Facts
Dictation on phones and tablets: facts and numbers
284 facts, each traced to the exact words of its source.
- 9to5Google reported in 2022 that Google's 2021 voice-to-text system on Android was exclusive to the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.Ben Schoon, 9to5Google, 2022
- 9to5Mac reports Apple's description of the iOS 27 AI dictation: it transcribes the voice more precisely and handles capitalisation and punctuation as you speak. The report gives Apple's claim and no measured error rate.9to5Mac, 2026
- 9to5Mac reports that the iOS 27 AI dictation runs only on the on-device model, so its transcription quality is the same whether or not the phone has a data connection.9to5Mac, 2026
- A July 2026 forum thread in MacPowerUsers Talk reports that new subscriptions to Dragon Anywhere in the iOS app could not be bought.MacPowerUsers forum members, MacPowerUsers Talk, 2026
- AbilityNet says that if you receive a Dictation Disabled message on watchOS 9, you can turn dictation back on in the Apple Watch settings, under General and then Dictation.AbilityNet, AbilityNet, My Computer My Way, n.d.
- After the TidBITS author corrected a hard name in several test sentences, Dictation improved its recognition of that name.Adam Engst, TidBITS, 2026
- After Voice Control finishes its first download on iPhone, a microphone symbol in the status bar shows whether Voice Control is listening or not listening.Apple, Apple Support, 2026
- 7.9 timesAmong US adults, the share reporting trouble hearing at 70 and older is about 7.9 times the share at ages 18 to 39.Calculated from other facts
- Android Central says voice message transcription in Google Messages is rolling out to more Android phones, so a phone may need a system update before the option appears.Derrek Lee, Android Central, 2024
- Android's developer documentation says its input method framework lets apps provide alternative input methods, such as on-screen keyboards or speech input.Android Developers, n.d.
- Android's developer documentation says that after you install input methods, you select one in system settings and use it across the whole system, and that only one can be enabled at a time.Android Developers, n.d.
- Android's RecognizerIntent reference says that the default for EXTRA_PREFER_OFFLINE lets either network or offline engines be used, and that depending on the recognizer implementation these values may have no effect.Google, Android Developers, n.d.
- Android's SpeechRecognizer reference says that isOnDeviceRecognitionAvailable checks whether an on-device speech recognition service is available on the system.Google LLC, n.d.
- Android's SpeechRecognizer reference says that the implementation of the API is likely to stream audio to remote servers to perform speech recognition.Google LLC, n.d.
- Apple gives the example of correcting spelling on iPhone by saying Change tea to T-E-E.Apple Inc., 2026
- Apple gives the example of selecting text with touch or Apple Pencil and replacing it with your voice during dictation on iPad.Apple Support (iPad User Guide), 2026
- Apple gives the path to Reset All Settings as Settings, then General, then Transfer or Reset, then Reset, then Reset All Settings.Apple Support, 2026
- Apple lists 19 countries and regions where call recording on iPhone is not currently available, including the European Union, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.Apple Support (iPhone User Guide), 2026
- Apple lists the keyboard dictionary among the settings that Reset All Settings removes or returns to defaults.Apple Support, 2026
- Apple says Apple Intelligence on iOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or iPhone 16 model or later.Apple Inc., Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, n.d.
- Apple says audio transcription in Voice Memos is available on iPhone 12 or later, in English (all variants) and nine other languages.Apple Support, 2026
- Apple says Auto-Correction on iPhone uses the keyboard dictionary to spellcheck words as you type.Apple Support, n.d.
- Apple says cellular data charges may apply when you use Dictation on an iPad.Apple Support (iPad User Guide), 2026
- Apple says custom keyboards run in a sandbox whose default configuration disallows network access and prevents writing to the containing app's shared group containers.Apple, Apple Developer Documentation, 2026
- Apple says dictation on Apple Watch, which transcribes your speech to text, is not available in all languages.Apple, Apple Watch User Guide, 2026
- Apple says dictation on iPad is processed on the device in many languages, and that no internet connection is required.Apple Support (iPad User Guide), 2026
- Apple says dictation on iPad may not be available in all languages or in all countries or regions, and that features may vary.Apple Support (iPad User Guide), 2026
- Apple says Dictation on iPhone may not be available in all languages or in all countries or regions, and that features may vary.Apple Inc., Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, n.d.
