Google launches Gemini-powered dictation feature Rambler for Gboard
On Tuesday morning at the Android Show: I/O Edition 2026 event, Google unveiled Rambler, a new feature for Gboard that utilizes AI for voice dictation. This tool eliminates filler words such as 'ums' and 'ahs' and is capable of recognizing corrections made mid-sentence. It employs Gemini-based multilingual models, allowing seamless code switching between languages like English and Hindi. According to Ben Greenwood, director of Android Core Experiences, Rambler does not save voice recordings and only uses audio for transcription, ensuring privacy through a mix of on-device and cloud processing. The feature is set to debut this summer on Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel devices, with wider Android access to follow. Rambler faces competition from dictation applications such as Wispr Flow, Typeless, Willow, SuperWhisper, Monoglogue, and Handy, which primarily cater to desktop and iOS users. Last month, Google also launched AI Edge Eloquent, an offline dictation app powered by its Gemma AI models, for iOS.
Key facts
- Google announced Rambler at Android Show: I/O Edition 2026 on Tuesday morning.
- Rambler is a voice dictation feature for Gboard.
- It removes filler words and understands mid-sentence corrections.
- Rambler uses Gemini-based multilingual models supporting code switching.
- Google says Rambler does not store voice recordings.
- Ben Greenwood is director of Android Core Experiences at Google.
- Initial rollout is limited to Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones this summer.
- Competing dictation apps include Wispr Flow, Typeless, Willow, SuperWhisper, Monoglogue, and Handy.
- Google released AI Edge Eloquent on iOS last month.
Entities
Institutions
- Gboard
- Wispr Flow
- Typeless
- Willow
- SuperWhisper
- Monoglogue
- Handy
- Samsung
- Google Pixel