Where to find voice recording on your S23
Voice recording on your Samsung Galaxy S23 happens in two places: the Voice Recorder app (which you control directly) and Google Assistant (which listens for the wake word "Hey Google"). Most people want to disable one or both of these. The Voice Recorder app is straightforward to manage—you straightforward close it or uninstall it. Google Assistant is trickier because it runs in the background and requires you to dig into settings.
Before you disable anything, figure out which one is actually recording. If you're hearing a beep when you speak and seeing a timer on your screen, that's the Voice Recorder app. If your phone is responding to "Hey Google" without you touching it, that's Google Assistant. You may want to keep one and turn off the other, or disable both entirely.
Key Takeaways
- The Voice Recorder app can be closed when ready or uninstalled through Settings > Apps, and it will not record unless you open it again.
- Google Assistant listens for "Hey Google" by default and can be disabled in Google Assistant settings or by turning off the microphone permission entirely.
- Disabling Google Assistant's microphone access prevents it from hearing wake words but does not delete the app from your phone.
- You can also disable voice input on your Samsung keyboard (Samsung Keyboard or Gboard) if you do not want to dictate text messages or emails.
How to close or uninstall the Voice Recorder app
If the Voice Recorder app is actively recording, close it when ready by swiping up from the bottom of the screen (or pressing the back button, depending on your navigation style) or by tapping the X if one appears on the recording screen. The app will stop recording the moment you close it.
To prevent the Voice Recorder app from running at all, go to Settings > Apps, find "Voice Recorder" in the list, tap it, and select Uninstall. If the Uninstall button is grayed out, tap Disable instead—this prevents the app from launching. You can always reinstall it later from the Galaxy Store or Google Play if you change your mind.
How to turn off Google Assistant listening
Google Assistant is set to listen for "Hey Google" as soon as your phone powers on. To stop it from listening, open the Google Assistant app (or say "Hey Google, open settings"), tap your profile picture in the top right, go to Settings > General, and toggle off Google Assistant. This disables the entire assistant.
If you want to keep Google Assistant but just stop it from listening for wake words, go to Settings > Voice & Speech instead and toggle off Voice Match. This means Google Assistant will still work if you tap the microphone icon or hold the home button, but it will not respond to "Hey Google" unless you explicitly set up it.
A third option is to remove microphone permission from Google Assistant entirely. Go to Settings > Apps > Google > Permissions > Microphone and toggle it off. Google Assistant will no longer hear anything, though you may see warnings when you try to use voice commands.
How to disable voice input on your keyboard
If you use voice-to-text to dictate messages or emails, your S23 is recording those snippets through your keyboard app. The two most common keyboards on Samsung phones are Samsung Keyboard and Gboard (Google's keyboard).
For Samsung Keyboard, go to Settings > General Management > Samsung Keyboard, tap On-screen keyboard, select Samsung Keyboard, and look for Voice input or Microphone. Toggle it off. For Gboard, go to Settings > Apps > Gboard > Permissions > Microphone and toggle it off. You will still be able to type normally; you just will not see the microphone button when you open the keyboard.
What happens when you disable voice recording
Disabling the Voice Recorder app means you cannot record audio files unless you reinstall it. Disabling Google Assistant means your phone will not respond to "Hey Google" and will not send audio to Google's servers for processing. Disabling keyboard voice input means you cannot dictate text into messages or emails.
None of these changes delete your phone's microphone or prevent you from making phone calls. Your microphone will still work for calls, video chats, and any app that needs it. You are only turning off the specific features that record or listen for voice commands.
How to check what permissions apps have
If you are unsure which apps on your S23 can access the microphone, go to Settings > Apps > Permissions > Microphone. You will see a list of every app that has asked for microphone access. Toggle off any app you do not want recording audio. This is a quick way to audit which apps are listening without having to dig into each one individually.
Some apps (like your phone dialer or messaging apps) may need microphone access to function properly, so be careful not to disable the microphone for apps you actually use. If you turn off microphone access for an app and it stops working the way you expect, go back to this same screen and toggle it back on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off Google Assistant delete my recordings?
No. Turning off Google Assistant only stops it from listening going forward. If Google has stored previous voice recordings, you can delete them separately by going to myactivity.google.com, but disabling the assistant itself does not erase the past.
Can I turn off voice recording but keep using voice commands?
Yes. You can disable the always-listening feature (Voice Match) while keeping Google Assistant available. Then you can still use voice commands by tapping the microphone icon or holding the home button—the phone just will not listen for "Hey Google" automatically.
What if I only want to disable voice recording for one app?
Go to Settings > Apps > Permissions > Microphone, find the app in the list, and toggle off its microphone access. That app will no longer be able to record audio, but other apps can still use the microphone.
Does disabling voice recording affect my ability to make phone calls?
No. Your microphone will still work for calls, video chats, and any app that needs it. You are only turning off specific voice recording and listening features, not the microphone hardware itself.
How do I know if my phone is still recording?
Look at the top of your screen for a microphone icon with a dot or indicator next to it. If you see this, an app is actively using the microphone. You can also check Settings > Apps > Permissions > Microphone to see which apps have permission, though permission does not mean they are recording right now.