How do I default to speech input?

[jenjenjenjen]

I'm setting up a phone for my elderly mother to use. She is severely visually impaired. Her previous phone (now completely dead) defaulted to speech input when she was sending messages. When she clicked on the input area it would immediately come up with a big microphone symbol which she tapped to speak. The little icon on the top corner of the keyboard is no good - she cannot see it. I need the big microphone to be the default. The phone is a Motorola G22.

Can anyone tell me how I can do this?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! See if this works for her: https://support.google.com/gboard/answer/11197787?hl=en. It's not the exact solution to your question, but the end result should be the same.

Otherwise, based on this video, you might have to try disabling Gboard but keeping the Google Voice Typing option on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh2AXSDQ2Yg

 

[jenjenjenjen]

Thanks. I had found both the link and the video before. The assistant thing might work but she would have to remember what to say, which is in itself problematic. The slider to disable gboard is greyed out on her phone so I can't do that.

 

[B. Diddy]

I recall seeing this issue before, but people usually want to get rid of the voice typing, rather than access it. It always seemed to be on Moto phones as well. I think @Javier P knew something about it before, let me see if he has any input.