Does Apple have a voice to text app?

Yes. Apple builds voice to text into its devices, so there is nothing separate to download. On a Mac the tool is Dictation, and on an iPhone it is Dictation on the keyboard. A Mac can also use Voice Control, Apple's wider tool for controlling the computer by voice, which can dictate and edit text too. The two Mac tools cannot run as your dictation tool at the same time, so the choice matters. The sections below cover the limits Apple states, so you can see which one fits your day.

On a Mac, Dictation has no length limit but stops after silence

Apple says you can dictate text of any length on a Mac without a timeout ¹. The limit you are more likely to meet is quiet. When Mac Dictation detects no speech for 30 seconds, it stops by itself ². A long pause to think will end the session, so start it again and carry on.

Dictation on a Mac also depends on language. Apple lists 48 language and regional variants for on-device and modeless Dictation on the Mac, and those variants need a download of speech models ³. If your language is not on that list, check the Keyboard settings before you rely on the tool.

Apple's newest Dictation model has a hardware requirement. In macOS 27 the improved on-device model is available on Macs with an M3 chip or later and at least 12GB of unified memory ⁴. An older Mac still has Dictation, but it may not get that model.

On an iPhone, Dictation runs on the phone in many languages

Apple says Dictation on iPhone is processed on the device in many languages, and that no internet connection is required ⁵. The privacy promise is narrower than the headline. When you dictate into a search field, the dictated text may be sent to the search engine to process the search ⁶. For speech you want handled on the phone, dictate into a message, note or document field instead.

Voice Control can dictate, but it replaces Dictation on a Mac

Voice Control is the second Apple option. It lets you control a Mac by voice, and it can dictate text as well. On a Mac, turning it on means Voice Control is used for dictation, and standard macOS Dictation is not available ⁷. Decide which one you want before you switch.

Voice Control covers fewer languages. Apple lists 20 language and regional variants for Voice Control on the Mac ⁸, fewer than half the 48 for Dictation ³. If your language is covered by Dictation but not by Voice Control, Dictation is the right choice.

Which Apple tool to use

1. Start with Dictation for messages, notes and documents.
2. Choose Voice Control only if you want to control the whole computer by voice and your language is on its shorter list.
3. Check your language in Keyboard settings on the Mac before you commit, because the two tools support different languages.
4. Test a long session on the work you actually do, with a pause in the middle, to see how the 30-second stop affects you.
5. If Dictation does not start, follow the troubleshooting steps in our Mac dictation not working guide before you switch tools.

This page does not give a price for either Apple tool. For paid apps and their limits, see how much dictation software costs. If you use Google or Microsoft devices as well, compare does Google have a voice to text app and does Microsoft have dictation software.

For the free options side by side, read our guide to free dictation software. For the category as a whole, see dictation software, and for the term itself, see the dictation software entry.