Apple is a year in with its voice to text system. I've been using it since release, but also continue to use Dragon for Mac which, while no longer supported, continues to work. This video demonstrates the differences and where Apple still has some catching up to do.
When I made my video a few weeks ago about the problems with dictation on the Mac and mobile devices, I was aware of some new changes coming with iOS 13 and Catalina concerning the accessibility voice control but hadn’t dug in deep enough. Since that time, I have installed some betas, and now I realize why Nuance is abandoning Apple.
The feature is called Voice Control, and it is pretty remarkable. It works very similar to Dragon on the Mac. It allows you to dictate text and control your device with your voice. It does not run on a timer so you can speak as long as you need to. It has its own custom dictionary (although as I write this, it does not seem to be working) and even uses many of the same commands that Dragon uses. Best of all, starting in September, it will be on everyone’s iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
I’m writing this very article with it.
This is more than a simple voice to text dictation tool. It does that with all of the above bells and whistles. But you can also use it to navigate the cursor around your text and make corrections, open applications, and otherwise control your device. If I were to talk to someone at Apple, I presume they would say this is primarily an accessibility feature than a dictation feature. However, in the few weeks I’ve been using it, I believe it does both pretty well. I like it so much that I have canceled my Dragon Anywhere subscription that I talked about just a few weeks ago.
You enable the new feature under the accessibility panel. You can toggle it on and off with your voice using the commands “wake up” And “go to sleep”. I’ve also added the accessibility panel to my control center so I can swipe down and tap a button.
Is this as good as Dragon on the Mac was? Probably not. But it’s close enough. And I expect once a lot of people start using and the Apple artificial intelligence fires up, it will only get better with time.
The new voice control feature is a significant upgrade to voice to text dictation on all Apple devices. It’s going to be baked into everybody’s device without any subscription or additional software, and if you want to start writing text with your voice, there is no better time to start than September. See the below demonstration video to get a better idea of how it works.
A lot of folks have been asking me what I'm doing about voice-to-text dictation now that Nuance has officially pulled out of the Mac and appears to have relatively abandoned iOS. If this is news to you, Nuance, the makers of Dragon Professional Individual for Mac, speech-to-text software, announced back in October that they would no longer support the Mac. It was disappointing news. Nuance has always been the leader in voice-to-speech dictation, and I have been a customer of theirs for years on both the Windows PC and Mac platforms.
If you already bought Dragon for Mac, you will find that it still works. I have no idea how long that will continue. If I had to bet a nickel, I would bet installation of macOS Catalina as the day that Dragon dies on my Mac. But at least for now, you still have working software.
Over on the iPad and iPhone, the story gets even weirder. Nuance says they are still supporting those platforms. Their product Dragon Anywhere is, in my opinion, the best dictation solution on the iPhone and iPad. For years I gladly paid $14.99 a month to have that service because it was so useful on the iPad. Specifically, I had a workflow where I would look at a PDF and then dictate comments about it at the same time using the Dragon Anywhere software. It worked great, particularly with split screen.
That all came to a screeching halt when Dragon Anywhere just stopped working on my iPad Pro. The software went from being the best in class to complete garbage. It would drop entire sentences and generally not work. I looked into this a bit further and discovered that the problem is with the iPad Pro, where I did all of my mobile dictation with Dragon Anywhere. (I find Siri dictation just fine for short emails and text messages. Dragon Anywhere is what I need for the big jobs, which all occur on the iPad.)
For whatever reason, however, Dragon Anywhere no longer works on the iPad Pro. This is a known issue and has been for months. Dragon Anywhere is getting destroyed in the reviews in the App Store because of this failure and has, at least to my knowledge, not made any public comment or commitment to getting its software working on iPad Pro. Dragon Anywhere does, however, work on the iPad mini and iPhone just fine. Like I said, weird.
If Nuance has abandoned the Mac and seems only very slightly interested in the iPad and iPhone, what are we to do? The answer is … complicated.
Solving This Problem on the Macintosh
There is no clear successor to Dragon Professional Individual for Mac. Siri dictation has made great strides recently, but it still has a long ways to go. Two critical elements for any voice-to-text dictation system are the ability to keep an open mic and the ability to store custom dictionary values. If I have a client with a unique name, I should be able to teach that name to the software so I can dictate it without having to go back later and fix it. If the software doesn't support that, I have to use some silly name, like "Tiger”, and then go back later to do a search and replace on that unique name. That's more work. I don't like more work.
Siri dictation on the Mac ticks off only one of these boxes. It can indeed leave an open mic, but it has no custom dictionary. Moreover, it just isn't as good as Dragon for the Mac. It's close. Indeed, it is much closer than it used to be. But if you are used to Dragon, you will notice a difference. I demonstrate this in the attached video.
Another solution would be to install a local instance of Windows and then run the Dragon for Windows on your Mac. Don't laugh. I have heard from many listeners and readers who have done this. Frankly, I don't blame them. If you spend a lot of time dictating to your Mac to get your work done, you need the best possible tool, and, as the attached videos demonstrate, Siri dictation just isn't there yet.
