Which is more private: Apple dictation or Google voice typing?

Neither company wins on every device, so compare the same device and the same setting. On a Mac, Apple's general dictation is the clearer case, because Apple says it is processed on your device and you can check that yourself ¹. On a phone, Google's voice typing depends on the app and the settings. Gboard's microphone sends voice input to Google on an iPhone ², while Gboard's offline recognizer on Android needs no connection ³.

On a Mac, Apple's general dictation can stay on your device

Apple's Mac Help says you can check Keyboard settings to see whether your voice inputs and transcripts for general text Dictation are processed on your device and not sent to Siri servers ¹. The setting covers general text, such as messages and notes. Apple says dictating in a search box is not part of that example ⁴.

The same setting also tells you where the work happens. Your device shows in Keyboard settings whether dictated audio and transcripts are processed on the device or sent to Apple's servers ⁵. Read that line before you dictate anything sensitive.

When Siri and Dictation do use Apple's servers, the history is what is kept

Apple says dictation sent to its servers is not stored unless you opt in to Improve Siri and Dictation ⁶. The request history is a different matter. It includes transcripts, is tied to a random identifier rather than your Apple Account, and Apple may keep it for up to two years ⁷.

So on-device dictation is the case that keeps transcripts off Apple's servers, and the history above applies to requests that are sent there.

On Android, Gboard's offline recognizer works without a connection

In February 2025, 9to5Google reported that Gboard for Android features offline voice typing on all devices ³. Offline voice typing needs no connection, so it cannot send your speech to Google while the phone is offline.

Donating audio is voluntary ⁸. If you agree, Google says it won't keep the snippets beyond 18 months ⁹.

On an iPhone, Gboard's microphone sends your voice to Google

Gboard's App Store listing says that if you use Gboard's microphone, voice input is sent to Google for transcription ². On an iPhone, that means your speech goes to Google when you use Gboard's microphone. We did not verify the on-device details of Apple dictation on iPhone for this comparison, so the Apple side here is the Mac.

Side by side, on the Mac and on the phone

What to do

1. On a Mac, check the setting. Open System Settings, click Keyboard, and read the text below Dictation.2. Turn off Improve Siri and Dictation. Go to System Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Analytics & Improvements, and turn off Improve Siri & Dictation ¹⁰.
2. On Android, check Gboard's audio donation setting before you dictate anything sensitive. Google's speech to text privacy policy shows where that setting is.
3. On an iPhone, know which microphone you use. If you use Gboard's microphone, your speech goes to Google for transcription, so choose a different dictation method for private content.
4. If you want no cloud step at all, Yap, which we make, is an on-device dictation app for Mac and Windows. You can compare the download options.

For the wider question of whether Apple keeps your dictation, read whether Apple keeps dictation recordings and whether Apple dictation is safe. For Google's policy text on voice, read Google's speech to text privacy policy. Our guide to how long each company keeps voice data puts all four companies side by side, and our overview of speech to text privacy covers the general case. The term on-device speech recognition explains what the offline options have in common.