- 30 secondsApple says iPad dictation stops automatically after 30 seconds of silence.Apple Support (iPad User Guide), 2026
- Apple says iPhone Live Captions helps you follow the audio in apps such as FaceTime and Podcasts, and also the live conversations around you.Apple Support (iPhone User Guide), 2026
- 12 GB of unified memoryApple says its Apple Intelligence dictation upgrade in iPadOS 27 is available in English on iPad models with M4 or later and at least 12GB of unified memory.Apple Support (iPad User Guide), 2026
- Apple says Live Captions makes real-time transcriptions of conversations on the device, so you can follow them securely on your device.Apple, 2026
- Apple says Live Captions on iPhone is not available in all languages or regions.Apple Support (iPhone User Guide), 2026
- Apple says Reset All Settings returns settings to factory defaults and does not delete your photos, messages, apps or documents.Apple Support, 2026
- Apple says Scribble converts handwriting to text on the iPad itself, so the writing stays private.Apple Support (iPad User Guide), 2026
- Apple says some Apple Watch features require an iPhone nearby.Apple, 2026
- Apple says that after you set up Voice Control, you can turn it on or off quickly from Control Center, from the Accessibility Shortcut, or by asking Siri.Apple Support (iPhone User Guide), 2026
- Apple says that during a video call in the FaceTime app you can turn on Live Captions to see the spoken conversation transcribed and displayed in real time.Apple Support (iPhone User Guide), 2026
- Apple says that for some supported languages, you can type in two languages without switching keyboards, and your keyboard switches automatically between the two you use most often.Apple, Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, 2026
- Apple says that if an iPhone has problems with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or other system features, you should restart it first, and reset all settings only if restarting does not help.Apple Support, 2026
- Apple says that if something on Apple Watch is not working right, you should restart the watch and its paired iPhone.Apple, 2026
- Apple says that if the dictation key does not appear on the iPad keyboard, you open General, then Keyboard, and turn on Enable Dictation.Apple Support (iPad User Guide), 2026
- Apple says that if your paired iPhone is nearby, you can use it to enter text on Apple Watch.Apple, Apple Watch User Guide, 2026
- Apple says that if your paired iPhone is nearby, you can use it to enter text on Apple Watch.Apple, Apple Watch User Guide, 2026
- Apple says that in supported languages, iPad dictation inserts commas, periods and question marks as you dictate.Apple Support (iPad User Guide), 2026
- Apple says that on an iPad you start dictation by tapping the onscreen keyboard or any text field where the dictation key appears.Apple Support (iPad User Guide), 2026
- Apple says that on Apple Watch you can replace a dictated word by tapping the word and saying a different one, and select all text with a double-tap.Apple, Apple Watch User Guide, 2026
- Apple says that on iPhone you can insert emoji by voice while dictating, but only in some languages.Apple Inc., 2026
- Apple says that on iPhone you can learn how it protects your information and what you share with dictation by tapping About Dictation & Privacy below the dictation settings.Apple Inc., Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, n.d.
- Apple says that on iPhone you can use a bilingual keyboard for some language pairs, with English (U.S.) and Spanish (Latin America) as its example, and that the option is available only for select language pairs.Apple, Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, 2026
- Apple says that on iPhone you place the insertion point in a text field, tap the onscreen keyboard or the field where the dictation key appears, and then speak.Apple Inc., Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, n.d.
- Apple says that setting requiresOnDeviceRecognition stops the request sending audio over the network, and that on-device requests are less accurate.Apple Inc., n.d.
- Apple says that speaking a number on the Voice Control grid enlarges that part of the grid and shows a new set of numbers, which helps you choose a small item.Apple, Apple Support, 2026
- Apple says that the permission process applies only to speech recognition with SFSpeechRecognizer, and that SpeechAnalyzer transcriber modules do not send the user's voice audio to Apple's servers.Apple Inc., n.d.
- 1 minuteApple says that the Speech framework stops speech recognition tasks that last longer than one minute.Apple Inc., n.d.
- Apple says that to change how apps and websites display text on iPhone, you reorder the Preferred Languages list.Apple, Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, 2026
- Apple says that to use dictation on an iPad, you go to Settings, tap General, then tap Keyboard, and turn on Enable Dictation.Apple Support (iPad User Guide), 2026
- Apple says that when you record a call on iPhone, both call participants hear an audio notice that the call is being recorded.Apple Support (iPhone User Guide), 2026
- Apple says that when you use a keyboard for another language, you can use Dictation in that language as well.Apple Inc., Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, n.d.
- Apple says that when you use Dictation on iPhone, cellular data charges may apply.Apple Inc., Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, n.d.
- Apple says that while Voice Control is on, you dictate with Voice Control and standard iPadOS Dictation is not available.Apple Support (iPad User Guide), 2026
- Apple says that with an external keyboard you tap the Dictation button in the Shortcuts bar at the bottom of the screen, then speak.Apple Support (iPad User Guide), 2026
- Apple says that with Apple Intelligence in iOS 27, dictation uses an on-device model to improve spelling, punctuation and capitalization, and that this is available in English on named iPhone models.Apple Inc., Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, n.d.
- Apple says that with Dictation on iPhone you can dictate text in any place where you can type it.Apple Inc., Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, n.d.
