Does iPhone dictation work offline?

Yes, for the languages Apple lists as on-device. In those languages, Apple says dictation is processed on the iPhone and needs no internet connection ¹. The check that matters is your language: Apple's statement says "many languages", not all of them, so confirm yours is on the list before you rely on it on a plane or in a dead zone.

Dictation works offline in the on-device languages

Apple's wording is precise. It says dictation "is processed on your iPhone in many languages, and no internet connection is required" ¹. The list behind that statement is in Apple's iOS feature availability table, which shows 48 language and regional variants for On-Device and Modeless Dictation ².

That gives you a two-part test. If your language is on the list, dictation in a note or a message should run without a connection. If it is not on the list, Apple's statement does not promise that dictation works offline, and you should assume it may need one. The table lists variants, not just languages, so check the exact regional variant you speak rather than the language name alone.

Turn on Dictation before you go offline

Dictation has to be switched on first. Apple's iPhone guide gives this path: open the Settings app, tap General, tap Keyboard, and turn on Enable Dictation, then confirm the prompt ³. Menu names can change between iOS versions, so check the path on your phone.

Do this while you have a connection. Then dictate one test sentence in each language you use, so the phone is ready when the connection is not.

Some dictation still needs a connection

Offline recognition covers the words you dictate in a standard text field. It does not cover every case:

• Search fields. Apple says that when you dictate in a search field, "the dictated text may be sent to the search engine to process the search" ⁴. Dictate into a note or message instead when you need the search to stay off the network.
• Data charges. Apple says that when you use Dictation, "cellular data charges may apply" ⁵. Apple's statement is about charges, not a list of every time dictation uses data, so do not treat it as a full map of connections.
• Languages off the list. A language that is not on Apple's on-device list has no offline statement from Apple at all.

Test it in airplane mode

The only proof for your own phone is a test. Turn on airplane mode and check that Wi-Fi is off too. Open a note, tap the microphone key on the keyboard, and dictate a sentence with a number, a name and a comma, such as "Meet Priya at 3 pm on Thursday, bring the notes."

If the words appear with the punctuation, dictation ran with no connection in that language. If the microphone does nothing, the language or setting is not available offline on that phone. The full test, with what each result means, is in our guide to offline voice typing on iPhone and Android. Repeat it for each language you dictate in, and again after a major iOS update, since the language list can change.

Where offline dictation does not answer the privacy question

Working offline and being private are related but not the same. Offline dictation means the speech is recognized on the phone. Whether anything is stored or reviewed is a separate question about Apple's policies, and it has its own answer. For that, read whether iPhone dictation is private.

If you want the same answer for Mac, see does Apple Dictation work without internet, which covers the rule for Apple silicon Macs. For Android phones, see the best offline speech to text app for Android.

Summary of what to do

1. Check that your exact language variant is in Apple's on-device list ².
2. Turn on Enable Dictation while you have a connection ³.
3. Dictate into notes or messages, not search fields.
4. Run the airplane mode test for each language, and repeat it after major updates.

For the terms used here, see voice typing. For the full overview of dictation on phones and tablets, start with dictation on phones and tablets.