is putting in periods in capitalization and breaking up the sentences. I don't know what genius thought. This was a good idea, but it doesn't allow for natural voice inflection while speaking.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
My second message here...I spoke out what I was thinking, and it came out so badly, I just had to post it as-is. The voice to text suddenly can't distinguish between there, their, and they're, nor in/and, and other similar sounds, is cutting up sentences, and suddenly I'm lousy with commas. I sincerely hope this gets fixed and fast!!!
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Mine just started doing it today, exactly how you mentioned it and it's driving me CRAZY. I also noticed they changed the Google photo edits and got rid of "pop" for "blur". Soooo not happy!
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Yes, putting periods in the middle of my sentences. Really really annoying. Just started doing that today. Please fix!
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Same problem here and it's driving me insane.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Penny then why did you bother answering? Why is it so hard to get help from Google you want to take over the world? Give us some damn answers to the questions. We actually asked.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Google we're all telling you the same thing and you have no response. Here's a here's a solution for you. Go get hired at Apple because all their products are crappy so you can put your crappy speak to text in with their crappy phones and then you can all be happy but it's 20 20. Why are you inserting periods where they don't belong
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
So whose brilliant idea was it to add this new feature? I use Google all day. To translate notes to text and now I have to deal with this. I can't be more livid. You took? What is a pretty good? Little application and ruined it. By the way, I used Google to translate this and look at the mess. Thank you, Google.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
At least I'm not crazy.!!!!!
Well, it didn't predict that just put a damn. There. Hahaha, well in my opinion when Google or any company add some type of change in the software, they should tell us about the change. We should have to accept the change then have the option to leave it in the old. Position if you will as you can see by my dictated response and if some of you Vindicated pausing it just put stuff there. Why do they have to break something? That was never broken?
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Guess I'm having the exact same problem and for some reason it went away. On this post Oh, no, there it is. Do you need to not update? Oh my mother fucking God. Google you need to not update shit unless you get it right, please. Hey, here's an idea. Why don't you fucking have people test shit before you? Put it out to the public because this shit pisses me off. I use this shit everyday. And it was a time-saving tool. Until now You stupid motherfukers that are doing everything. That other computer companies are doing to fuck up the products that we use everyday when they're working. You really need to fucking learn to think before you act.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
That last reply was so fucked up due to trying to use the voice typing. PUT IT BACK THE WAY IT WAS!
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Yes, this complete annoyance and uninvited nuisance has ruined my voice-to-text world, Which is 99% of my texting. What the hell??
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I'm hoping this is a Glitch and not a new feature. As with the rest, it's driving me crazy and I use voice to text all the time. Waiting for answers...
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Same, same, same!! It really is making my phone almost useless, because I use voice to text constantly. Texts, emails, notes. I am constantly editing now. This is ridiculous. PLEEEEAAASE fix this asap!!!!
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I am also getting this problem and I don't like it because it puts stops in and capital letters where it should not be. But this seems to be doing it ok at the moment. But as you say it's But as you say it's when You think about what to say and it adds a period Mark or a capital letter.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
It's the worst! I like to tell it my punctuation, not have it guess it for me. I'm having to do a lot more editing now. Really hope they roll out an option to disable this.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
what I'm gathering is that there is no way to remove this? - same as most in this thread, this just started yesterday. It's a totally disruptive function and needs to go away now
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Same here!!!! How do we fix it???
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
This just started happening to me as well and it is absolutely garbage. Stop the madness.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
So just like everybody else above same thing has been happening. to me For about 3 days now as you can see with the random. It's getting extremely frustrating
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Great. Just great. Now I look even smarter when talking to text, LOL. I hate it. Please go away.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
This needs to be fixed ASAP. Such an inconvenience.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Clearly there was some recent update that doesn't work/has programming bugs in it. It's obvious they were trying to prevent people from having to say punctuation like "period" or "question mark" for the end of a sentence and just have Google guess where the periods and question marks should go. Well, Google screwed this up royally and created a problem where a problem never freakin existed in the first place. GOOGLE - UNDO THIS UPDATE OR PATCH IT PLEASE!!!
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Started to happen to me to in the last 48 hours. . Do we have an ETA on a fix yet? Driving me nuts!
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I disabled Google Voice input and went back to Samsung voice input. Is seems to be doing a lot better than Google here lately. It seems like google keeps updating their software and my phone has to re learn my voice
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Somebody please fix this Or update us as to how to turn it off. This is really annoying. I use Google Voice to Text on a daily basis.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Yeah, this really sucks. And the weird thing is my phone is doing it. Mine is a 7 active. My wife has the 9 I think and hers is not doing it....yet? I guess I might have to try out iPhone. I'm not going to put up with this much longer.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I'm experiencing the exact same issue.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I have the same issue and I'm seeking out a way to turn the auto punctuation off. Any help would be awesome!
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Ditto
I hand typed to protest these auto punctuation insertions
No punctuation here 😏
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
This is ridiculous! I have automatic updates. Turned off because I don't like having to relearn stupid changes... This isn't a phone setting. It's a Google setting that I can't. Opt out of.
