Who this is for
You text, email, and take notes on iPhone and would rather speak them than type them. You have tried Apple's dictation button and want cleaner text, spoken formatting, and a place to find what you said later.
How it works
- Touch and hold the globe key on the keyboard, then choose Parlo.
- Tap the mic. The Parlo app opens and records while you speak. A Live Activity shows while you record and ends when the text is ready.
- Swipe back to the app you were using. The keyboard inserts the cleaned text.
The swipe back is manual. iOS requires it before a keyboard can insert text, so Parlo never inserts anything in the background, and it never inserts twice.
Both apps install free from the beta page.
What makes it different
- Cleanup, not just transcription. Parlo removes filler sounds, false starts, and repeated words with an on-device language model, and applies spoken commands like new paragraph and quote.
- A searchable history. Every dictation lands in a feed in the app, encrypted at rest, so you can find and reuse a note instead of retyping it.
- A custom dictionary. Add your names and terms in Settings, and the keyboard's autocorrect uses them.
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 your names and terms 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 dictation in the app. History syncs through your private iCloud, end-to-end encrypted, and you can turn that off in Settings.
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. 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.
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, so a bad build does not expose them. 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
What do you do to dictate with the Parlo keyboard?
Tap the mic key to start the Parlo app recording, speak your dictation, then swipe back to the app you were using. Parlo inserts the cleaned text where your cursor was.
Why does Parlo need me to swipe back manually?
Apple requires a manual swipe back to the previous app before a keyboard can insert text, so Parlo never inserts text automatically in the background.
Can the Parlo keyboard record my voice directly?
No. iOS does not allow a keyboard extension to access the microphone. Recording and transcription happen in the Parlo app, and the keyboard only handles the handoff and insert.
Is the iPhone app free during the beta?
Yes. Install Parlo for iPhone through the public TestFlight link at no cost, with no Parlo account required.
What happens if I deny Full Access?
Without Full Access, the keyboard cannot receive your dictated text from the app, so dictation does not work. Typing still works normally.
Does the keyboard work in every app?
In any app with a standard text field, such as Messages, Slack, and Notes. Password fields use the system keyboard, since custom keyboards are not offered there.