Glossary
Speech framework (Apple)
The Speech framework is Apple's developer toolkit for turning audio into text inside an app. It includes the older SFSpeechRecognizer class and the newer SpeechAnalyzer, which Apple says transcribes entirely on the device once its models are downloaded.
Updated October 16, 20264 cited facts, each traced to its source
Also called SFSpeechRecognizer, SpeechAnalyzer.
The Speech framework is Apple's developer toolkit for turning speech into text. An app that adds speech-to-text can use it rather than building its own recognizer. Apple says the framework lets third-party apps add speech-to-text with Apple's own models 1, and it provides modules that can be added to an analyzer for specific types of analysis and transcription.
Two classes: an older one and SpeechAnalyzer
Apple's Speech framework has two classes that matter for dictation. They differ in where recognition runs, and that difference reaches the people who use the apps built on them.
| Class | Status | Where recognition runs |
|---|---|---|
| SFSpeechRecognizer | The older class, used to start speech recognition | Some languages may need the internet 2 |
| SpeechAnalyzer | The newer class, available from macOS 26 | Entirely on the device, after models are downloaded 3 |
The older class could use Apple's servers
Apple said in 2025 that its older class worked well for short-form dictation, and that it could use Apple's servers on devices with limited resources 4. Apple's documentation for the class adds a caution for developers: for some languages, the recognizer might need an internet connection 2.
SpeechAnalyzer runs on the device once models are present
Apple says that transcription with SpeechAnalyzer is entirely on the device, although the language models must first be downloaded 3. For a user, this means the first use of a language may need a download, and after that offline transcription depends on the models being present rather than on a connection.
What it means for dictation apps
A dictation app is only as offline as the Apple class it uses. Two apps can both say they use Apple's speech engine and still behave differently, depending on which class they call and which language you pick. If an app's privacy or offline behavior matters to you, ask which class it uses, or check whether it works with the network switched off. The guide on how Apple Dictation works explains the on-device and server paths in more detail, and the on-device speech recognition guide covers the tradeoffs.
Related terms
- Dictation: speaking so that software writes your words as you say them.
- Neural Engine: the part of Apple's chips that runs machine learning models.
- Automatic speech recognition: the technology that turns speech into text.
Guides that cover it
Evidence
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Related terms
- Mac Dictation: How to Dictate and Control a Mac by VoiceThe topic this term belongs to
- Accessibility permission (macOS)Accessibility permission is a macOS setting that lets a specific app read and control other apps through the system's accessibility features. macOS keeps it under Privacy & Security, and an app gets no access until you allow it there.
- Apple DictationApple Dictation is the free, built-in feature that types what you say into any text field on a Mac. Apple also calls it Mac Dictation, macOS Dictation or keyboard dictation.
- Apple IntelligenceApple Intelligence is the name Apple gives to its AI features across its devices. Its on-device models can improve Dictation on newer Macs, and Apple says apps can use the same models.
- Apple siliconApple silicon is the family of chips Apple designs for its own computers, starting with certain Macs in late 2020. Each chip puts several computer components on one piece of silicon, which Apple calls a system on a chip.
- Enhanced DictationEnhanced Dictation was a Mac option, available from OS X Mavericks, that lets you dictate without an internet connection after a download. Apple's help for macOS Mojave describes it, but Apple's later Dictation pages do not mention it.
- Globe key (Fn key)The Globe key, also called the Fn key or function key, is a modifier on Apple keyboards. In Keyboard settings you choose what a press does, such as switching input source, starting Dictation or doing nothing.
- Improve Siri & DictationImprove Siri & Dictation is the Mac setting that controls whether Apple may store and review audio from your Siri and Dictation requests. When you first turn on Dictation, the same choice is labeled Share Audio Recordings.
- Microphone key (dictation key)The Microphone key is a key on some Mac keyboards that starts Apple Dictation when you press and release it. Pressing and holding it activates Siri instead, if Siri is turned on.
- Neural EngineThe Apple Neural Engine (ANE) is a block of hardware inside Apple's chips that runs machine learning models efficiently. Speech models can run on it, and Apple uses it for on-device machine learning inference.
- SiriSiri is Apple's built-in voice assistant. You speak a request and it answers or carries out an action, while Dictation types what you say into a text field instead.
- Voice Control (Apple)Voice Control is Apple's feature for controlling a Mac with spoken commands, including opening apps, clicking items and editing text. When it is on, it also handles dictation, so standard macOS Dictation is not available.
- VoiceOverVoiceOver is the screen reader built into macOS, which speaks what is on the screen so you can use the Mac without seeing it. It does the reverse of dictation: it reads text aloud rather than writing your speech.