You could also hire it out. There are a lot of good solutions now with web-based dictation. Some use robots, like Temi, and others use humans, like GoTranscript. The robot-based systems are not, in my experience, any better than Siri dictation and often worse. The human-based services are deadly accurate and can be quite expensive, but depending on how you charge your time, it may be the best solution for you.
The point is that I'm just not happy with any of the alternatives to Dragon Professional Individual for Mac. I have been whistling past the graveyard for the past several months as Dragon continues to work on my Mac. One day in the future, probably September with the release of Catalina, that will end. At that point, I may seriously consider doing a Windows install just to have the Nuance software on my desktop. Another alternative I will seriously consider at that time, assuming Nuance hasn't completely abandon Dragon Anywhere, is to dictate on the iPad and iPhone. I find Dragon Anywhere almost (but not quite) as good as Dragon for Mac.
Solving This Problem on the iPad and iPhone
Apple has made continued strides with Siri dictation on the iPhone and iPad. I find it very useful. The trick is to be precise when you speak to it and not mumble your words. You also have to understand the limitations of the application. There is a timer. After about four sentences, it's going to end. If it ends midsentence, you are going to have a grammar crash on your hands and have to spend time fixing things later. You always have to be aware when you hit that third sentence and stop the dictation, and then start again. The Drafts application gets around this, sort of, but even it sometimes stumbles when the dictation timer resets during a dictation session.
If you are voice-to-text curious, Siri dictation on your iPad and iPhone is a great place to start. You can use it anywhere that you are using the keyboard. Just tap the microphone button and start talking.
If you want more serious dictation tools, like dictation without a timer and a custom dictionary, Dragon Anywhere is probably still best, provided that you are only using it on an iPhone or a non-iPad Pro. But it is hard for me to recommend this product at this point because it seems like the developer isn't entirely convinced it wants to continue to support it. Just like on the Mac, it is still working for me (sort of) and I'm still using it.
Also, just like the Mac, there are third-party services that can transcribe your voice via robot or human for a fee with varying degrees of success, but as I explained earlier, quality can get expensive.
A Murky Ending
The reason I have delayed publishing this article is that I kept thinking I would find the magic solution and, frankly, it doesn't exist. Everything I have discussed in this article requires some sort of compromise, whether it be money, quality, convenience (like installing Windows on your Mac), or all of the above.
Ultimately, the solution to this problem needs to come from Apple. Specifically, Siri dictation needs to be just as good as Dragon Professional Individual for Mac. It needs to support a custom dictionary, and it needs to be as reliable with its dictation engine. I understand this doesn't happen overnight. I also suspect Apple is spending quite a bit of money to try and bridge that gap.
Meanwhile, however, there is a gap. Switching to Siri dictation is not going to work as well as Dragon for Mac or Dragon Anywhere. So for the foreseeable future, the battle carries on.
I have made a video to go along with this article comparing Dragon Anywhere and Dragon for Mac with Siri dictation on both platforms. Watch the video to get a better idea and hear some more of my thoughts on the state of voice-to-text dictation.
Apple announced streaming voice dictation in Siri, which shows you your words as you speak them, at WWDC. This feature has existed on Android for awhile and it is something I'd very much like to see on iOS. However, Apple was mum on adding the feature beyond Siri to normal voice dictation. If they've got the ability to do it in Siri, why not everywhere else too? As confirmed by 9to5 Mac, you can now stream dictation anywhere on iOS. This is a big deal for dictators, such as myself. iOS 8 just keeps getting better and better.
Today Kirk McElhearn weighed in for Macworld on the new Dragon Dictate. It's better. I thought version 3 was pretty good and yet version 4 is noticeably better. I've received some email from readers following my initial thoughts on Dragon Dictate 4 on two subjects.
First, I'm asked if the UI is in parity with the Windows version. It's not. The gap gets narrower with each successive release but most things (particularly voice corrections) just seem smoother on the PC version. For me, however, the ability to run it on my Mac trumps any difference.
The other subject I'm hearing about from readers is how they had such a hellish time getting their upgrade or experiencing some other hijinks with their purchase. I heard this from several people. It sounds like in most cases it eventually got sorted out but took much longer than it should have. That's no excuse and Nuance needs to get better at dealing with individual consumers. All I can say in this regard is stick it out if you want the best possible voice recognition on the Mac. Dragon's it.
This week, Nuance released version 4 of Dragon Dictate for the Mac. I remember the days when dictation software on the Mac couldn't hold a candle to that on the PC. We had applications like MacSpeech, which tried their best, but never could keep up with Dragon Dictate on the PC. When MacSpeech started licensing the Dragon Dictate engine, things turned around for us. When, a few years later, Nuance purchased MacSpeech and folded it into the Dragon Dictate line of software, things got even better.
