Can you dictate in Hindi and other Indian languages on iPhone?

Partly. Apple's feature page lists Hindi (India) in its general Dictation list ¹. Hindi is not in the shorter On-Device and Modeless Dictation list, which has 48 variants ². None of the other Indian languages Google named in 2017 appears in any Dictation list on that page, including Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil and Urdu. This is our reading of the page as checked on 2026-10-17, not a quote from Apple.

Hindi is on Apple's list, but the on-device list leaves it out

Apple says Dictation "is processed on your iPhone in many languages, and no internet connection is required" ³. The on-device list is the one to check if you need Dictation without a signal, and Hindi is not on it. Apple's page does not say what Hindi needs when you dictate, so if you depend on it offline, test it in airplane mode first.

Adding a keyboard is not the same as being on the list

Adding a keyboard is what brings a language into Dictation ⁴. Dictation still depends on Apple's list, and Apple says Dictation may not be available in all languages or in all countries or regions ⁵. The entry is Hindi (India), so it is tied to the India region ¹.

Google had Hindi and eight more Indian languages in 2017

Google said in August 2017 that voice input was already available for Hindi, and that it then extended voice input to eight more Indian languages ^{6 7}. Those eight were Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.

These are 2017 statements. Google's current list is not part of this answer, so check the language settings in Gboard on your own Android phone before you rely on it.

Mixed English and Hindi needs two keyboards

If you speak Hindi and English in the same sentence, the English entry does not give you Hindi. Use a keyboard for each language and switch between them, because Dictation follows the keyboard you use ⁸. The question on two languages at once explains the routine.

It depends on the iOS version and on the app you use

Apple's list changes with each iOS release, so this answer is dated to the page as checked on 2026-10-17. Read the current page before you decide.

If your language is not on Apple's list, a different dictation app may support it. The sources for this answer do not cover third-party apps, so check each app's own language list before you install it. Yap, which we make, is an on-device dictation app for Mac and Windows as well as phones. Check which languages it supports before you rely on it, because this page does not list them. For a wider comparison, see the guide to dictation apps for iPhone and Android.

What to do

1. Check Apple's Dictation list for Hindi (India) on your iOS version ¹.
2. For offline Hindi, test in airplane mode, because Hindi is not on the on-device list.
3. For Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil or Urdu, Apple's Dictation list does not include them, so use a tool that lists them, or try Gboard on an Android phone after you check its current language list.

Related questions are why your dictation language is not showing and why iPhone dictation types in the wrong language. For the full set of checks, read the guide to dictation languages on iPhone and Android, and for offline use more generally, see offline voice typing on iPhone and Android.