Apple Dictation

Built-in dictation on macOS, iOS and iPadOS with on-device processing in many languages and no extra cost.

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Apple Dictation is the speech-to-text feature built into macOS, iOS and iPadOS. On a Mac you press the Microphone key, a custom shortcut or Edit > Start Dictation; on iPhone and iPad you tap the microphone on the keyboard, and text is entered anywhere you can type. Apple's guides state that in many languages and on supported devices dictation is processed on the device without an internet connection, and that otherwise audio is sent to Apple servers. Apple lists 63 language-region variants for Dictation (34 languages), with auto-punctuation, emoji by voice and spoken punctuation, line and paragraph commands in supported languages; iPhone adds select, delete, undo and spelling commands. There is no time limit; dictation stops after 30 seconds of silence.

Pros

  • Included with every Mac, iPhone and iPad; works in any text field system-wide without installing anything
  • On-device processing in 22 languages (48 locales) with no internet required and a stated no-timeout, modeless workflow
  • Auto-punctuation and spoken punctuation, emoji and new-line commands; iPhone adds select, delete and undo commands

Cons

  • No custom dictionary or word replacements; misheard words must be fixed by hand or by re-dictating
  • Language must be switched manually and on-device, auto-punctuation and emoji support depend on the language and device
  • Verbatim output with no filler-word removal or AI rewriting; no transcript history or audio-file transcription
Platforms
  • macOS
  • iOS
Speech processing
Hybrid
Works offline
Yes
Languages
34+

Pricing

Pricing model
Free
Free tier
Free and built into macOS, iOS and iPadOS

Features

  • Yes Works in any app
  • Yes Real-time transcription
  • Yes Auto punctuation
  • No AI cleanup
  • No Custom vocabulary
  • Yes Voice commands
  • No Push to talk
  • No Auto language detection
  • No Translation
  • No File transcription
  • No Meeting notes
  • Yes Multilingual interface
  • No History

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Last verified 2026-09-19