- Apple says that with Live Voicemail on, your iPhone can show a transcription of a caller's voicemail while the caller speaks.Apple Support, 2026
- Apple says the dictation commands that edit text on iPhone are available in U.S. English on iPhone 12 and later, except iPhone SE.Apple Inc., 2026
- Apple says the Dictation commands that edit text on iPhone are available in U.S. English.Apple Inc., 2026
- Apple says the full list of Voice Control commands with examples is in Settings, under Accessibility, Voice Control, then Commands.Apple Support (iPhone User Guide), 2026
- Apple says the Globe key appears only if you enable more than one keyboard.Apple Help, n.d. (iOS 15 era)
- Apple says the speech in an audio recording on iPhone can be transcribed to text in Voice Memos.Apple Support, 2026
- Apple says the transcription of a voicemail appears in the bottom half of the screen when you open the message on iPhone.Apple Support, 2026
- Apple says the Voice Control commands available to you vary depending on the app you are working in and what you are doing.Apple Support (iPhone User Guide), 2026
- Apple says to clean the iPad speaker and microphone openings with a small, nonmetallic, soft-bristled brush, and not to use products containing bleach or hydrogen peroxide.Apple Support, 2026
- Apple says to touch and hold the Globe key to show all your enabled keyboards, and that you can also just tap it to switch.Apple Help, n.d. (iOS 15 era)
- Apple says to unplug all cables and turn off the iPad before cleaning its speaker and microphone openings.Apple Support, 2026
- Apple says transcription in Voice Memos is not available in all countries or regions.Apple Support, 2026
- Apple says users must explicitly turn on Allow Full Access for a keyboard in Settings before it can have open access.Apple, Apple Developer Documentation, 2026
- Apple says Voice Control on iPhone and iPad needs iOS 13 or later and a file download, after which no Wi-Fi connection is needed.Apple, Apple Support, 2026
- Apple says Voice Control on iPhone and iPad uses the Siri speech recognition engine for U.S. English only.Apple, Apple Support, 2026
- Apple says Voice Control on iPhone lets you navigate and interact with the device using your voice to tap, swipe, type and more.Apple, Apple Support, 2026
- Apple says Voicemail, Visual Voicemail and Live Voicemail are available only from select carriers in select countries or regions.Apple Support, 2026
- Apple says you can add keyboards on an iPhone for writing or for using Dictation in different languages.Apple, Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, 2026
- Apple says you can quickly switch to dictation with a shortcut on the Magic Keyboard for iPad or the Smart Keyboard.Apple Support (iPad User Guide), 2026
- Apple says you can speak emoji by name during dictation on Apple Watch, for example by saying thumbs up emoji.Apple, Apple Watch User Guide, 2026
- Apple says you can speak punctuation during dictation on Apple Watch, for example by saying question mark at the end of a question.Apple, Apple Watch User Guide, 2026
- Apple says you can tap Appearance in the Live Captions settings to change the text, size and colour of the captions.Apple Support (iPhone User Guide), 2026
- Apple says you can view a Voice Memos transcription while you are recording, or after the recording ends.Apple Support, 2026
- Apple tells iPad owners to check the speaker and microphone openings for debris as a quick troubleshooting step.Apple Support, 2026
- Apple tells iPhone users to make sure the other call participant is willing to be recorded before they record a call.Apple Support (iPhone User Guide), 2026
- Apple's developer documentation says a custom iPhone keyboard runs in a sandbox that by default disallows network access, and that users must switch on Allow Full Access to change this.Apple, Apple Developer Documentation, 2026
- Apple's documentation says that when supportsOnDeviceRecognition is false, the SFSpeechRecognizer requires a network connection to recognize speech.Apple Inc., n.d.
- Apple's first iPhone microphone check is physical: remove any screen protector, film or case, and clear debris from the microphone openings.Apple Inc., Apple Support, n.d.
- Apple's first sound troubleshooting steps for an iPad are to check the volume and remove any screen protector, film or case.Apple Support, 2026
- Apple's guide marks the onscreen keyboard as not available on Apple Watch SE 3, while its Dictation entry lists only a language limit.Apple, Apple Watch User Guide, 2026
- Apple's iOS 18 page for dictation commands says the commands are available in U.S. English on supported models.Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, n.d.
- Apple's iOS and iPadOS 27 feature availability table lists Dictation Voice-Based Editing for English (United States) only.Apple, 2026
- Apple's iOS and iPadOS 27 feature availability table lists the Dictate Emoji feature for many languages, including English (United States).Apple, 2026
- Apple's iOS and iPadOS feature availability page lists Hindi (India) in its general Dictation section. The same page lists a separate On-Device and Modeless Dictation section, and Hindi is not in that section.Apple, 2026
- Apple's iOS and iPadOS feature page lists Dictation languages by language and region, so English appears several times, for example for Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia and Ireland.Apple, 2026
- 48 language and regional variantsApple's iOS feature availability table lists 48 language and regional variants for On-Device and Modeless Dictation.Apple, 2026
- 9 English language and regional variantsApple's iOS feature availability table lists the Apple Intelligence feature More advanced Dictation for nine English language and regional variants.Apple, 2026
- 20 emoji commandsApple's iPhone dictation commands page lists 20 example emoji commands, from Smiley emoji to Present emoji.Apple Inc., 2026
- Apple's iPhone dictation page says to add an emoji by saying the name of the emoji, with examples such as heart emoji and smiley face emoji.Apple Inc., 2026
- Apple's iPhone dictation page says to edit text by saying select or delete followed by the phrase you want to change.Apple Inc., 2026
- Apple's iPhone dictation page says you can say undo or redo to reverse a change or repeat a command.Apple Inc., 2026
