[2023 Guide] How to Voice Text on iPhone Within Minutes

iPhone speech-to-text feature is becoming increasingly popular as more people discover the convenience and ease of use they offer.

Whether you're an elder adult who finds typing on a small device challenging or a busy professional who needs to quickly dictate notes or emails on the go, using your voice to text on your iPhone can save your time and effort. This is also a handy feature for those with impaired vision.

iPhone offers a built-in dictation feature. However, if you’re dealing with more complex content or dialect, you might want to consider a dedicated app to do the job.

Whether you are looking for a simple, built-in solution or a more advanced app with additional features, we've got you covered. In this guide, learn how to set up and use the voice-to-text feature on your iPhone and see some of the best alternatives available for iPhones.

Part 1: What you should know about iPhone voice dictation

Voice dictation on iPhone is a built-in feature that allows you to type text on your device using your voice. When it comes to using voice dictation on your iPhone, you should know a few things to make the most of this convenient feature.

First, it's essential to understand that voice dictation on iPhone uses your device's microphone to transcribe your spoken words into written text. This means you'll need to be in a quiet environment with minimal background noise for the best results.

You should also be aware that the iPhone's voice dictation feature requires an internet connection as it uses Apple's servers to transcribe your speech. Unfortunately, this also means that your spoken words are sent to Apple's servers for processing, so you must consider any privacy concerns you may have.

The feature was introduced in the iPhone 4S and is available on all models from the iPhone 4S and newer, including iPhone SE, iPhone 5 and later, and all iPad models with a microphone and internet connection.

Regardless of which iPhone model you have, you should be able to use the voice dictation feature as long as your device has a microphone and internet connection.

Another thing to remember is that the iPhone's built-in voice dictation feature is powered by Siri. You can also use it to perform tasks such as sending texts or making phone calls. Additionally, Siri can understand a wide range of accents and dialects, so you can use this feature regardless of your accent.

However, you can use voice dictation on your iPhone without activating Siri. On most versions of the iPhone, there is a microphone button on the keyboard, you can tap on it and start speaking, and the spoken words will be transcribed as text.

This feature is available in most apps that support keyboard input, including Messages, Notes, Mail, and others. You can use it to write texts, emails, notes and other types of documents quickly and easily.

If you are using a third-party keyboard, you should enable the voice dictation feature within the app settings. Here is how:

Step 1: Open Settings>General. This will take you to the general settings of your device, including the keyboard.

Step 2: Open General>Keyboard. This will take you to the customization options for your keyboard.

Step 3: Activate the Enable Dictation option. You can do this by tapping or swiping the grey slider.

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Part 2: Commands for voice dictation on iPhone

It's always a good idea to practice using the iPhone voice dictation feature to get a feel for how it works and how to speak clearly and distinctly for better transcription results.

In addition, it is also important to use proper formatting, so the result is easier to understand. When using iPhone voice-to-text feature, you can use a variety of commands to control the feature and format your text.

Voice dictation commands allow for more efficient and accurate dictation. Instead of having to manually insert punctuation or capitalization, the commands allow you to do so verbally, saving time and effort.

They also allow you to format your text, such as creating new lines or paragraphs, which can be helpful for writing longer documents or emails.

Here are a few examples of commands you can use:

You can experiment with more commands using common punctuation names and even emojis.

Part 3: How to use the voice-to-text feature on iPhone

Using the voice-to-text feature on iPhone is easy and straightforward. Here are the basic steps to follow:

Step 1: Open the app in which you want to use the voice-to-text feature. Examples include Messages, Notes, Mail, and others. Tap on the empty text field to enter text.

Step 2: Tap on the microphone icon located on the keyboard. On some versions of iPhone, you may have to press and hold the microphone icon. Start dictating the words you want to transcribe into text.

Step 3: Release the microphone icon or tap on it again when you finish. Your spoken words will be transcribed as text. You can then edit and format the text as needed.

Bonus tips: What’s the top-pick speech-to-text software?

You’re not always on the go, but there are times that you might need some extra hand to secure your ideas in writing.

There are several speech-to-text software options available for use on desktop computers. The top pick will depend on your specific needs, but we can say for certain that the auto-subtitle generator feature from Wondershare UniConverter is one of the top contenders.

An auto-subtitle generator issoftware that can automatically transcribe audio or speech into text subtitles, which can be used in videos, podcasts, or other multimedia projects.

Wondershare UniConverter is able to generate subtitles automatically, and you can edit the result to your needs, including:

• The text content
• Font types
• Font and border colors
• Size and width
• Opacity
• Position

Compatible with both Windows and Mac, the software also offers various features for audio and video editing, such as conversion and screen recording.

Using the auto-subtitle generator on Wondershare UniConverter is pretty straightforward since it uses advanced AI to help you with the task.

You would only need to follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Wondershare UniConverter home and click the Subtitle Editor feature.

Step 2: Import your video by clicking the "+" button or Add Files button.

Step 3: Click on the Auto-Subtitle Generator button. You will be prompted to select the Video Language from the drop-down menu. Then, tap on the Start Now button at the bottom and wait until the subtitles are generated successfully.

Step 4: Once it is done, the results will be shown on the right panel. You can customize and edit the text as needed.

Step 5: You can also tweak the formatting by double-clicking the subtitle clip on the timeline or clicking on the Styles tab. Customize Font Size and Color, Outline Width, Opacity, and Position. Once you are done, you can click on Apply to All button to use the same settings for all other parts of the subtitle.

Step 6: Click Export to save the subtitles.

Bottom line

While the speech-to-text feature on iPhone is convenient, it may not always be the best option. It requires a good internet connection and you are not always mobile.

If you need a good alternative, Wondershare UniConverter is a great choice. With its smart voice recognition function, you can easily auto-generate subtitles and adjust them.

This versatile software also offers a wide range of features, including a video and audio editor.