Turn Speech into Text
You have something to say and want it as text, not as an audio file. There are several ways to do that on iPhone and Mac, from Apple's built-in dictation to a dedicated app. This guide shows you what each way can do, and where it stops.
Apple's built-in dictation.
On iPhone and Mac you tap the microphone icon on the keyboard. You speak straight into any text field, a note, an email, a message. No separate app to open, it works right away, everywhere you can type. What is missing: there is no history of your dictations, once the text is inserted, it is gone. You cannot store your own spelling for names or technical terms, recognition gives you its standard version every time.
Record first, convert later.
You record audio only, with the Voice Memos app or something similar, no live recognition involved. Afterward you turn that recording into text, for example with Hallig or Apple's own transcription inside Voice Memos. This route makes sense when you just want to capture audio on the go and deal with the text later. It also fits when you already have a stack of old voice memos. The details are in our guide Turn Voice Memos into Text.
Dictate directly, with an app like Hallig.
An app like Hallig stays ready in the background, you open it, speak, and the text lands on your clipboard. On the Mac, Hallig also inserts it straight into whichever field has focus. Every dictation stays in your history, with a timestamp to look back at. You set your own terms, names, or spellings in a personal dictionary. Long dictations get paragraph breaks automatically, at the points where you paused while speaking.
Why local makes a difference.
Local means recognition runs on your device, a dictation never leaves it. We cover what that means for your data in a separate guide about dictating without the cloud.
Which way fits you.
If all you need is a short sentence in a message or email, Apple's dictation is the simplest choice. Nothing to install. If you have old voice memos, or just want to capture audio on the go, the voice memo route fits. If you dictate longer texts regularly and want a history or your own terms, Hallig is the more direct path. In the end it comes down to how often you dictate, and what happens to the text afterward.
Common questions.
Does this work without internet?
It depends on which route you pick. Apple's dictation runs on-device for many languages, but depending on iOS version and language it can need a connection. An app like Hallig needs a connection only once, to download a recognition model, after that recognition itself runs without internet.
Are my words changed?
No, your words stay yours. With Hallig, recognition only writes down what you say, it does not rephrase anything or trim filler words. Whether your text gets paragraph breaks at your speech pauses, or your own spellings from your dictionary kick in, is something you control yourself, in settings.
What does this cost?
Apple's dictation and the voice memo route cost nothing extra, both are part of iOS and macOS. You can try Hallig for free, Pro is a one-time purchase, no subscription.