- Apple's list of the features Low Power Mode limits includes email fetch, background app refresh and automatic downloads, and does not include Dictation.Apple Support, 2026
- 29 percent percentApple's on-device dictation list for watchOS 27 has about 29 percent as many variants as the on-device list for iOS 27.Calculated from other facts
- Apple's steps say to choose View Transcript to read a recording's text, then select the text and tap Copy.Apple Support, 2026
- Apple's steps to set up Voice Control on iPhone start in Settings, then Accessibility, then Voice Control.Apple, Apple Support, 2026
- Apple's steps to turn on Live Captions on iPhone start in the Settings app, under Accessibility.Apple Support (iPhone User Guide), 2026
- Apple's warning on third-party keyboards says that if you enable Full Access, developers are permitted to access, collect and transmit the data you type.Matthew Panzarino, TechCrunch, 2014
- 14 language and regional variantsApple's watchOS 27 feature table lists 14 language and regional variants for on-device dictation on Apple Watch.Apple, 2026
- At its March 2019 launch, Google's offline speech recognizer ran only on Pixel phones and only in American English.TechCrunch, 2019
- 4 languagesAt launch, WhatsApp voice message transcripts on Android supported four languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian.MediaNama, MediaNama, 2024
- 3 timesAt WhatsApp's launch of voice message transcripts, the iOS list had three times as many languages as the Android list (12 against 4).Calculated from other facts
- Both the sender and the recipient need iOS 17 for audio message transcripts to appear in Messages.iPhone Life, iPhone Life, 2023
- Cult of Mac quotes Apple as saying that dictation on the watch uses the keyboard language set for the same app on the paired iPhone.Cult of Mac, 2019
- DroidWin says that to go back to an older Gboard version, you open Gboard's app info, tap the overflow icon and select Uninstall Updates, then Uninstall.Sadique Hassan, DroidWin, 2023
- From iOS 17, Messages on iPhone shows a transcript under audio messages automatically.iPhone Life, iPhone Life, 2023
- Gboard voice typing accepts voice commands, and you can also tap a suggestion in the toolbar instead of saying the command.Google (Gboard Help), 2026
- Gboard's voice typing works in any app where you can type, and Google's example apps are Gmail and Keep.Google (Gboard Help), 2026
- Google said in 2019 that its new on-device speech recognizer is always available, even when the phone is offline.Johan Schalkwyk, Google Research Blog, 2019
- Google said in 2020 that the updated Voice Access lets you ask for labels instead of numbers on screen items.Tom Hume, Google Keyword (blog.google), 2020
- 6.0 Android versionGoogle said in 2020 that the updated Voice Access was available globally on devices running Android 6.0 and above.Tom Hume, Google Keyword (blog.google), 2020
- Google says audio messages are not sent to the company and are processed on the device, so voice message transcripts stay on the phone.Derrek Lee, Android Central, 2024
- 45 languagesGoogle says Gemini began rolling out on Android Auto globally in 45 languages.Google, The Keyword blog, 2025
- Google says Gemini is rolling out to Android Auto only for users who have already upgraded from Google Assistant to Gemini on their phones.Google, The Keyword blog, 2025
- Google says Live Transcribe lets you join any conversation with instant speech-to-text captions on an Android phone.Google (android.com accessibility pages), 2026
- Google says punctuation phrases might not be available in every language that Gboard voice typing supports.Google (Gboard Help), 2026
- Google says some Android accessibility features and availability vary by the phone maker, or OEM, and by device.Google (android.com accessibility pages), 2026
- Google says that if the Voicemail transcription option is missing on a supported carrier or device, you should turn on visual voicemail.Google Phone Help, 2026
- Google says that in some cases a phone can take a few hours to download the updates it needs before advanced voice typing in Gboard works, and that if voice typing still does not work you should check the Wi-Fi connection, restart the phone and charge it overnight.Google, 2026
- Google says that on a Pixel phone, Live Caption can caption your calls.Google (android.com accessibility pages), 2026
- 7.0 Android versionGoogle says that some of the Gboard voice typing steps work only on Android 7.0 and later.Google (Gboard Help), 2026
- Google says that to get Gemini in Android Auto you must use the Gemini app on your phone, and that a tooltip appears on the car display once Gemini is available to you.Google, The Keyword blog, 2025
- Google says that voicemail transcripts are available only if you use certain mobile service providers or devices.Google Phone Help, 2026
- Google says that when you turn on voicemail transcription, it transcribes both new and old voicemails.Google Phone Help, 2026
- Google says Voice Access includes a tutorial that introduces the most common voice commands, covering starting the app, tapping, scrolling, basic text editing and getting help.Google Play, 2026
- Google says voicemail transcription on Android 8 is available only in English and Spanish.Google Phone Help, 2026
- Google says voicemail transcripts in Google Voice may be incorrect or missing, so you can listen to a voicemail or read its transcript.Google, 2026
- Google says you can say Help at any time in Voice Access to see a short list of commands.Google Play, 2026
- Google says you can set your phone to vibrate when your name is spoken, using Live Transcribe and notifications.Google (android.com accessibility pages), 2026
- Google says you can start Gemini in Android Auto by saying Hey Google, pressing the mic button on the car screen, or long pressing the voice control button on the steering wheel.Google, The Keyword blog, 2025
- Google says you can start Voice Access by saying Hey Google, Voice Access, if Hey Google detection is turned on.Google Play, 2026
- 25 timesGoogle's 2019 server-side search graph was about 25 times the size of the on-device Gboard model it announced in the same post.Calculated from other facts
- Google's App Store listing for Gboard on iPhone says that voice input from the Gboard microphone is sent to Google for transcription.Apple App Store, n.d.
