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How to Use Voice Dictation on the iPhone and iPad

Talk to your iPhone or iPad instead of using the on-screen keyboard

By Daniel Nations Daniel Nations Writer University of Texas at Arlington Daniel Nations has been a tech journalist since 1994. His work has appeared in Computer Currents, The Examiner, and other publications. He is a developer who has published apps in the Apple App Store, Google Play marketplace and Amazon Appstore; he also has worked as a data analyst and DB administrator. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on May 4, 2022 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Apple iPad Macs

What to Know

Go to Settings > General > Keyboard. Turn on Enable Dictation (first time only).Open an on-screen keyboard in any app. Tap the microphone. Speak and your words appear on screen.Use keywords for punctuation. Press Done or an empty screen area to stop dictation. This article explains how to enable and use voice dictation on iPhones and iPads. It includes a list of keywords for various punctuation options. These instructions apply to iPads and iPhones running iPadOS 15, iPadOS 14, iPadOS 13, or iOS 15 through iOS 9.

How to Use Voice Dictation on the iPhone and iPad

One of the most powerful features of iPadOS and iOS is also one that is easy to miss: voice dictation. Siri may get all the press for being a great personal assistant, but voice dictation may be at its best when it's taking notes, and it's available for both the iPhone and the iPad. If using the on-screen keyboard of your iPad is inconvenient when typing more than a line or two, use voice dictation instead. Voice dictation makes the iPhone a viable alternative to a laptop for sending and replying to emails. However, older devices may require an internet connection to do the heavy lifting. Follow these directions to get your iOS device listening to you. Display the on-screen keyboard by tapping a field that accepts text (such as an email or note) and then tap the microphone.
The first time you tap the microphone, you may need to tap Enable Dictation. Do this at Settings > General > Keyboard. Turn on Enable DIctation. Start talking. The device listens to your voice and turns it into text as you talk. Use keywords to insert punctuation or paragraph breaks as needed.
Tap Done or the keyboard icon (depending on the iOS version) to stop dictating.
Make adjustments to the text as necessary with the keyboard. Voice dictation is available any time the on-screen keyboard is available, which means no hunting around for it when you need it. You can use it for text messages, email messages, or taking notes in your favorite app.

Voice Dictation Keywords

To get the most out of voice dictation, speak these keywords to add punctuation or line breaks: Period: The "." is the standard way to end a sentence.Question Mark: The "?" punctuation mark.New Paragraph: Starts a new paragraph. End the previous sentence before beginning the new paragraph.Exclamation Point: The "!" punctuation mark.Comma: The "," punctuation mark.Colon: The ":" punctuation mark.Semi-Colon: The ";" punctuation markEllipsis: The "..." punctuation markQuote and Unquote: Puts quotation marks around words or phrases.Slash: The "/" symbol.Asterisk: The "*" symbol.Ampersand: The "&" symbol, which means "and."At Sign: The "@" symbol found in email addresses. Voice dictation automatically adds spaces after punctuation that needs it—periods, commas, and closing quotation marks, for example. Other punctuation marks are also available, so if you need one of the rarer ones, say it. For example, say, "upside-down question mark" to produce an upside-down question mark ("¿"). The Voice Memo app, available for the iPhone and the iPad, is handy for making quick audio notes. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire The 8 Best Speech to Text Software of 2022 How to Set Up Speech to Text on Android How to Turn On/Off Auto-Correct on the iPhone/iPad The 8 Best Voice-to-Text Apps of 2022 Should You Buy an iPad Keyboard? 3 Reasons Why You Might Want To The 15 Best Hidden Features in iOS 16 iPad Keyboard Tips and Smart Keyboard Shortcuts How to Fix a Floating Keyboard on an iPad How to Use Voice Control on iPhone and iPod Touch How to Send Voice Messages on iPhone How to Turn Siri Off on an iPhone or iPad How to Get an Em Dash in Google Docs How to Use Your iPad or iPad Mini as a Phone How to Undo in Notes on iPhone and iPad Apple Watch Dictation Not Working? How to Fix the Problem How to Send Group Emails on Your iPhone or iPad Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies