Dictate text on iPhone (2024)

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iPhone User Guide

With Dictation on iPhone, you can dictate text anywhere you can type it. You can also use typing and Dictation together—the keyboard stays open during Dictation so you can easily switch between voice and touch to enter text. For example, you can select text with touch and replace it with your voice.

On supported models, Dictation requests are processed on your device in many languages—no internet connection is required. When you dictate in a search field, your dictated text may be sent to the search provider to process the search.

When you use on-device Dictation, you can dictate text of any length without a timeout. You can stop Dictation manually, or it stops automatically when you stop speaking for 30 seconds.

Note: Dictation may not be available in all languages or in all countries or regions, and features may vary. To see whether dictation is supported in your language and region, go to the iOS and iPadOS Feature Availability website.

When using Dictation, cellular data charges may apply. See View or change cellular data settings on iPhone.

Turn on Dictation

  1. Go to Settings Dictate text on iPhone (1)> General> Keyboard.

  2. Turn on Enable Dictation.

Dictate text

  1. Tap to place the insertion point where you want to insert text.

  2. Tap Dictate text on iPhone (2) on the onscreen keyboard or in any text field where it appears (as in Messages, for example). Then speak.

    If you don’t see Dictate text on iPhone (3), make sure Dictation is turned on. Go to SettingsDictate text on iPhone (4)> General> Keyboard, then turn on Enable Dictation.

    As you speak to insert text, iPhone automatically inserts punctuation for you.

    Note: You can turn off automatic punctuation by going to SettingsDictate text on iPhone (5)> General> Keyboard, then turning off Auto-Punctuation.

    As you dictate text, you can insert emoji by saying their names (for example, “mind blown emoji” or “happy emoji”).

  3. When you finish, tap Dictate text on iPhone (6).

    Dictate text on iPhone (7)
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Dictate text on iPhone (2024)

FAQs

How do I make Apple dictation more accurate? ›

Dictating on the iPhone – how to get the best results
  1. Isolate your voice from background sounds. ...
  2. Enunciate clearly. ...
  3. Pick easily understood names for HomeKit. ...
  4. Dictate first, correct second. ...
  5. Don't bother with auto-punctuation for now! ...
  6. Share your own tips for dictating on the iPhone.
Sep 14, 2022

Is there a way to improve dictation on iPhone? ›

You can change your setting for Improve Siri and Dictation at any time. To do so, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements, and tap to turn off Improve Siri & Dictation.

Why is my iPhone dictation not working very well? ›

Open the Settings app and go to General > Keyboard. Turn on the toggle for “Enable Dictation.” If it's already enabled, turn it off then turn it back on. After that, simply restart your iPhone and check if Dictation is now working properly.

How do I dictate text instead of typing? ›

How to start voice typing
  1. Press Windows logo key + H on a hardware keyboard.
  2. Press the microphone key next to the Spacebar on the touch keyboard.

How can I improve my dictation accuracy? ›

Adjust the Mic Position

The position of the mic makes a big difference in improving your audio quality. Your breath can create static and other "noise" if your mouth is too close to the mic. Similarly, your voice can become quiet and hard to pick up if you are too far away.

How do I get voice to text to spell a name correctly? ›

On your Android phone or tablet, say "Hey Google, open Assistant settings." Tap You Your people Contact name. Under "Name pronunciation," tap Record your own Record . Tip: If you try to record a pronunciation and it doesn't work, to teach your Assistant how to pronounce the name, tap Spell out how it sounds & record.

How do I make my phone recognize my voice better? ›

If Voice Access doesn't recognize your voice commands, try the following:
  1. Make sure that your device is connected to the Internet over cellular data or Wi-Fi.
  2. Move to a quiet place.
  3. Speak more slowly and clearly.
  4. Try using a headset with a microphone.
  5. Repeat your voice command.

Is Apple Dictation accurate? ›

After considering 18 options, we've found that Apple Voice Control and Nuance Dragon Home 15 are more accurate, efficient, and usable than any other dictation tools we've tested.

How do I test my microphone on my iPhone? ›

To check the microphone, use the iPhone or iPad's standard Voice Memos app. Open the Voice Memos app or ask Siri to open it and speak into the microphone. Then play back the recording. You should hear your voice clearly.

How do you fix Dictation mistakes? ›

With speech to text, the most common voice command is “undo that”. Say “undo that” to delete the last phrase that you spoke. It's just like the backspace key, except that the entire phrase that was dictated is deleted. "Undo that" words for both dictation and voice commands.

Why does my iPhone Dictation spell my name wrong? ›

If you notice a consistent misspelling, it is worth resetting the speech-to-text system history to freshen it up. This can be done by clearing Siri conversation history under Apple settings for Siri. The problem could be solved by deleting the Siri conversation history under Apple settings for Siri.

Why is talk to text not working? ›

Check the following in your system settings: Look under 'Language & Input'. In some cases it might be under Gboard. Find "Google Voice Typing", make sure it's enabled.

What are the disadvantages of dictation method? ›

Disadvantages: It may take up a lot of time in the class, especially if the dictation is corrected word by word afterwards. It is an unrealistic activity – listening may be 'word by word' (though this does not need to be, and students should be encouraged not to listen word for word) – and at an unnaturally slow speed.

What is the best way to dictate? ›

Best free mobile dictation software

Google's excellent Gboard app, which includes dictation, works with both Android and iOS. To use it, go anywhere you can type (email, browser, text, document), and the keyboard will pop up. Tap the microphone icon at the top-right of the keyboard, and start speaking when prompted.

How do you correct someone pronouncing your name? ›

"It's important to politely set it straight from the beginning so you don't have to have an increasingly awkward conversation down the line," Gottsman says. "Simply be honest and inform them of the correct version of your name the first time you hear them say it wrong." Unsurprisingly, directness is your best bet.