- Google's Gboard help lists spoken phrases that add punctuation in voice typing, including period, comma, exclamation point, question mark, new line and new paragraph.Google (Gboard Help), 2026
- Google's Gboard help says that advanced voice typing features require a Pixel 6 or later, which includes foldable and tablet Pixels.Google, 2026
- Google's Gboard help says that on some Pixel devices, you type with your voice by using Advanced voice typing.Google (Gboard Help), 2026
- Google's Gboard help says you turn advanced voice typing features on or off from the keyboard, under Settings and then Voice typing.Google, 2026
- Google's May 2024 update extended Docs voice typing to Edge and Safari and says these features are available only on desktop.Google Workspace Updates blog, 2024
- Google's Play listing says Voice Access helps people who have difficulty using a touch screen, for example from paralysis, tremor or a temporary injury, use their Android device by voice.Google Play, 2026
- Google's Play Store listing for Speech Recognition & Synthesis says its speech-to-text feature is provided to Google and to other third-party apps, so they can convert what you say to text.Google LLC, Google Play, n.d.
- Google's Play Store listing for Speech Recognition & Synthesis says the same app powers apps that read the text on your screen aloud.Google LLC, Google Play, n.d.
- Google's Play Store listing for Speech Recognition & Synthesis says you select it as your preferred voice input engine.Google LLC, Google Play, n.d.
- 25 times largerGoogle's pre-2019 server speech graph, almost 2 GB, was about 25 times the size of the 80 MB on-device Gboard model it moved to the phone.Calculated from other facts
- Guiding Tech lists reinstalling Gboard among its basic fixes and warns that uninstalling it deletes all app settings, data and features.Ankita Sharma, Guiding Tech, 2024
- Guiding Tech names the Android voice typing error “No Permission to Enable Voice Typing” in the title of its troubleshooting guide.Ankita Sharma, Guiding Tech, 2024
- Guiding Tech says a device privacy setting can limit microphone access even when Gboard's app permission is on, and that this can still show the “can't enable voice typing” error.Ankita Sharma, Guiding Tech, 2024
- Guiding Tech says that downloading speech recognition languages for Gboard can improve voice typing and fix voice-to-text problems in areas with weak network signal.Guiding Tech staff, Guiding Tech, 2024
- Guiding Tech says that if voice typing is disabled in Gboard, you cannot use its voice-to-text feature until you switch it on.Guiding Tech staff, Guiding Tech, 2024
- Guiding Tech says that when microphone permission is denied for an app, the app cannot detect the user's voice.Guiding Tech staff, Guiding Tech, 2024
- Guiding Tech says to turn on the Microphone access toggle under Settings > Security and privacy > Privacy, which is a separate switch from the app permission.Ankita Sharma, Guiding Tech, 2024
- Guiding Tech says to update Gboard by going to the Google Play Store, searching for Gboard and tapping Update.Guiding Tech staff, Guiding Tech, 2024
- Guiding Tech's first fix sets Gboard's microphone permission to “Allow only while using the app” under Settings > Apps > Gboard > Permissions > Microphone.Ankita Sharma, Guiding Tech, 2024
- iGeeksBlog reports that changing the dictation language on Apple Watch applies only to that app and does not change the default Dictation language in any other app.iGeeksBlog, iGeeksBlog, n.d.
- In 2017, TechCrunch explained that Apple does not let third-party keyboards use the microphone, so Gboard's voice typing runs in the Gboard app, which is allowed to use it.Greg Kumparak, TechCrunch, 2017
- American English languageIn 2019 Google said its new on-device Gboard speech recognizer was initially launched to all Pixel phones in American English only.Johan Schalkwyk, Google Research Blog, 2019
- 25 timesIn 2019, Google's older server search graph was no more than 25 times the size of the on-device Gboard speech recognizer.Calculated from other facts
- In 2022, 9to5Google called automatic punctuation the killer feature of Pixel 6 Pro voice to text, in a passage quoting the author's earlier review.Ben Schoon, 9to5Google, 2022
- In a 2022 memo relayed by MacRumors, Apple said that restarting an Apple Watch may temporarily fix a microphone bug that stopped Siri, Dictation and voice memos from hearing the wearer, and that the problem is not hardware related.Mactrast, Mactrast, 2022
- 8 Indian languages addedIn August 2017, Google said it was bringing voice input to eight more Indian languages: Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.Daan van Esch, Google India Blog, 2017
- 119 language varietiesIn August 2017, Google said its speech recognition supported 119 language varieties in Gboard on Android, Voice Search and more.Daan van Esch, Google Blog, 2017
- In August 2017, Google said speakers of the newly added Indian languages could use their voice to dictate, including in Search through the Google App.Daan van Esch, Google India Blog, 2017
- In August 2017, Google said voice input was already available for Hindi, before it extended voice input to eight more Indian languages.Daan van Esch, Google India Blog, 2017
- In February 2019, Google announced that Google Assistant on KaiOS feature phones would get Voice Typing, which would let users dictate text messages and web searches. Engadget reported the rollout as coming over the coming months.Nick Summers, Engadget, 2019
- In February 2020, 9to5Google reported that Gboard's voice typing was not affected in its testing, so installing Gboard was another fix.9to5Google, 2020
- In February 2025, 9to5Google reported that Gboard for Android features offline voice typing on all devices.9to5Google, 2025
- 10 billion Play Store downloadsIn February 2025, Gboard for Android passed 10 billion downloads on the Google Play Store.9to5Google, 2025
