After we first spotted in August, Gboard is now rolling out an “enhanced voice typing” experience that features the new Google Assistant found on the latest Pixel phones.
Update 3/19: This saga continues with Gboard “Enhanced voice typing” now widely available on the Android 12 Developer Preview. After disappearing last month from the stable version of Android for the vast majority of devices, DP2 users are getting prompted about the NGA-powered voice transcription capability. The messaging is unchanged from before.
It’s not clear when Google will finally launch it. It could be tied to the next major Android release, but it has proven quite stable on 11. An upcoming Pixel Feature Drop is another possibility.
Update 2/23: Despite being available for most beta users over the last two months, “Enhanced voice typing” has been removed again. It’s gone from Gboard settings, though Voice Contributions remain, and everyone is back to the old experience.
Update 12/15: “Enhanced voice typing” is back for most Pixel owners after the brief — and quickly pulled — rollout last month. You’ll be greeted with a “New! Save time typing” or “Tap the mic to chat hands free” prompt, while the Assistant/Pixel light bar is used to prominently signal that dictation is active.
