If you accidentally tap the dictation or voice icon after sending a text in Messages, your music may stop while your iPhone starts listening. This is a small but common annoyance because the dictation/audio icon is so close to the send arrow that stray clicks are almost inevitable. In iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, Apple finally gave you a way to get rid of it.
It’s a problem that popstar Justin Bieber has publicly complained about, saying the send button shouldn’t have multiple functions so close together. The post went viral and in iOS 27, Apple did something about it.
Quite simply, the message text field now has a new setting. You can choose whether it displays the audio waveform icon for recording a voice message, the microphone icon for dictation, or nothing at all. Here’s how to find it:
- Open it Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Faucet Applications at the bottom of the list.
- Faucet Messages.
- Faucet Show in text field.
- Choose one of three options: Record audio, Start dictationOr None.
If you keep tapping the text field icon by mistake, you’ll want to choose None.
If you occasionally record voicemails, don’t worry: you can always use the plus button to the left of the input field to enable Audio. If it’s dictation that you sometimes use, you’ll find the microphone key at the bottom right of the iOS keyboard (if it’s not there, go to Settings ➝ General ➝ Keyboard and turn on Enable dictation.)
iOS 27 remains in beta, with a public release expected in September.