- In Gboard's voice toolbar, you switch languages by tapping the abbreviation at the bottom left, which shows your default language.Google (Gboard Help), 2026
- In Google Messages, a voice message transcript is hidden by default, and you open it by tapping the text.Derrek Lee, Android Central, 2024
- In March 2022 Google announced that Live Transcribe would work without an active internet connection after an additional download, for places such as airplanes and underground transit.Damien Wilde, 9to5Google, 2022
- In March 2022 Google's Live Transcribe app for Android gained support for transcribing offline, without an internet connection, once the right language pack is installed.Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, 2026
- In October 2023, 9to5Google reported that on Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, voice typing in Gboard could recognize multiple languages and switch between them on the fly.Ben Schoon, 9to5Google, 2023
- In October 2023, 9to5Google reported that you could still switch voice typing languages manually by choosing the matching language keyboard.Ben Schoon, 9to5Google, 2023
- In October 2023, Google said multilingual voice typing would also arrive on the Pixel 7 series after its launch on Pixel 8.Ben Schoon, 9to5Google, 2023
- In one test, after the author created a contact for the phrase FLRC Challenge, Dictation capitalized the word Challenge correctly every time.Adam Engst, TidBITS, 2026
- In Samsung Notes, you open the saved recordings list with List and then tap Speech-to-text to make a transcript of the recording.Samsung Support (UAE), 2026
- 3 languagesIn September 2022, 9to5Google reported that Pixel's voice-to-text experience was available in three languages: English, German and Japanese.Ben Schoon, 9to5Google, 2022
- In September 2026, WABetaInfo reported that WhatsApp's voice-to-text feature for typing messages by speech is under development on Android.WABetaInfo, 2026
- In the June 2026 iOS 27 beta, Birchtree says the Advanced Dictation Preview switch is found by going to Settings, General, Keyboard and scrolling to the bottom.Birchtree, 2026
- In Voice Control on iPhone, Dictation mode is on by default, and any words you say that are not Voice Control commands are entered as text.Apple Support (iPhone User Guide), 2026
- In WhatsApp you turn voice message transcripts on or off, and choose the transcript language, under Settings > Chats > Voice message transcripts.WhatsApp, WhatsApp Blog, 2024
- MacRumors reported on June 22, 2026 that the upgraded AI dictation feature for iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air is not turned on by default in the first developer beta of iOS 27.MacRumors, 2026
- 8 GB of memoryMacRumors reported that the standard iPhone 17 is excluded from the upgraded AI dictation because it has 8GB of memory, below the 12GB that the model needs.MacRumors, 2026
- Make Tech Easier says battery-saving modes on a phone can restrict Gboard's voice typing feature, and it advises turning them off to test.Make Tech Easier staff, Make Tech Easier, 2023
- Make Tech Easier says its Gboard guide also helps with the error message “Unfortunately, Gboard has stopped”, which is a crash message rather than a voice typing message.Make Tech Easier staff, Make Tech Easier, 2023
- Make Tech Easier says to clear Gboard's cache first, and to clear its data only if the problem continues.Make Tech Easier staff, Make Tech Easier, 2023
- Microsoft says dictation in Office uses speech-to-text with a microphone and a reliable internet connection.Microsoft, 2026
- On an Apple Watch set up for more than one language, you can swipe up from the bottom of the screen to choose a different language keyboard.Apple, Apple Watch User Guide, 2026
- On Apple Watch, the button at the bottom right of a text field shows the current input method, and tapping it lets you change the method.Apple, Apple Watch User Guide, 2026
- On Apple's iOS 27 parental controls page, every app and website a parent approves or blocks is organized into Allowed and Blocked lists within the Apps & Websites section of Screen Time.Apple Support, 2026
- 12 languagesOn iOS 16 and later, WhatsApp voice message transcripts supported 12 languages at launch.MediaNama, MediaNama, 2024
- On iPhone, adding a keyboard for a different language also adds that language to the Preferred Languages list.Apple, Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, 2026
- On iPhone, Apple gives the path Settings, then Screen Time, then Content & Privacy Restrictions, then Allowed Apps, where built-in features can be turned off.Apple Support, 2025
- On iPhone, when Voice Control is on, Voice Control is the tool you use to dictate text, and standard iOS Dictation is not available.Apple Support (iPhone User Guide), 2026
- On Samsung Galaxy phones, you turn on Google Voice Typing with the switch next to its name in the keyboard settings.Samsung US Support, 2026
- Once voice message transcripts are on, you tap and hold a voice message to get the Transcribe option.Laurent Giret, Thurrott.com, 2024
- One App Store reviewer of WhisKey reported that its integrated keyboard did not work and lost control of the audio device.Bingjun Li, Apple App Store, n.d.
- Real-time text lets the other person read a message immediately, without waiting for the sender to finish composing it.Wikipedia, 2026
- Samsung lists Speech-to-text in the Notes app on the Galaxy Z Fold6, Z Flip6, S24, S25 and S26 series, and on select Galaxy A models.Samsung Support (UAE), 2026
- Samsung said in April 2024 that each newly supported Galaxy AI language or dialect is downloaded as a language pack from the Settings app.Samsung Newsroom (US), 2024
- Samsung says apps added to its Never sleeping apps list will never turn off or sleep in the background.Samsung, Samsung, n.d.