How does voice to text work? ›

When sounds come out of someone's mouth to create words, it also makes a series of vibrations. Speech to text technology works by picking up on these vibrations and translating them into a digital language through an analog to digital converter.

Why is voice recognition not accurate? ›

Even with good phoneme recognition, it is still hard to recognize speech. This is because the word boundaries are not defined beforehand. This causes problems while differentiating phonetically similar sentences. A classic example for such sentences are “Let's wreck a nice beach” and “ Let's recognize speech“.

What is the most accurate text to voice? ›

A few of the top tools and services with the most realistic text to speech output are IBM, Azure, Google, Amazon, etc. TTS services.

What is the most realistic text to speech voice in iPhone? ›

Murf is the most realistic TTS app available that offers over 120 human-like AI voices in 20+ languages across different accents, styles, and emotions.

Is dictating better than typing? ›

In addition to being faster than typing, dictation can also be more accurate. When you type, you may make mistakes that you have to go back and fix. With dictation, your words are converted into text instantly, so you can proofread as you go. Dictation can also help you save time by allowing you to multitask.

Does iPhone have mic mode? ›

Currently, there are three different mic modes on iPhones running iOS 16.4 or newer versions. The first mode is called Standard mode, which will be enabled by default, followed by the Voice Isolation mode and the Wide Spectrum mode. This works even if you initiate a call from apps like iMessage, WhatsApp, and Telegram.

Why does my iPhone change words when I text? ›

If you want to turn off autocorrect completely, open to Settings > General > Keyboard on your iPhone or iPad. Turn off the Auto-Correction option to stop your text from being changed to something else.

Why doesn't my iPhone understand what I'm saying? ›

Enable Dictation in your Keyboard settings

Turn on Dictation from the Keyboard settings on your device. The first thing to do when Dictation isn't working is to ensure it's enabled in your iPhone or iPad settings. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard. Scroll to the bottom and tap the switch for Enable Dictation.

How do you get the red line under misspelled words on iPhone? ›

1. Open the "Settings" app, tap "General" and select "Keyboard." Ensure the switch labeled "Auto-Correction" is set to "On."

What are the Apple Dictation commands? ›

Common dictation commands
  • New line: Start a new line.
  • New paragraph: Start a new paragraph.
  • Tab key: Move the cursor to the next tab.
  • Caps on: Format the following in title case.
  • Caps off: Return to the default letter case.
  • All caps: Format the following word in all uppercase letters.
Feb 18, 2022

How do I set my phone to talk to text? ›

FAQs
  1. Open 'Settings. '
  2. Go to System>Language & Input and find 'Gboard. '
  3. Click on 'Voice Typing. ...
  4. Now you can open a new text message with the person you want to text.
  5. Activate voice input by tapping the microphone icon in Gboard.
  6. Now start dictating!
  7. When you finish dictating, hit done.
Jun 30, 2022

How do I turn text to talk? ›

How do I turn my text into speech with human voice? Upload your video to VEED or record one using our webcam recorder. Click Audio from the left menu and start typing or pasting your text. Select a voice, preview the speech, and add it to your video!

Is Apple dictation accurate? ›

After considering 18 options, we've found that Apple Voice Control and Nuance Dragon Home 15 are more accurate, efficient, and usable than any other dictation tools we've tested.

How do I train Apple dictation? ›

Go to Settings > General > Keyboard, then turn on Enable Dictation. As you speak to insert text, iPhone automatically inserts punctuation for you. Note: You can turn off automatic punctuation by going to Settings > General > Keyboard, then turning off Auto-Punctuation.

How do you fix dictation mistakes? ›

With speech to text, the most common voice command is “undo that”. Say “undo that” to delete the last phrase that you spoke. It's just like the backspace key, except that the entire phrase that was dictated is deleted. "Undo that" words for both dictation and voice commands.

How accurate is the voice recognition on iPhone? ›

Apple voice recognition - overview

Accuracy varies depending on your accent, how fast you speak, surrounding noise levels and the subject nature (it may struggle with technical words or people's names). Over 90% accuracy is common but you will need to edit the mistaken words using the keyboard.

What is the difference between Voice Control and keyboard dictation? ›

Voice Commands can be used to perform specific actions such as launching an app or navigating to your settings. Voice Dictation uses your microphone and speech to type instead of using the keyboard.

How do you dictate clearly? ›

Improve your dictation with these tips...
  1. Research your recording equipment. ...
  2. Find the right environment for your dictation device. ...
  3. Know what you want to say. ...
  4. Identify yourself. ...
  5. Spell any words that need clarification. ...
  6. Speak clearly and slowly. ...
  7. Avoid microphone mishaps. ...
  8. Keep it simple.

Why is there a problem with dictation? ›

Dictation can't hear you

Make sure your microphone is not muted. Move to a quieter location. Adjust the input level of your microphone. If you're using a microphone built in to your computer, try switching to a microphone that you plug in to your computer.

What is the success rate of voice recognition? ›

Speech recognition accuracy rates are 90% to 95%. Here's a basic breakdown of how speech recognition works: A microphone translates the vibrations of a person's voice into an electrical signal.

What are the disadvantages of voice recognition devices? ›

There are limitations to speech recognition software. It does not always work across all operating systems. Noisy environments, accents and multiple speakers may degrade results. Also, regular voice recognition software can lack integration with other key services.

What is the failure rate of voice recognition? ›

Word Error Rate (WER) is a common metric for measuring speech-to-text accuracy of automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems. Microsoft claims to have a word error rate of 5.1%. Google boasts a WER of 4.9%. For comparison, human transcriptionists average a word error rate of 4%.

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