It's amazing. How big of a headache. Our big Tech overlords. Can bestow upon us on their slightest whim.
Read this Google. I'm not. Going to. Edit out all of these. Periods. And I'm not going. To look like an idiot with this terrible punctuation. My use of your product will decline while I Resort back to other forms of communication. Space. Period
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
This "feature" is absolutely annoying and must have a way to turn it off! The punctuation is grossly inaccurate, making it impossible to pause to gather thoughts and continue. It totally negates the ability to even dictate! This makes it even harder and more time consuming because you then have to find all of the punctuation mistakes and correct them.
PLEASE PROVIDE A WAY TO TURN THIS USELESS FEATURE OFF!
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Same thing happening here. Someone needs to fix this ASAP.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
So it isn't just me... It wants to put periods just about every other word! I absolutely want to control my own punctuation! I spent the past hour looking through everything for a way to turn this automatic punctuation off with no success. It seems they added this feature without realizing that when a person uses voice typing, they pause often, whether to think about upcoming wording or to approve previous wording, etc.. It is so horribly inaccurate that it takes me longer to fix the issues that it typed than it would have taken to type the whole thing in the first place.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I'm having the same problem.
I have been using this app with absolutely no problems for the past 5 years. As of today, if I don't speak quickly enough. Google will insert. Google will insert a. Into my sentence.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Obviously they need to put in a setting to disable the automatic punctuation. Also, there's no point in having it at all if it is going to be that inaccurate.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I am Danny Finkelstein in South Florida having the same problem. This chat group was difficult for me to locate. And now that I am here I am. Confirming this problem is real. Well that past sentence got broken up into three periods without me saying the word.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I hate this. Just started for me in the past week. Stop it Google! It doesn't work. From here on I will. Show you. These sentences are using speech to text. If you notice above, there's a. Where it shouldn't be? And the sentence that I just said Is a perfect example of why your system is broken?
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I am having the same problem. I hate this new feature. Google, please allow us to disengage this or remove it completely.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Happening to me too. I use voice to text for work messages constantly. It's beyond annoying, it's infuriating
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Same here! And do not see any options to disable it or any fixes so far.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Same here - very frustrating. Google PLEASE FIX ASAP
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Same. I used talk to text all day for work, and it's adding an hour to my day.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
This is my second post on the subject that I will not apologize for the ridiculous shit that it may put here for punctuation. We all know why it has the problem.
The bottom line this is very poor. Their intentions may have been in good spirits, but the bottom line is it is very frustrating to deal with it's annoying to deal with and it's a feature that should be able to be disabled off and on and it should tell you before it starts deploying the new feature not just put it there and call it a day.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
same thing for me and started 2 days ago, so annoying and google should just leave well enough alone. no way to turn it off that i found so i will move to samsung voice.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I was hoping someone would open up a thread regarding this problem. I've been searching for a couple days. Finally, I hope this gets the attention it deserves because like others have said, this is extremely annoying. I want control of my punctuation and I also like to pause for a second, when speaking! No need for a random period.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
It's like somebody knew about it a year ago. Which means there's got to be a Way to turn it off. It won't let me post a link here. But if you scroll down. And a Google search about Auto punctuation. There's an article from a year ago.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I'm having the exact same issue. I'm glad it wasn't just me.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Nothing to add other than what others have already said. Chiming in with the hopes Google will hear us and give us a way to turn off auto-punctuation ASAP.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Same problem here.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I run a business and I have to talk everyday into my phone with numerous paragraphs. This is absolutely destroying my talk-to-text experience. It's been the same for the last decade and now it's really super frustrating. I would rather say the word "period" Or say "question mark" as I've done for the last 10 years. Not cool at all
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Same here. I rely on this feature and it's making me look like an idiot. It even did it as I was dictating. This message as you can see.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I am actually writing this response using Google Speech right now speaking into my phone. This punctuation issue recently has come up in the last few days. I respond to a lot of emails. In text messages while driving and this is coming across and making me look like an idiot. The punctuation I've seen in the last few days, but it also seems that recently. Google is not recognizing words. Like and and in oh, which In the past had no issue before. Also sent the last patch it puts. It also puts n Oh in front of most commas. Now. Google please fix!
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
How freakin ridiculous. As if we don't have enough to deal with in this comically over-technologized world already. Put it back to the way it was please Google - and get some new programmers.
