Typing long blocks of text on a mobile device can get pretty tiring after a while, and it’s really annoying. We’ve already shown you how to set up text expansion so it can be turned down a bit as you type, but this can only do so much. If you’re not in the mood for typing, you can convert speech to text on your iPhone or iPad.
It’s called voice dictation, and it’s a feature in iOS 7 that lets you speak into the microphone on your iOS and device and say it all in text form. This is a feature that has been around for a while, but many users may not even be aware of its existence.
Here’s how to use voice dictation to save yourself a lot of typing.
Using Voice Dictation
To use voice dictation in iOS 7, simply open any app that uses the keyboard (Messages, Mail, etc.). Then tap a text box to open the keyboard. The keyboard will have a button with a microphone icon to the left of the space bar. Tap this button and start saying what you want to write. Tap Done when you’re done.
It will take a few seconds to transcribe your speech to text, and when finished, it will open in a ready-to-send text box.
Tips for Using Voice Dictation
Voice dictation in iOS 7 isn’t perfect, so here are a few tips to at least slightly improve the experience:
Voice dictation is really useful when my hands are full and I really can’t write a message, or if I’m in a hurry and don’t have time to stop and reply to someone; I can quickly enable voice dictation and I’m off!