Nevertheless, over the last few years, Dragon Dictate for the Mac has still been catching up to its well established and mature cousin on the PC. This newest version of Dragon Dictate for the Mac continues to close the gap. I've only been using it now for a few days but the recognition is noticeably better than version 3. Nuance explains that with this new version you can get up to 99% accuracy. For giggles, I dictated the passage I used in this MacWorld article where I tested Mavericks dictation and Dragon Dictate 3. Dragon Dictate 4 did better than version 3. Version 3 had nine errors. Version 4 had three. That is the most important take away from this new version of Dragon Dictate. It is more accurate.
The new version is now a 64-bit application with improved memory management and it is also faster. I dictate in the Dragon Notepad often but just as often I'll dictate in Byword or Apple Mail. The application is definitely faster in these other apps than it used to be.
While version 3 had the ability to transcribe recorded words, the new version has more powerful transcription tools. You can now create transcription-only profiles that understand they are transcribing based on a recorded source rather than a live source. When you set up these transcription profiles, it will require a 90 second audio clip to create a profile for the speaker. Now you can sit in a room, or a college lecture hall, and just run a recording. Dragon Dictate then has the ability to transcribe that recording into words. This only works with one speaker.
Dragon Dictate also still has the command mode where you can drive your Mac with your voice. You can open windows, activate applications, and – with version 4 — control Gmail in your web browser.
My big take away from Dragon Dictate version 4 is that it is both faster and more accurate than its prior version. This alone makes it worth the upgrade. Nuance has taken Dragon Dictate for the Mac far enough that I've stopped using Dragon Dictate on the PC at work. If you're already a version 3 user, you should upgrade. If you haven't tried Dragon Dictate yet and you're serious about getting your words into text quickly, now may be the time.
Like many things that get posted here, I am writing this by dictating to my Mac. To run Dragon Dictate you're going to need an Intel Mac with Mountain Lion or better, 3 GB of free space on your hard drive and at least 4 GB of RAM (but they recommend 8 GB).
Macworld published an article I wrote today comparing the accuracy of Dragon Dictate vs. Mavericks Dictation. Short version: Dragon wins but I still have use for Mavericks Dictation.
David Chartier at Finer Things in Tech points out that Siri can roll dice and flip a coin. As an attorney, I actually have a lot more cause to flip coins than you'd think.
I once mentioned on a MPU episode that I use a small digital recorder with Dragon Dictate. Since then I've had a lot people asking which recorder I use. It's this one (Amazon Affiliate Link). I picked this up at an office supply store and didn't do a lot of comparison shopping. There are a few things I really like about it though. The USB port folds into the device so I don't need to find a cord when I want to download. The battery life is great and it is light in my pocket (plastic). It saves audio files to MP3, and my voice sounds great even when I record while walking down the street.
Why don't I just record onto the iPhone? The physical buttons make a real difference for me. I start and stop between just about every sentence. I also can turn it on and record virtually anywhere without looking at it. As an example, I'll often take a walk after eating my lunch and record into the Sony for later transcription. It's also great for diary entries.
On the heels of our recent Read it Later show, I received an email from listener David Ianni concerning an app I’d never heard of before, Voic Dream ($10). If you’ve ever wanted to have your iPhone read out loud entries from your Instapaper or Pocket lists, Voice Dream is exactly what you’re looking for. It grabs any selected article and reads it to you out loud. I’ve always got more stuff I want to read than time to read it. I’ve also got a 30 minute commute each way every day. Using Voice Dream, I’ve started listening to the long form articles that I feel like I never have time to read. It comes with an American female voice but if that doesn’t float your boat, you can buy a variety of other male and female voices for three dollars each. I bought Rachel, a British female voice, because that’s just how I roll. Voice Dream can also read from your Evernote and even Dropbox folders. There is a crippled free version if you want to see how it works before buying.
In addition to reading you the words, it also displays them. I could see this being useful for someone trying to learn English as a second language. You can also set the reading speed. I've got mine set to 80 words per minute and it works just fine. Voice Dream is one of those apps that I’ve always wanted but never really articulated. It solves a problem in my life and it may for you too.
I am a big fan of the voice recognition software. I use Nuance's Dragon Dictate on the PC and MacSpeech Dictate on my Mac. I was very pleased to see that Nuance, the developer of the Dragon engine, has released a Dragon Dictate iPhone app. For now, at least, it is free. I immediately downloaded and tried it out. Indeed, this post was written using it.
With no training whatsoever, the application immediately began recognizing my speech. This application does not perform the speech recognition on your iPhone but instead sends the voice file to the Dragon servers which do the heavy lifting and then send it back. It is all rather seamless. However, in order to work, you must be on a wi-fi or internet connection.
The only frustration is that it only works in short bursts. After two or three sentences, it will stop, send the voice file to the Nuance servers, processes your blurb, then be available for you to resume dictation. It also doesn't like swear words, as discovered by Andy Ihnatko.
If you've ever been curious about dictation software, go download it now.