...SMH.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
It is extremely annoying and driving me crazy. Please take this feature off. Because as the other woman said it is making me look like an idiot. I talk speech constantly. And I have to go back and redo incorrect all of my And correct all of my conversations.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Can I just say one more thing? Who in the world at Google thought this would be a good idea. ? As you can tell. The minute I stop talking for a second. It puts a. Or? So who thinks talk texting? Is going to work like this. ? I would prefer to put in my own punctuation if you don't mind, Google. Really pissed off here
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Seems like they ruined what was a good thing. I use use the text to speech in text apps and email and it is pretty much unusable without extensive editing getting rid of periods and getting rid of capitalization. Of course, there's also the problem that I have that others may not where after you dictate for a while in text messages it starts to repeat what you have dictated until it feels like stopping.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I use this all the time. Because of not being able to have both hands. I I have a 6 month old and a five-year-old. It's easier for me to do talk-to-text. And this has by far screwed everything up When it comes to it, it's breaking sentences up. So badly that it's not even worth using they need to push through an update to change this back to the way. It was really
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
So I'm using. Talk-to-text right now and if I pause to gather my thoughts. Then the talk-to-text automatically add periods into all of my incomplete sentences. For example when I am contemplating how to respond. To someone in a text message I have to go through. And remove all the periods and uncapitalize. Quite annoying It's quite annoying.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
This is terrible and impeding my work. Please make this option or get rid of it. It is an awful feature
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Agreed, I'm experiencing the exact same problem and it is frustrating in its aggressiveness to auto punctuate. Please enable some way to disable this feature.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Exact same problem. Disabling languages, changing keyboards (Swiftkey v Google) had no effect. Super annoying.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Yep. Makes voice to text less efficient than typing. Please disable.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
The service is horrible now. I'm having the exact same issues.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
My whole job depends on this and they're changing things. I am so angry. I create pages upon pages of dictation everyday for my job. This is slowing me down tremendously.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Same issue. How about taking a look Google?
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I wish there was a way to turn off punctuation and that might help.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
One of the largest companies in the world cannot believe this is happening.
It's not even April 1st yet.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Same issue as above. It started yesterday. It is breaking up sentences by sticking in punctuation & capitalizing the next word every time I take a breath during dictation. It also seems to choose punctuation marks based on tone but its all wrong. Its sticking in question marks in statements. Whatever google is trying to achieve with this is a complete failure. Do they not test changes before they go live? Think of notifying users what sudden updates do? Build in the ability to switch such a feature off? Just going ahead inconveniences users who are now wasting huge amounts of time. I have to go back to Dragon on my PC until this is fixed.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
It is really awful. If it isn't fixed or made toggleable I just won't use it anymore.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I am having the same problem and using talk-to-text just to Show what's going on? As I post this. I used talk to text all the time. To communicate with my family and clients and see. What it's doing? Now screw Google LOL
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Having the same problem with talk-to-text. It's driving me crazy! Please change this back!
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Same issue. It's awful.
it needs to be made toggleable/removed. It's making communication for work a giant pain.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I totally agree. This punctuation and capitalizing thing is just ridiculous.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Same issue here absolutely completely unacceptable and very frustrating. A good way to push me away from google voice forever...............
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Please consider that there IS a problem with voice-to-text and that we are not making this,up to does the software. It is NOT with Google assistant and it IS extremely annoying, not to mention embarrassing.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Here is what my post looks like using. Voice to text. As you can see this is not related to Google Assistant. Voice-to-text software is now putting punctuation where it shouldn't. And increasingly at capitalization where it shouldn't. It doesn't even type the words I'm speaking. More often than not now.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I'm going to use talk to text on this. So everyone can see what it's doing. Like that "." I didn't ask for it to be placed in there. Talk-to-text is just automatically putting in punctuations at a thinks you want placed in the sentence even though you Might be pausing to formulate your thought. Like that last bit of sentences. However, it always seems like Google doesn't listen to. The people using its product and will probably have to deal with this for the next. Few years.
So that entire post was written using talk-to-text and as you can see there are a lot of periods placed in there and capital letters on words that I didn't want to have capitalized.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Why is this not fixed yet?
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Same thing happening here, How is there not a fix for this already? Do I need to go back to Apple?
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
This is driving me crazy! I assumed I changed something and I've been searching for the problem. Help!!
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I am getting periods where I don't want them and capitals where I don't want them as well. This has just occurred within the last three to four days. Google has to be aware, and they need to fix it. But does anyone know how to contact Google?
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Yes! I'm experiencing the same thing and can't find any way to disable this new "feature". Google overlords, please revert this back to the old non auto punctuation version or at least give us an option to toggle it on or off..
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Same damn thing. I've had a. Stroke so it takes me longer sometimes to speak and its annoying.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Any solutions yet?
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I'm having the same problem.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
This totally sucks. Has anyone found a way to rectify the problem yet?
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I am having the same problem. Also if I try to add a comma it will but changes as I hit send to say "oh," I never say oh comma but it always puts it in like that. Very frustrating.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
Google better fix this or there's going to be a revolt. One word, Apple. Fix-It, Google . No more automatic punctuation. Stop it.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I'm having the same problem like everyone else. I will demonstrate. Here is an example of me using the voice text option. On my phone and having Google decide where I should put the punctuation. It is. Very annoying. As you can tell, there are some places. Where the. Period should not be. Placed. I hope Google. Remedies this problem soon. Otherwise. It will be. Impossible to use the voice to text feature.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
Recommended Answer
I've experienced these issues for 2-3 years now. I originally had this problem with "oh" being inserted, on my Samsung S6.
Recently, I upgraded to a Samsung s20+. When using Google Voice typing I still have all of these same issues with punctuation, capitalization, and the word "oh" being inserted with commas.
recommended this
marked this as an answer
This question is locked and replying has been disabled.