Who this is for
You write clinical notes or client letters after every appointment or call, and typing them up afterward eats into your day. You need the words to come out clean, and you need to know where the recording and the text go.
How it works
- Dictate a note right after an appointment or call, from the iPhone keyboard or the Mac hotkey.
- Parlo transcribes and cleans the text on your device, removing filler sounds and applying spoken formatting commands.
- The note lands in your feed, encrypted at rest, ready to copy into your record system or letter template.
Both apps install free from the beta page.
What makes it different
- Processing stays on the device. Transcription and cleanup run on your device. Parlo has not been HIPAA certified. This page is not legal or compliance advice.
- History sync is end-to-end encrypted and on by default, through your private iCloud. You can turn it off in Settings, or by not signing in with Apple.
- A custom dictionary. Add clinical or legal terms and names in Settings so the keyboard's autocorrect recognizes them.
- Deleting is not immediate. A deleted note moves to a device-local trash for 30 days, never synced, so an accidental delete does not need to be redone from memory.
Common objections, answered
Is it accurate enough compared with cloud dictation?
Parlo transcribes with Apple's on-device speech engine, the same engine behind the newest system dictation, then cleans the text with an on-device language model. It removes filler sounds and false starts and applies spoken commands like new paragraph. A custom dictionary keeps the keyboard's autocorrect from changing clinical or legal terms and names when you type them. It is English-first and it is a beta, so expect rough edges and tell us about them.
Why not just use Apple's built-in dictation?
Apple dictation types what you say. Parlo also cleans it up and keeps a searchable history of every note or letter you dictate. History syncs through your private iCloud, end-to-end encrypted, and you can turn that off in Settings, or by not signing in with Apple.
The keyboard asks for Full Access. What does that grant?
Full Access lets a keyboard extension share data with its companion app. Parlo uses it to pass your dictated text from the app back to the keyboard through a shared container. The keyboard itself cannot record audio, since iOS does not allow it. The keyboard never links the sync stack and never talks to iCloud.
Where does my audio go?
Nowhere. Audio is captured, transcribed on your device, and discarded. Parlo never stores a recording of a session or a call. The first run may download Apple's on-device speech model, and beta builds fetch prompt text once a day, carrying no user data. Your transcripts stay on the device, encrypted at rest. If history sync is on, they sync through your private iCloud, end-to-end encrypted, so Apple and Parlo cannot read a client's or a patient's words.
Is a beta safe to rely on?
It is a beta. Dictation, cleanup, and the feed work every day for our testers. Rough spots are listed on the beta page. Your notes are encrypted on the device and, if sync is on, in your private iCloud. A bad build does not expose a note or a letter. Parlo for Mac tells you when a new build is out. Download it again from the beta page; automatic updates need beta enrollment through /mac. Send feedback by replying to beta@parlokey.com.
What does it cost?
Nothing during the beta. There is no account to create and no subscription. Install on iPhone from the public TestFlight link and on Mac from the download on the beta page. Sync uses your own iCloud.
Frequently asked questions
Is Parlo HIPAA certified?
No. Parlo has not been HIPAA certified. This page is not legal or compliance advice; check your own obligations before you dictate protected information.
Can I dictate notes about a patient or a client?
Processing is on-device, and history sync is end-to-end encrypted through your private iCloud and on by default. You can turn sync off in Settings.
Does Parlo keep what I dictate private?
Parlo does not hold your content on a server. Your device processes it, and if you sync, only your own devices can read the encrypted copy through iCloud.
Is Parlo free during the beta?
Yes. Both apps are free during the public beta, with no Parlo account required to install either one.
Can I turn off history sync entirely?
Yes. Turn it off in Settings, or do not sign in with Apple, and your dictations stay local to the device.