The best dictation apps for iPhone
Your iPhone can already type what you say — the question is which app does it cleanly in the apps you actually use. Six picks, from the free built-in keyboard to AI dictation that formats as you talk.
The iPhone has shipped with dictation for years — tap the keyboard's microphone and talk. So "best dictation app for iPhone" is really a sliding scale: how much do you want over the built-in keyboard, and for which jobs? The picks below are organized around that — keyboard apps that upgrade every text field on the phone, standalone apps for long-form and privacy, and the record-first workflow for when the talking happens on a walk.
One distinction before the list: a dictation app types while you speak, while transcription turns recordings you already made into text. If your best thinking happens away from a keyboard, you want the second — that's the uploader above, and it's free three times a day.
How we picked
Apple's dictation is the free baseline every iPhone has. Each pick has to beat it on the things you hit daily: punctuation, formatting, and working cleanly inside Messages, WhatsApp and Notes.
On iPhone, a dictation app usually ships as a keyboard. That means earning Full Access in Settings, switching in fast, and not fighting autocorrect — picks were judged in real apps, not demos.
Every pick has a usable free tier or a one-time price. Dictation is a habit, so you should be able to find out it works for you before paying anything.
The shortlist for iPhone
- 1Wispr FlowBest overallApp Store · works in every app — free tier, then subscription
A system-wide iPhone keyboard whose model strips filler words and formats as you talk, so dictated messages and emails read like you typed them. It was the most consistently recommended pick in 2026 roundups, and on iPhone that recommendation holds — it upgrades every text field without leaving the app you're in.
- 2Apple Dictation (built-in)Best freePreinstalled — Settings → General → Keyboard → Enable Dictation
Tap the microphone next to the space bar and talk; tap again to stop. Recent iOS versions run it on-device for many languages, it needs no download or subscription, and it works system-wide. Long-form is where it strains: punctuation needs voice commands or cleanup, and it won't restructure rambling speech. As a free baseline, it's what every other pick has to beat.
- 3SpokenlyBest free keyboardApp Store · free with limits
A keyboard that taps high-accuracy cloud transcription models, so dictated text comes back polished in every app without leaving the keyboard. The free tier holds up for day-to-day messages; heavy users move to a subscription or to the offline picks below.
- 4VoiceInkBest offline, one-timeApp Store · around $25 once, no subscription
Runs speech models entirely on the iPhone — audio never leaves the device, and there's no monthly bill. That makes it the pick for sensitive material and spotty coverage. The trade: you choose and manage a model instead of getting one polished result out of the box.
- 5SuperwhisperBest for power usersApp Store · free tier, paid tiers for bigger models
Custom vocabulary, a choice of local or cloud models, and fine control over formatting — the reasons developers and heavy writers keep picking it. More setup than Wispr Flow, more ceiling too.
- 6Whisper MemosBest for memosApp Store · free tier
Dictation apps type live; this one is for thinking out loud. Record first, get a punctuated transcript after — offline recording included. If your iPhone talking is more "note to self" on a walk than replies at the desk, this shape fits better.
Pick by what you dictate
Keyboard apps — Wispr Flow or Spokenly — sit on top of every app: dictate the reply where you'd type it and send without switching.
Superwhisper and VoiceInk give you model choice and custom vocabulary for the names and jargon the built-in keyboard mangles.
VoiceInk keeps audio on the phone — no cloud round-trip on the subway or with client material.
Record a memo on the walk, transcribe it after — the uploader at the top of this page does that free, or Whisper Memos if you want it in-app.
Questions, answered
Is the best dictation app for iPhone free?
The best free option is preinstalled: Apple's built-in dictation. Among downloads, Spokenly's keyboard has the most usable free tier, and Wispr Flow is the subscription people settle on when formatting matters more than price.
Where is the microphone button on the iPhone keyboard?
Bottom-left, next to the space bar. Tap it and speak; tap again to stop. If it's missing, turn it on under Settings → General → Keyboard → Enable Dictation.
Does iPhone dictation work offline?
Yes for many languages — recent iOS versions run Apple's dictation on-device. VoiceInk and Superwhisper go further with fully local models; cloud keyboards like Wispr Flow and Spokenly need a connection.
Which iPhone dictation app is most accurate?
For clean speech they're close — most run the same class of speech models. Accuracy separates on your vocabulary: names, jargon, accents. Custom dictionaries (Wispr Flow, Superwhisper) matter more there than leaderboard claims.
Can I dictate into any app on iPhone?
Keyboard-based dictation works anywhere you can type, though third-party keyboards need Full Access granted in Settings. Apple's built-in dictation works system-wide with no extra permissions.
Dictation or voice memo transcription — which do I need on iPhone?
Different jobs. Dictation types while you speak — replies, notes in the moment. If the talking happens on a walk or between meetings, record a memo and transcribe it afterward; the uploader at the top of this page does it free, three times a day.