- Samsung says apps in its Deep sleeping apps list never run in the background and only work when you open them.Samsung, Samsung, n.d.
- Samsung says apps in its Sleeping apps list are currently sleeping, but they may run in the background if you start to use them again.Samsung, Samsung, n.d.
- Samsung says Bixby can be used by speaking commands or giving commands through text on Galaxy phones.Samsung US Support, 2026
- Samsung says Galaxy phones and tablets have two built-in voice-to-text apps, Samsung voice input and Google Voice Typing, and Samsung voice input works only with the Samsung Keyboard.Samsung US Support, 2026
- Samsung says its basic Galaxy AI features are free, and that enhanced AI features may be subject to fees.Samsung Support (US), n.d.
- Samsung says its Samsung voice input app is only available when you use the Samsung Keyboard.Samsung US Support, 2026
- Samsung says that after a recording is transcribed, you can translate the memo into other languages, share it, or move it to Samsung Notes.Samsung Support (US), n.d.
- Samsung says that from One UI 6.1, the voice input button moved to the Samsung Keyboard toolbar on tablets with a hardware key.Samsung Knox, Samsung Knox Platform for Enterprise documentation, 2025
- Samsung says that from the Voice input screen you can also change the voice input language.Samsung US Support, 2026
- Samsung says that the first time you use Samsung voice input, you may need to agree to terms or allow some permissions.Samsung US Support, 2026
- Samsung says that the Samsung Keyboard toolbar offers Voice Input, along with Emojis, Stickers, GIFs and Settings.Samsung US Support, 2026
- Samsung says that the screens and settings in its keyboard support page may vary by wireless provider, software version and phone model.Samsung US Support, 2026
- Samsung says the Samsung Keyboard toolbar is disabled by default in lock task mode, which makes the voice input button inaccessible on those tablets.Samsung Knox, Samsung Knox Platform for Enterprise documentation, 2025
- Samsung says Transcript Assist is on select Galaxy models, and that availability may vary by model and region.Samsung Support (UAE), 2026
- Samsung says Voice Recorder Galaxy AI features are on select phones and tablets running Android 14 with One UI 6.1 or higher.Samsung Support (US), n.d.
- Samsung says you can open Samsung Keyboard settings by tapping the Settings icon in the keyboard's toolbar, or from the phone's Settings menu.Samsung US Support, 2026
- Samsung says you can switch off the Samsung Keyboard toolbar, which hides the microphone icon that the same page places on that toolbar.Samsung US Support, 2026
- Samsung warns that the commands available in Bixby may differ depending on the version of Bixby.Samsung US Support, 2026
- Samsung's keyboard settings have an Offline voice input section where you install offline language packs.Samsung US Support, 2026
- Samsung's setup steps for voice input include a switch named Keyboard button on navigation bar, in the same settings screen as the switch for Google Voice Typing.Samsung US Support, 2026
- Samsung's steps say to open Samsung Keyboard, go to Voice input and select the voice input you want to use.Samsung US Support, 2026
- Samsung's support steps say you install an offline language pack under Install offline language pack, then turn on the language with its switch.Samsung US Support, 2026
- Samsung's UAE page tells you to check your internet connection when Transcript Assist is slow or gives errors, which means the transcription needs a connection.Samsung Support (UAE), 2026
- Samsung's UAE support page says to tap the microphone at the top of the keyboard, speak, and tap the microphone again to stop recording.Samsung Support (UAE), 2026
- 13 languagesSamsung's UAE Transcript Assist page lists 13 languages for transcription and transformation.Samsung Support (UAE), 2026
- Samsung's US page says that turning off the switch next to Keyboard toolbar makes the toolbar disappear.Samsung US Support, 2026
- Samsung's US privacy policy says a third party that provides speech-to-text services for Samsung may also receive and store some voice commands, under its contract with Samsung.Samsung Electronics America, n.d.
- Samsung's US privacy policy says it collects and keeps recordings of your voice on its servers when you turn on the voice command feature and use it.Samsung Electronics America, n.d.
- Samsung's US privacy policy says it collects the words you type when Predictive text is on, and that you can clear them in the Predictive text settings.Samsung Electronics America, n.d.
- Samsung's US support page says to tap the microphone icon on the keyboard toolbar to start voice input.Samsung US Support, 2026
- 16 languagesSamsung's US Voice Recorder page lists 16 languages for Transcript assist, including several regional forms of English, Spanish and Portuguese.Samsung Support (US), n.d.
- 3 languagesSamsung's US Voice Recorder page lists three more languages for Transcript assist than its UAE Transcript Assist page does.Calculated from other facts
- Samsung's Voice Recorder steps start with opening the Voice Recorder app, then tapping Record.Samsung Support (US), n.d.
- 22 languagesThe 48 entries in Apple's On-Device and Modeless Dictation list belong to 22 different languages.Calculated from other facts
- 34 languagesThe 63 language and region entries in Apple's general Dictation section belong to 34 different languages.Calculated from other facts
- The App Store listing for WhisKey says that dictation happens on the iPhone or iPad, and that the app includes a custom keyboard.Bingjun Li, Apple App Store, n.d.
- The App Store listing for Whisper AI Keyboard describes a voice-to-text keyboard extension among its features.Peter Balazs Szucs, Apple App Store, n.d.
