Google Messages mic keeps listening after sending voice message? Try this workaround

Google Messages users, particularly Pixel owners, are facing a strange and unsettling glitch where the microphone is refusing to shut up after sending a voice message. This means your phone could be recording everything from nearby conversations to your latest Netflix binge, turning your messaging companion into a potential privacy nightmare. Luckily, there’s a potential workaround that will hopefully silence your phone’s unwanted listening habits.

Google likely unaware, but here’s a potential workaround

As of now, Google hasn’t officially acknowledged the microphone glitch in Google Messages. However, there’s some hope (maybe!). Several users have reported success with a potential workaround, although it may come at cost. It involves turning off Google Assistant voice typing within the Messages app. To to this, go into your keyboard settings within Messages, tap on ‘Voice typing’ and then disable ‘Use Assistant voice typing’. This simple tweak seems to have resolved the issue for some users, although it may not work for everyone.

While the workaround offers some relief, it’s not a permanent solution. Users shouldn’t have to disable features to ensure their microphone functions properly. The onus is on Google to investigate the glitch and deliver a fix through a software update.

Pixel users bear the brunt of the Messages microphone glitch

Google Pixel users have been reporting this issue for months, with some experiencing it as early as last year. The mic keeps listening when voice messaging and with the voice-to-text functionality in Google Messages. One user describes the situation perfectly. They use voice recognition to create a text message, hit send, and the microphone stays on, converting any audio around them to text. This continuous listening and recording eventually fills the message box with gibberish.

The glitch isn’t limited to the latest Pixel 8 series. Users with Pixel 7 and earlier models are also reporting the microphone malfunction. Interestingly, there are scattered reports from users with non-Pixel devices like Samsung Galaxy phones, suggesting the issue might be broader than initially thought.

Messages mic listening continuously poses privacy concerns

A microphone that refuses to shut up is a significant privacy concern. Imagine accidentally capturing a private conversation or a snippet of a confidential meeting — a chilling thought for anyone who relies on their phone for daily communication. While there haven’t been any confirmed reports of this glitch leading to misuse, it’s the potential that sparks worry. After all, who wants their phone to be a recording device for unintended moments?

In the meantime, Pixel users, and anyone experiencing this microphone gremlin in Google Messages, can try the aforementioned workaround. It might just be the solution you need to silence your phone’s unwanted listening habits.

Here’s hoping this coverage gets Google to shed light on this issue and even provide a permanent fix to ensure user privacy and a smooth messaging experience.