You can talk to AI with your voice. I spent most of my working life talking to people. In restaurants, you don’t type your way through a busy night. You talk.
Then I sat down with AI, and it wanted me to type.
I’m 67. Typing is not my strength. I got tired of texting. My thumbs started aching. I would type a bit, wait, spell-check, type the next bit. I do that compulsively. That’s a lot of work for a simple thought.
The problem isn’t AI. It’s the keyboard.
Then I found out I could just speak. That was liberating.
I could say whatever was on my mind. I could go as long as I wanted. Even when I rambled through a sentence, Grok still figured out what I meant. It felt like banter with a trusted friend. I actually got lost in it. I forgot I was talking to Grok. It felt personal, like I was talking to a real person. The back and forth was faster. I could iterate and get to an answer without all the typing and waiting and spell-checking.
That’s my own experience. Yours might feel quieter. That’s fine.
It felt like a person. It is still a tool. Not a personality living in your phone. You can enjoy the conversation and keep that straight at the same time.
You don’t have to be good at typing. You can try it this week, in about five minutes.
If you’re brand new, start with What is AI? and How to Start Using AI Without Feeling Overwhelmed. This post is the next small step: stop typing, and talk.
Two ways to talk to AI with your voice (this confused me at first)
There are two ways to use your voice. They look similar. They are not the same.
1. Dictation. You speak. Your words turn into text in the box. You read it. You fix a word if you want. Then you send it. The AI answers in writing, the usual way.
2. Live voice chat. You talk back and forth, out loud. You hear an answer spoken to you. It feels more like a phone call than a typing session. That’s the one that gave me that back-and-forth banter.
I use both. Dictation is better when I care about the wording, like a note I might copy later. Live voice is better when I want to think out loud and ramble a little.
If a button is missing, don’t panic. These apps change the pictures on the buttons. Look for a microphone. If you don’t see one, update the app and look again. If it’s still missing, your phone or your plan may not include it yet. That is not you doing it wrong.
How I do dictation in ChatGPT
Open the ChatGPT app on your phone, or go to chatgpt.com on a computer and sign in.
In the box where you would type, look for a small microphone. That one is dictation. Tap it. If your phone asks permission to use the microphone, say yes.
Speak in a normal voice, like you’re talking to a friend. When you stop, your words should appear as text. Read them. Fix anything that came out wrong. Then send.
That’s it. You spoke. Then you edited. Then you sent.
How I do live voice in ChatGPT
Live voice is a different button.
Near the message box, look for a waveform or sound-wave icon (sometimes it just looks like a bigger voice button). That one starts a live conversation. Tap it. Allow the microphone if you’re asked.
Talk. Listen. Talk again.
You can mute yourself during the conversation. When you’re done, look for an X or an exit control and leave voice. Your chat should still be there as text, so you can scroll back. OpenAI says those transcripts are not word-for-word. Close enough for everyday use. Not a court record.
A few honest notes from their help pages, in plain English:
- Live voice works in the iPhone and Android ChatGPT apps, and on chatgpt.com when you’re signed in.
- If you’re not signed in on the web, you may still get dictation. You may not get a live voice conversation.
- If it keeps interrupting you, try headphones or a quieter room. A TV in the background will confuse it. Mine does.
I am not going to name every voice or every plan limit. Those change. If live voice isn’t there, use dictation. You still skipped the keyboard.
How I talk in the Grok app
I use Grok a lot. If you want the longer story of why, I wrote How I Use Grok Every Day. This is just the talking part.
Use the official Grok app on your phone. Open a chat. Look for the microphone. Tap it. Allow the microphone if your phone asks. Then talk.
On many iPhones, voice is there on the free app, with limits. On many Android phones, it often needs a paid plan such as SuperGrok or X Premium+. I am not going to quote prices or minute caps here, because they change. If you don’t see a microphone, update the app. If it’s still missing, it may be your phone, your plan, or a slow rollout. That is not a skill problem.
Grok also has a free tier for some chat and some voice. Paid plans raise the limits. Check Settings and Usage in the app if you want the current picture for your account.
What I actually say
Talk like a person. You don’t need special words. These are copy-paste starters. Fill in the brackets. For dictation, speak them, then read the text before you send. For live voice, just say them.
A note I don’t want to type:
Please help me write a short, friendly note to [name] about [topic]. Keep it plain. Here’s what I want to say: [your rough thoughts]. Don’t make me sound fancy.
Explain something without the jargon:
I’m 67. Explain [topic] in plain English, like you’re talking to a friend. Keep it short. Then wait for my next question.
Talk me through dinner:
I have [list what’s in the fridge] and I need dinner for [number] people. Ask me one question at a time. Keep it simple. I don’t need a restaurant menu. I need a weeknight meal.
If the answer is too long, say: Make this simpler. Or: Stop there. I have another question.
What this will not do
This is the part I want to say out loud.
Talking to AI does not send the message for you. It does not book a table. It does not call anyone for you. It does not run your life. You still read what it wrote. You still decide. You still hit send, if you hit send at all.
Also, you are speaking out loud. Don’t dictate a password, a bank code, or anything you wouldn’t say in a quiet kitchen with someone else in the house.
It felt personal. It felt like banter with a friend. It is still a tool, not a person living in the phone. I wrote about the “someone to talk things through” side of this in How I Use AI as a Daily Companion. Different job. Same idea: you’re allowed to talk instead of type.
Try it once this week
This week, talk to AI with your voice once. Pick one small thing you were going to type anyway. A grocery question. A “what does this word mean” question. A note to a neighbor.
Open the app. Find the microphone. Talk.
If you want more of the everyday uses, not just the voice part, see How I Use AI Every Day as a 67-Year-Old. If you’re still choosing a tool, Best Free AI Tools for Beginners in 2026 is the honest roundup.
I’m still learning this with you. If your screen doesn’t match what I described, tell me in the comments. These buttons move around. I’ll update this when I see a change.
Did you try talking instead of typing? How did it go?
— Andrew