- The F-Droid listing for Seamless says that once its model is downloaded, speech to text translation works entirely offline.F-Droid, a repository of free and open source Android apps, n.d.
- 5 languagesThe F-Droid listing for Seamless says that, as a standalone app, it can translate between five languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi and Russian.F-Droid, a repository of free and open source Android apps, n.d.
- 63 language and region entriesThe general Dictation section of Apple's iOS and iPadOS 27 feature availability page lists 63 language and region entries.Calculated from other facts
- The iPhone Life guide says you do not need to enable any special settings to see transcripts of audio messages in Messages, because the feature works automatically.iPhone Life, iPhone Life, 2023
- The Voibe article says that its end-of-life dates for Dragon Professional Anywhere come from Nuance partners and not from a notice by Nuance or Microsoft.Ayush, Voibe, 2026
- The WhisperType listing says it uses no API keys and that audio, clipboard contents and learned words stay on the device.WhisperType project, F-Droid, n.d.
- TidBITS describes entering each custom name or phrase in the First Name field of a Contacts entry, however many words it contains.Adam Engst, TidBITS, 2026
- TidBITS reports that Dictation often prefers a name in Contacts to a common word that sounds the same, which can produce the wrong word.Adam Engst, TidBITS, 2026
- TidBITS reports that Dictation picked up some Contacts entries quickly, but that other entries needed more training before it recognized them.Adam Engst, TidBITS, 2026
- TidBITS says Apple does not provide a user-editable list where you can add special words for Dictation, and describes Contacts as a back-door way to train it.Adam Engst, TidBITS, 2026
- To add a keyboard on iPhone, Apple's steps are to go to Settings, tap General, then Keyboard, tap Keyboards, and tap Add New Keyboard, then choose a keyboard from the list.Apple, Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, 2026
- To remove a keyboard on iPhone, Apple says to swipe left on the keyboard in the Keyboards list and tap Delete.Apple, Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, 2026
- To turn a Voice Recorder recording into text, Samsung says to select the recording, tap the Transcript assist icon, and tap Transcribe.Samsung Support (US), n.d.
- To turn Dictation off on iPhone, Apple says to go to Settings, then General, then Keyboard, and turn off Enable Dictation.Apple Inc., Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, n.d.
- To turn on voice message transcription in Google Messages, you open Message settings from your profile picture and look for the Voice Message Transcription option.Derrek Lee, Android Central, 2024
- To turn the Samsung Keyboard toolbar back on, Samsung says to search for Samsung Keyboard in Settings and tap the switch again.Samsung US Support, 2026
- Voibe, a competing dictation vendor, says that Dragon Anywhere, Nuance's iOS and Android app, stopped selling on July 1, 2026.Ayush, Voibe, 2026
- WhatsApp says its voice message transcripts are generated on the phone, so that no one else, including WhatsApp, can hear or read the messages.WhatsApp, WhatsApp Blog, 2024
- WhatsApp voice message transcripts are disabled by default, and users must turn them on manually.Laurent Giret, Thurrott.com, 2024
- WhatsApp voice message transcripts are visible only to the person who received the voice message, not to the sender.MediaNama, MediaNama, 2024
- WhatsApp warned that transcripts can contain errors when the transcript language does not match the message, when background noise makes words unclear, or when the language is unsupported.MediaNama, MediaNama, 2024
- When Gboard added voice typing for iPhone in February 2017, you started it by holding the microphone icon on the space bar for a second or two and then releasing it.Greg Kumparak, TechCrunch, 2017
- When WhatsApp added voice message transcripts in 2024, Apple and Google already offered transcription of voice messages in their own messaging apps.Laurent Giret, Thurrott.com, 2024
- When WhatsApp announced voice message transcripts in November 2024, it said transcripts were rolling out globally with a few select languages to start, and that it planned to add more.WhatsApp, WhatsApp Blog, 2024
- When you dictate a text with Siri on iPhone, Siri reads it back and waits for you to confirm before sending.iMore, iMore, 2022
- When you say "Send a message to" and a contact name, Google Assistant asks you to speak the message, then sends it after you confirm.Make Tech Easier, Make Tech Easier, 2021
- Whisper To Input does its recognition on a backend, either the OpenAI API with your own API key or a Whisper server you host yourself.j3soon, GitHub, n.d.
- Whisper To Input is installed from an APK file on the project's release page.j3soon, GitHub, n.d.
- WhisperType downloads its Whisper speech models from Hugging Face when you choose Download, and it can instead use a model file you import, which works offline.WhisperType project, F-Droid, n.d.
- WhisperType, a free Android keyboard with a QWERTY layout, has a microphone key for speech-to-text that runs on the device, with a 25-second warning and a 30-second automatic stop.WhisperType project, F-Droid, n.d.
- 80Wikipedia says Google's Live Transcribe app generates live captions in over 80 languages, with varying accuracy.Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, 2026
- Wikipedia says Live Transcribe's offline mode is available only on devices with 6 GB of RAM and certain Google Pixel devices.Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, 2026
- 2019Wikipedia's history of Gboard dates the addition of offline voice recognition to March 2019.Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, 2026
- With Apple Intelligence in iOS 27, iPhone dictation uses an on-device model to improve spelling, punctuation and capitalization, in English on iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air or later.Apple Inc., 2026