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There is no microfon icon in address bar, cannot use voice search

  • 12 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 19 views
  • Last reply by Paul

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Hi! I want to search using voice, but there is no microfon icon in adress bar. Only when I choose google as default search engine the icon appears, but I don't usually search with google. When I create firefox search widget on home screen there is microfon icon and voice search works well.

I have read this https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/voice-input-firefox-android, needed feature is on.

Help please.

Hi! I want to search using voice, but there is no microfon icon in adress bar. Only when I choose google as default search engine the icon appears, but I don't usually search with google. When I create firefox search widget on home screen there is microfon icon and voice search works well. I have read this https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/voice-input-firefox-android, needed feature is on. Help please.
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All Replies (12)

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Hi

Google is the voice search provider in Firefox for Android which is why you can see the microphone icon when Google is the search provider.

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Seburo said

Hi Google is the voice search provider in Firefox for Android which is why you can see the microphone icon when Google is the search provider.

Thanks for answer, but the question was Why I cannot see microfon icon when I use search different from Google? ) Voice recognition provider and search provider are different things.

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Hi

I do not believe that DuckDuckGo can provide a voice search.

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Seburo сказал(а)

Hi I do not believe that DuckDuckGo can provide a voice search.

Facepalm. Of course not. DDG is a search provider. I speak, my voice is recognized using google cloud services and text returns. Then this text can be used to search with any search provider or for any other purposes. This way it works in ff for android widget, and this way it worked until big update in summer. So where is the icon?

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We currently only have one total option for a search provider and I am not aware of any plans to link search providers in any future updates.

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Sorry, for importunity, but did I get that right that we cannot use voice search when default search is set to ddg, yandex, bing and so on? In Chome for android one can set any default search provider and voice search works well with all of them.

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It is possible to use voice search with other search providers.

On my phone, I use DDG as my search provider, and I use gboard (the Google keyboard app) as my keyboard. And gboard allows voice typing. So, if I click on the search bar in my browser, the keyboard comes up, and there is a microphone icon on the keyboard. You can tap that and begin speaking.

One thing to note, which I just discovered, is if you are in a private browsing window, the keyboard will not accept voice input (microphone has a slash through it). But if you are in a non-private window, voice input works from gboard.

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Yes, we do so, but such input is feature of gboard which works in any application, it is not feature of Firefox. And unfortunately voice input through gboard works slowly than voice search as browser feature. I do not understand why Mozilla can't make voice search for any search provider as it works in Chrome and as it worked in FF before transition to Gecko View engine in August 2020.

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Hi

Mozilla does not yet have the resources at the present time to fund a voice search project, but hopefully the Google alternative will suffice until a better option is available.

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I have the above issue as well with no microphone showing on the 1x4 widget. It's visible in the widget gallery but when I place it on my home screen the microphone goes away. I do have google search engine selected...any thoughts?

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dan_herrmann, I do not have microfon icon in FF itself for any search provider except Google. But I see microfon icon for any search provider in FF 1x4 widget and it works fine. Redmi note 7, miui 11. The only idea for you is to reinstall FF and check.

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Hi Dan - we have picked up your question separately

Hi kubinec12 - Firefox for Android uses Google as a voice search provider. If you have a different default search provider set and are using voice search in GBoard - the search term is completed by voice, but the search is completed by the search provider.

I hope that this helps.