Your iPhone has had voice to text built in for years, and most people only ever use a fraction of it. Apple calls it Dictation. It works anywhere you can type, it runs on the phone in many languages, and it understands spoken commands for punctuation, line breaks, and simple edits. This guide covers all of it, from turning it on to fixing it when the microphone key disappears, and what to try when the built-in tool is not enough.
The short answer: to use voice to text on iPhone, open Settings, tap General, then Keyboard, and turn on Enable Dictation. Then tap into any text field, tap the microphone on the keyboard, and speak. Say "period" or "new paragraph" for punctuation and line breaks, and tap the microphone again or say "Stop dictation" to finish.
How to turn on voice to text on iPhone
Dictation is a keyboard setting. According to Apple's iPhone User Guide for iOS 27:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap General, then tap Keyboard.
- Turn on Enable Dictation. If a prompt appears, tap Enable Dictation again to confirm.
Below the switch, About Dictation & Privacy explains what Apple does with your audio. Apple says Dictation is processed on the iPhone in many languages with no internet connection required. One exception worth knowing: when you dictate into a search field, the text may be sent to the search engine to run the search. Apple also notes that cellular data charges may apply.
How to dictate text on iPhone
Once Dictation is on, the steps are the same in every app:
- Tap in a text field to place the cursor where you want the words to go.
- Tap the microphone key on the onscreen keyboard (it also appears inside some text fields).
- When the microphone icon shows near the cursor, start talking.
- To stop, tap the microphone again, say "Stop dictation", or simply stop talking: Dictation turns itself off after 30 seconds of silence.
The keyboard stays open while you dictate, so you can type a word, say a sentence, and type again without switching modes. That is the habit that makes iPhone voice to text feel natural: talk the bulk of the message, then tap to fix the one word it missed.
If you dictate in more than one language, add a keyboard for each one. Apple says that when you use a keyboard for another language, Dictation works in that language too, so switching keyboards with the globe key also switches the language you are dictating in.
Voice commands for punctuation, formatting, and editing
In supported languages, Dictation now adds commas, periods, and question marks on its own as you speak. You can still say punctuation out loud when you want control. The commands Apple lists include:
Say | You get |
|---|---|
"period", "comma", "question mark", "exclamation point" | . , ? ! |
"colon", "semicolon", "dollar sign", "hashtag" | : ; $ # |
"open parenthesis" / "close parenthesis" | ( ) |
"quote" / "end quote" | quotation marks |
"new line" / "new paragraph" | a line break or a new paragraph |
"cap" | capitalizes the next word |
"all caps" | makes the next word uppercase |
"caps on" ... "caps off" | capitalizes each word in between |
"no space on" ... "no space off" | runs the words together (not in every language) |
"heart emoji", "smiley emoji" | the emoji, in supported languages |
Dictation also understands a handful of editing commands:
- "Change [text] to [text]" replaces a word or phrase, for example "Change tea to T-E-E."
- "Insert [text] before [text]" and "Insert [text] after [text]" add words in place.
- "Select [text]" and "Delete [text]" act on a phrase you name, and "Delete all" clears the field.
- "Undo" and "Redo" reverse or repeat the last command.
- To spell a name, say it and then spell it: "Let's invite Steven S-T-E-P-H-E-N."
One limit matters here: Apple says the editing commands (change, insert, select, delete) work in U.S. English on iPhone 12 and later, except iPhone SE. Punctuation and formatting commands work more widely. If automatic punctuation gets in the way, turn it off under Settings > General > Keyboard > Auto-Punctuation.
What is new in iOS 27: with Apple Intelligence, Dictation uses an on-device model to improve spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Apple limits that to English on iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, or later, so most iPhones in use today get the standard Dictation described above.
iPhone dictation not working? Try these fixes
Most "voice to text stopped working" problems come down to a handful of causes. Work through them in order.
The microphone key is missing
Go back to Settings > General > Keyboard and check that Enable Dictation is on. If it is already on, turning it off and on again is a quick first fix. Also check which keyboard is showing: the Dictation microphone belongs to Apple's keyboard, so if you have switched to a third-party keyboard, tap or hold the globe key to switch back (or use that keyboard's own voice feature).
It types the wrong language
Dictation follows the keyboard you have selected. If you have more than one keyboard installed, the globe key decides which language Dictation listens for. Add or remove keyboards under Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards. Apple also notes that Dictation is not available in every language, country, or region, and features vary.
It stops on its own
That is by design. Dictation turns off after 30 seconds of silence. If you pause to think, tap the microphone again to resume where the cursor is.
"Change" and "Delete" do nothing
The editing commands need U.S. English on an iPhone 12 or later (not iPhone SE). On other languages or older phones, Dictation will type the words "change" and "delete" instead of acting on them. Edit by hand, or use a tool with its own voice editing (below).
