Android
iPhone

Set up voice typing for your mom or dad

Short answerTurn on the free voice typing that's already on their phone, make the text bigger, and send the first message together. The one thing to teach is the difference between the two microphones: the keyboard's microphone writes text, and WhatsApp's round microphone records a voice note. Setup takes about ten minutes.

This page is for the son or daughter setting up a parent's phone. The free option comes first; often it's all they need.

Before you start

Sit side by side. You hold the phone and show each step; let them do the last one.
Check what they have: iPhone or Android, and if Android, which brand.
Make sure the phone is online.

1. Make the text bigger

If they can't read small letters, they can't check what voice typing wrote.

iPhone (iOS 27): Settings, Appearance, Text Size, then drag the slider right. On iOS 26 it's under Display & Brightness, Text Size.

Android: search Settings for "font size" and make it bigger. Menu names differ by phone.

2. Turn on voice typing

iPhone: Settings, General, Keyboard, turn on Enable Dictation. Details: iPhone dictation.

Android: check that a microphone shows on the keyboard. If the phone asks for microphone permission, choose While using the app. If it says "No permission to enable voice typing": here's the fix.

3. One keyboard, one language

If an extra keyboard language was added, voice typing may write in the wrong language. If they only need one language, remove the others: on iPhone in Settings, General, Keyboard, Keyboards; in Gboard under Languages. One keyboard means no surprises.

If they mix two languages, for example Turkish at home and English with the grandchildren, see two languages in one sentence.

4. Show the two microphones

This is what confuses people most. Open WhatsApp, tap the message box, and point to both:

The microphone on the keyboard: "Press this and talk, and it becomes writing."
WhatsApp's round microphone: "Press this and it sends your voice."

Full steps with a drawing: voice typing in WhatsApp.

5. Send the first message together

Ask them to text you on WhatsApp.
They tap the message box.
They tap the microphone on the keyboard.
They say one sentence in a normal voice.
They read it, then tap send.

6. Leave a note by the phone

Tap the message box.
Tap the microphone on the keyboard.
Talk.
Read it, then send.

If you live far away, make the video call from a second device, like a tablet or someone else's phone, and ask them to hold the phone you're setting up in front of its camera.

Common problems

"The keyboard changed and the microphone is gone": they switched keyboards by accident. On iPhone, hold the globe key and pick the keyboard. On Android, choose the default keyboard again in Settings.
"It keeps sending voice notes": they're pressing WhatsApp's microphone. Show step 4 again.
"It writes names wrong": show them how to tap the name and fix it before sending.

An easier way: Yazsın

If the phone's free voice typing works for them, stick with it.

What is Yazsın? Yazsın is a voice typing keyboard for iPhone and Android, in English and Turkish. They tap Speak, talk, and it writes what they said with the punctuation and capitals in place.

Why families look at it:

A large Speak button, if you turn it on, with "what to do" written on it. There's a Large keys option too.
Punctuation by itself: no "comma" or "period" to say, and the ums are taken out.
Learns the names you fix: if a grandchild's name comes out wrong, fix it and Yazsın learns it. Still glance before sending.
Two languages: English and Turkish in the same message.

Good to know before you set it up:

Yazsın also asks for microphone permission. On iPhone you add the keyboard and turn on Full Access.
On iPhone, the Yazsın app opens briefly to turn on the microphone. If it's set to close right away, this happens each time; otherwise the microphone stays ready for a while, and an orange dot appears at the top of the screen while it's standing by. Nothing is recorded until they tap Speak. Tell them in advance so it doesn't worry them.
Their voice travels over a secure connection to servers that turn it into text, so it needs the internet.

Status: Yazsın is not in the App Store or Google Play yet. The iPhone and Android versions are in testing. When it's out: a 7-day free trial with no card, then $8 a month outside Türkiye, with up to an hour of talking a day.

Join the waitlist

FAQ

Can I set it up and hand the phone back?

Yes. All the settings stay on their phone. Send the first message together, though: that's how the two microphones click.

Can I pay for it for them?

The phone's built-in voice typing is free. Yazsın isn't out yet; payment options will be on this page when it is.

How do I fix a name that keeps coming out wrong?

Tap the name and correct it with the keyboard before sending. In Gboard, you can touch and hold the word and tap the microphone to say it again. Yazsın learns names you correct.

My dad finds reading hard too. Will voice typing still help?

Voice typing writes for him, but he still needs to read the text before sending. If reading is hard, voice notes may suit him better. He can use both.

Is there a keyboard with bigger buttons?

iPhone and Android let you make text bigger in Settings. Yazsın has a Large keys option and a large Speak button.

Bu yazının Türkçesi: Annenize babanıza sesle yazmayı kurun. All help articles: Yazsın Help.