Fact · Dictation on Mac
Apple says that transcription with its SpeechAnalyzer API is entirely on the device, although the language models must first be downloaded.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“Remember that transcription is entirely on device but the models need to be fetched.”
Bring advanced speech-to-text to your app with SpeechAnalyzer, Apple, Apple Developer, WWDC25 session 277, 2025, Transcript, model download passage.
Open the original- What it measures
- Apple's developer session introducing SpeechAnalyzer and SpeechTranscriber, the speech-to-text API that Apple's own apps such as Notes and Voice Memos use.
- What it does not show
- This describes the developer API, not the Dictation key on a Mac. Apple does not say in this session which engine Mac Dictation uses.
Source
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