It mishears everything
Check the basics: take off a case or screen cover that might block the microphones, make sure nothing is connected that could be taking the microphone input (a Bluetooth headset you forgot about is a common one), and test the microphone by recording a short clip in the Voice Memos app. If the recording sounds muffled, the problem is the microphone, not Dictation. Speak at a normal pace in full phrases; Dictation uses the surrounding words to pick the right ones.
It still does not work
Restart the iPhone, then install any pending iOS update under Settings > General > Software Update. If the phone is managed by a school or employer, or has Screen Time restrictions set by a parent, a restriction may be blocking Dictation; ask whoever manages the device. If none of that helps, contact Apple Support, since the microphone itself may need service.
Where built-in iPhone dictation falls short
Apple's Dictation is free, private, and good enough for texts and quick notes. Where it runs out is longer, real writing on the phone:
- Your words. Apple does not document a way to teach Dictation your vocabulary, so names, product terms, and jargon come out wrong the same way every time.
- Editing. Voice editing is limited to swapping, inserting, and deleting exact phrases, only in U.S. English on newer iPhones. You cannot say "make this shorter" or "turn this into a list."
- Cleanup. Dictation types what you say, including the "um, actually, wait" parts. Turning a spoken ramble into a message you would send is still a job for your thumbs.
- The newest model is gated. The Apple Intelligence improvements are English-only and limited to the latest iPhones.
If those do not bother you, stay with Dictation. If they do, that is the gap a dedicated app fills.
A step up: Aqua Voice on iPhone
We build Aqua Voice, so weigh this section accordingly. Aqua installs on iPhone as an extra keyboard: open the app, enable the Aqua keyboard and Full Access in Settings, allow the microphone, then in any app that allows third-party keyboards, switch to Aqua with the globe key, tap the microphone, and talk. Text lands at the cursor. The iPhone page has the full setup.
It addresses the gaps above directly:
- Edit by voice, in plain language. Select text, tap Edit, and say what should change: "remove the filler words, this is a Slack message", "make this one sentence", "spell Toni T-O-N-I". The selection is rewritten in place. That is what removes the cursor-dragging from phone writing.
- A dictionary that learns your words. Add names, brands, and technical terms once; the dictionary, replacements, and custom instructions sync across Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android on the same account.
- Cleanup as you talk. Aqua punctuates, fixes grammar, and removes filler words.
- Speed. Text starts appearing in under 50 milliseconds and final text lands in about 450 milliseconds, at up to 230 words per minute (both self-reported).
- A model built for dictation. Aqua runs on our own model, Avalon, which debuted in October 2025 as the top proprietary model on the OpenASR leaderboard (sixth overall at the time). For an outside read, 9to5Mac ran the same passage through built-in Mac dictation and Aqua and counted 17 errors against 1; that single test was on a Mac, not an iPhone.
- Hands-free start. On iPhones with an Action Button, you can map Aqua's Quick Dictation shortcut to it: long press to start and again to stop.
The honest limits: Aqua transcribes in the cloud, so it needs an internet connection, and it needs iOS 17 or later. Secure fields such as password boxes, and some apps, always use Apple's keyboard. It supports 49 languages with auto-detect. The Free plan includes 1,000 words with no card required; Pro is $10/mo billed annually or $12/mo month to month on the web (App Store billing may differ), and one subscription covers iPhone, Mac, Windows, and Android. Aqua has a SOC 2 Type II audit report and is ISO 27001 certified, and it is GDPR and HIPAA compliant.
Comparing other iPhone apps too? Our roundup of the best speech to text apps for iPhone grades Superwhisper, Typeless, Wispr Flow, and Google's free offline app alongside Aqua. The guide covers Aqua's features in depth.
Voice to text on your other devices
The same habits carry over. On a Mac, Dictation works much the same way, with a keyboard shortcut; see how to use dictation on Mac, and Mac dictation not working if it stops. On Android, talk to text with Gboard is the built-in equivalent.
FAQ
How do I turn on voice to text on my iPhone?
Open Settings, tap General, then Keyboard, and turn on Enable Dictation. A microphone key then appears on the keyboard in any app. Tap it, speak, and tap it again (or say "Stop dictation") when you are done.
Why is there no microphone on my iPhone keyboard?
Usually Dictation is turned off, or you are using a third-party keyboard. Turn on Enable Dictation under Settings > General > Keyboard, then use the globe key to switch back to Apple's keyboard. Dictation is also not available in every language or region.
Does iPhone voice to text work without internet?
In many languages, yes. Apple says Dictation is processed on the iPhone and needs no internet connection in those languages. Text you dictate into a search field may still be sent to the search engine.
Can I edit text by voice on iPhone?
Partly. Built-in Dictation understands "change ... to ...", "insert ... before ...", "select", "delete", "undo", and "redo", in U.S. English on iPhone 12 and later (not iPhone SE). For rewrites in plain language, such as "make this shorter", you need an app like Aqua Voice with voice editing.
