Parlo vs Apple dictation: what you gain
Apple's built-in dictation types what you say into any text field, free, with no install. Parlo adds cleanup that removes filler and false starts, a searchable history, a custom dictionary, and a hold-Option hotkey on Mac. Pick Apple dictation if built-in is enough. Pick Parlo if you want cleanup and history on top.
Apple dictation is already on every iPhone, iPad, and Mac. You do not install anything, and it costs nothing. It types what you say into whatever field you are in. Parlo installs alongside it and adds a cleanup pass, a searchable history, a custom dictionary, and a hold-Option hotkey on Mac.
Apple's own privacy pages describe a device setting that shows whether audio and transcripts for Dictation are processed on-device or sent to Apple's servers. That depends on your device, the language you use, and how the setting is configured. Parlo's path does not vary by device or language that way. Transcription and cleanup run on-device every time, using Apple's own SpeechAnalyzer and SpeechTranscriber, the same on-device engine family behind the newest system dictation.
| Parlo | Apple dictation | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Where processing happens | On-device only | On-device or sent to Apple servers, depending on device, language, and setting |
| Account required | No | not stated as a requirement to use it |
| Price | Free during the beta | Built in, no separate price |
| Free tier | One version, free during the beta | not applicable, one built-in version |
| Dictation history | Local, encrypted; end-to-end encrypted iCloud sync on by default | not stated as a user-facing feature |
| Export | Markdown, Mac only | not stated |
| iPhone keyboard | Yes, its own keyboard extension | Yes, a feature of the system keyboard |
| Mac hotkey | Yes, hold Option | Yes, a shortcut you set in Keyboard settings, or the Microphone key |
| Custom dictionary | Yes, syncs to the keyboard | not stated |
| Languages | English (beta) | Not available in every language or region, per Apple's guide |
What Apple dictation does better
Apple dictation needs no install, no setup screen, and no permission beyond what is already on your device. It works the moment you tap the microphone key on the system keyboard, in any app, on any supported language and region. There is nothing to configure and nothing that can go out of date.
What Parlo does better
Parlo adds a cleanup pass that removes filler sounds, false starts, and repeated words, and applies spoken commands like "new paragraph". It keeps a searchable history of what you dictated, encrypted at rest, with end-to-end encrypted iCloud sync you can turn off in Settings. A custom dictionary you edit once feeds the keyboard's autocorrect. On Mac, holding Option records and releasing inserts cleaned text into any app, with a double-tap to lock hands-free. Apple's Mac guide sets a toggle shortcut instead: press once to start, press again to stop.
Who should pick which
If you only need words on the screen and never look back at what you said, Apple dictation already does that for free. Nothing to install. Parlo adds a layer on top: the words cleaned up, a history you can search later, and a custom dictionary. On Mac, a hotkey works from any app.
Founders drafting Slack messages and notes want more than Apple dictation gives by default. So do writers who want a record of drafts. Neither can search back through what Apple dictation typed last week. Clinicians and lawyers who dictate notes and letters may want Parlo's local encryption instead. Optional end-to-end encrypted iCloud sync is part of that; Apple's site does not describe an equivalent history feature. People doing hands-free dictation for RSI may still want Apple's version for a quick first pass. They can move to Parlo later, when they want the text cleaned up and saved.
Apple dictation remains the better fit if you dictate rarely, or in a language Parlo does not yet support. The same is true on a device where installing another app is not an option. Its reach across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with no separate install, is hard to match.
Switching notes
You do not have to choose only one. Apple dictation stays available on the system keyboard whether or not you install Parlo. A typical way to combine them:
- Keep using Apple dictation for quick, throwaway text where you will not look back at what you said.
- Install Parlo for iPhone from TestFlight, or download Parlo for Mac from the beta page, for dictation you want cleaned up and kept.
- Build your custom dictionary in the Parlo iPhone app's Settings as you go, since Apple dictation has no equivalent to carry over.
There is no dictionary or history to migrate from Apple dictation. Its site does not describe either one as a user-facing feature, so starting with Parlo means starting from scratch either way. Reply to beta@parlokey.com with anything that looks wrong, since Parlo is a beta and that feedback shapes the next build.
Frequently asked questions
Does Apple dictation cost anything?
No. It is built into iOS, iPadOS, and macOS at no extra charge, with no separate app to install.
Does Apple dictation ever send audio to Apple's servers?
Apple's own privacy pages say a device setting shows whether your audio and transcripts are processed on-device or sent to Apple servers, depending on the device, language, and setting.
Does Parlo keep a history of what I dictate?
Yes. Parlo keeps a searchable history on the device, encrypted at rest, with optional end-to-end encrypted iCloud sync you can turn off.
Does Apple dictation clean up filler words?
Apple's site does not describe a cleanup step. It types what you say.
Can I use a custom dictionary with Apple dictation?
Apple's site does not name a custom dictionary feature. Parlo has one, edited on iPhone, that syncs to the keyboard's autocorrect.