Voice Dictation: Save Time Typing on Android & iOS

Voice Dictation: A Faster Way to Type

Typing on touch-screen keyboards can often be a time-consuming process, particularly on mobile phones featuring smaller displays.

A more efficient method for text input involves utilizing the voice dictation capabilities built into your smartphone or tablet.

Simply articulate your message, including punctuation, and the device will automatically transcribe your speech into written text.

Multilingual Support and Benefits

The functionality extends beyond the English language, offering support for a wide range of languages.

In some instances, voice dictation proves even more advantageous when working with languages other than English.

For example, languages that incorporate accents or utilize extensive character sets can be entered more rapidly through speech rather than manual typing.

This is especially true when dealing with complex scripts or characters that are difficult to locate on a standard keyboard.

Speed: Dictation is generally faster than typing.
Accuracy: Modern voice recognition is highly accurate.
Accessibility: Useful for users with mobility impairments.

By leveraging voice dictation, users can significantly enhance their text input speed and convenience across multiple languages.

Android Voice Dictation

Utilizing voice dictation on Android devices is straightforward. Begin by opening the desired application and activating the keyboard by tapping within a text input field.

Locate and tap the microphone icon, typically positioned in the bottom-left corner of the keyboard interface.

Initiate speech to engage the voice dictation feature. Android will transcribe your spoken words directly into the text field as you articulate them.

It’s important to note that automatic punctuation insertion is not a standard function. You must verbally state the punctuation you wish to include.

For instance, to compose the sentence "I'm good. How are you doing?", you would articulate "I'm good period how are you doing question mark."

Available Voice Commands

Android supports a limited set of voice commands for dictation, including:

Punctuation: Period (.), comma (,), question mark (?), exclamation point (!)
Line Breaks: Enter or new line, new paragraph

Compared to iOS devices, the range of voice commands available on Android is notably more restricted.

Android’s voice dictation functionality is well-suited for composing informal communications.

This includes text messages, conducting searches, drafting emails, creating tweets, and jotting down quick notes.

However, attempting to use it for documents requiring intricate formatting or specialized symbols may present challenges.

Currently, there is no voice command to facilitate deleting previously spoken words.

Users will need to utilize the Delete button or manually edit the text to correct any errors.

The Google Keyboard was used for testing, but alternative keyboards can be installed on Android.

These alternative keyboards may offer different voice dictation engines, such as the Dragon Dictation features integrated within the Swype keyboard.

iPhone and iPad Voice Dictation

On both iPhone and iPad devices, initiating voice dictation is straightforward. Simply activate the keyboard within any application and select the microphone icon positioned to the left of the space bar. Apple integrates this functionality as a component of Siri.

Using the Dictation Feature

Upon activation, a Siri prompt will appear, allowing you to begin speaking immediately. Unlike some systems, words are not displayed in real-time as you articulate them.

Instead, you must complete your message and then tap the "Done" button. Following this action, the transcribed text will populate the designated text field.

Punctuation Considerations

Similar to Android, Siri does not automatically insert punctuation. To dictate a sentence like "Hello, how are you? I'm doing well," you would need to verbally include the punctuation marks: "Hello comma how are you question mark I'm doing well period."

Available Voice Commands

The following is a list of voice commands compatible with iPhones and iPads. This information is also available in a more detailed format on Apple’s official website.

Punctuation: Apostrophe (‘), open bracket ([) and close bracket (]), open parenthesis (() and close parenthesis ()), open brace ({) and close brace (}), open angle bracket (<) and close angle bracket (>), colon (:), comma (,), dash (-), ellipsis or dot dot dot (...), exclamation mark (!), hyphen (–), period or point or dot or full stop (.), question mark (?), quote and end quote ("), begin single quote and end single quote ('), semicolon (;)
Typography: Ampersand (&), asterisk (*), at sign (@), backslash (\), forward slash (/), caret (^), center dot (·), large center dot (•), degree sign (°), hashtag or pound sign (#), percent sign (%), underscore (_), vertical bar (|).
Currency: Dollar sign ($), cent sign (¢), pound sterling sign (£), euro sign (€), yen sign (¥)
Emoticons: Cross-eyed laughing face (XD), frowny face (:-(), smiley face (:-)), winky face (;-))
Math: Equals sign (=), greater than sign (>), less than sign (<), minus sign (-), multiplication sign (x), plus sign (+)
Line spacing: new line, new paragraph, tab key

Advanced Formatting Options

iOS provides users with extensive control over text formatting through voice commands.

To insert numerals, state numeral or roman numeral followed by the desired number. For instance, saying "nine" will render as 9 or IX.
To eliminate spaces between words, say no space on, articulate the phrase, and then say no space off.
To capitalize words, say caps on, speak the text, and then say caps off, resulting in Title Case formatting.
For all-caps formatting, say all caps on, dictate the text, and then say all caps off.
Alternatively, simply say all caps before a word to render that specific word in uppercase.

Compared to Android, iOS offers a more granular level of control over the dictation process.

However, it's important to note that there are currently no voice commands available for functions like "backspace," "delete," or "undo." Any errors made during dictation will require manual correction after the process is complete.

Speaking clearly is crucial for optimal performance. Voice dictation functions most effectively in quiet environments and is significantly hampered by background noise.