SpeechBeeGuide
How to dictate on iPhone
Your iPhone can turn speech into text in any app with a keyboard. Here is how to switch it on, the voice commands worth knowing, and what to try when dictation is missing or keeps stopping.
By the SpeechBee team. Checked against Apple's iPhone User Guide on 12 October 2026
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How to turn on dictation on iPhone
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap General, then Keyboard.
- Turn on Enable Dictation. If a prompt appears, tap Enable Dictation again.
If you do not see a microphone on your keyboard, this switch is the reason. The same steps work on iPad.
How to dictate
Tap where you want the text to go, then tap the microphone on the keyboard. When the microphone icon appears near the cursor, start talking. The keyboard stays open while you dictate, so you can switch between typing and talking without stopping.
To stop, tap the microphone, say "Stop dictation", or stay quiet. Dictation stops by itself after 30 seconds of silence.
Voice commands worth knowing
| Say | What happens |
|---|---|
| "comma", "period", "exclamation point" | Adds the punctuation mark |
| "new line" or "new paragraph" | Starts a new line or paragraph |
| "heart emoji" | Inserts the emoji you name |
| "Let's invite Steven S-T-E-P-H-E-N" | Spells a word letter by letter |
| "Change tea to T-E-E" | Corrects a word you just dictated |
| "select" or "delete" plus a phrase | Selects or removes that phrase |
| "undo" or "redo" | Reverses or repeats the last command |
In supported languages, your iPhone adds commas, periods and question marks automatically. To stop that, go to Settings, General, Keyboard, and turn off Auto-Punctuation. Apple keeps the full list in Commands for dictating text on iPhone.
Does iPhone dictation work offline?
In many languages, yes. Apple says dictation is processed on your iPhone in many languages and no internet connection is required. When you dictate into a search field, the text may be sent to the search engine to run the search. Availability varies by language and region.
If dictation is not working on your iPhone
- No microphone on the keyboard: turn on Enable Dictation in Settings, General, Keyboard.
- It keeps stopping: that is the 30-second silence limit. Tap the microphone again.
- Wrong language: dictation follows the keyboard you are using. Switch to the keyboard for the language you are speaking.
- Not available at all: dictation is not offered in every language or region. Check Apple's feature availability page.
A dictation keyboard that learns your words
Apple's dictation is free and good. What it cannot do is learn the names you keep correcting or expand a short phrase into your full address.
Hi Maya, I'll send the revised proposal tomorrow morning.
Most people read faster than they speak. SpeechBee reads the sentence you selected out loud, while you keep working.
SpeechBee, which we make, adds a keyboard you switch to on iPhone and iPad. Talk, and SpeechBee transcribes on your device, removes filler words, applies your dictionary of names and expands your snippets before the text lands. Audio is never uploaded or recorded. The keyboard asks for Full Access only so it can pass voice requests and results to the SpeechBee app on your device. It does not make network requests or send what you type.
The SpeechBee app also reads text aloud. Paste text into the Read tab and a natural voice reads it. And the same plan covers SpeechBee on your Mac, where you hold a key to dictate into any app.
7 days free, then $9 a month, $79 a year, or $99 once.
Try SpeechBee free for 7 days.
Voice to text and Read Aloud on your Mac, iPhone and iPad. After the week, $9 a month, $79 a year, or $99 once. Every plan has every feature.
Questions
How do I turn on dictation on my iPhone?
Open Settings, tap General, then Keyboard, and turn on Enable Dictation. The microphone then appears on your keyboard.
Why is there no microphone on my iPhone keyboard?
Dictation is switched off. Turn on Enable Dictation in Settings, General, Keyboard.
Why does iPhone dictation stop?
It stops automatically after 30 seconds of silence. Tap the microphone to start again.
Can iPhone dictation spell names?
Yes. Say the name followed by its letters, such as "Steven S-T-E-P-H-E-N", or correct a word by saying something like "Change tea to T-E-E". SpeechBee's keyboard lets you save the right spelling once in its dictionary.
Is iPhone dictation private?
Apple says dictation is processed on your iPhone in many languages with no internet connection required, though text dictated into a search field may go to the search engine. Tap About Dictation & Privacy below the dictation settings for details.
Keep reading
- How to dictate on a Mac
- The best dictation apps for iPhone
- SpeechBee vs Apple Dictation
- The best dictation apps for Mac
Sources
All checked on 12 October 2026.
- Apple: Dictate text on iPhone
- Apple: iOS and iPadOS feature availability
- SpeechBee facts from our homepage and privacy policy