When I’m walking, running, and exercising
That train scenario I mentioned up top? Yeah, that’s a daily occurrence for me.
Even though Apple Dictation and similar tools are most accurate with clear enunciation and quiet environments, my average dictation accuracy while walking—even in raucous environments such as a busy subway station—is far higher than my typing-while-walking accuracy. And dictation lets me reply instantly, without breaking out of the flow of navigating town or working out.
I dictate quick Google searches and replies to messages on my iPhone while walking, and I direct longer notes and ideas to my Apple Watch while running.
You shouldn’t dictate while walking through a library, or in any other scenario where you wouldn’t take a phone call. But at any other time when you’re moving but still need to type, dictation is likely the fastest, easiest way to enter text.
When my hands are full
Accuracy is paramount when you have the time to either dictate or type. Convenience is king when you could either keep moving or stop to type. But sometimes, typing simply isn’t possible, and dictation is the only choice.
That’s true at times for everyone—for instance, when your hands are full, you’re carrying groceries or a child, you’re wearing thick gloves, or your hands are caked with flour in the kitchen. And there are times when typing is possible but risky or irresponsible, such as when you’re driving or operating heavy machinery. And it’s an especially pressing issue for people with motor issues, including those with temporary disabilities such as a sprained wrist, broken arm, or bandaged finger.
I frequently dictate notes on recipes while cooking. I also dictate replies to my friend’s messages when watching their child. And I fire off stream-of-consciousness notes while stuck in traffic, dictating general ideas that I can refine later into actionable details.
Everyone’s specific needs differ, but it’s a universal truth that the best dictation moments come when you’d otherwise be forced to forgo writing and risk forgetting.
When I’m typing in a second language
I’m fluent in spoken Thai, but writing in Thai is my Achilles’ heel—it’s an exercise in frustration when even the spelling checker can’t decipher my words.
Dictation miraculously transforms me into a passable speller, so I dictate the majority of the time I type in Thai. And before you ask, yes, it’s far more accurate than typing the same English sentence into Google Translate.
It’s not perfect, though. Accents and non-native grammar tend to send dictation off the rails. My typos—typically from near-homonyms—pop up enough to be a recurring joke among friends. I’ve learned to double-check dictated text, editing typos that stand out and re-dictating text where necessary.
But it’s still more accurate than my Thai typing, and that’s something worth celebrating.
When I’m taking detailed meeting notes
I also increasingly use dictation—or its cousin, transcription—in meetings.
Zoom’s automated transcripts were my first brush with this function, with the full text of meetings ready for review on my computer after a call was complete. Once I discovered that feature, I stopped typing meeting notes. Instead, I ask for permission to record the call and then let Zoom turn voices into text. I reserve typing for crucial notes.
Reading through transcripts is tedious, but ChatGPT and other large language models excel at summarizing meetings. Zoom’s AI Companion does just that, and other AI-powered audio tools—including meeting-focus software like Otter, podcast apps like Descript, and audio workflow software like Castmagic—offer similar features to pull insights out of audio.
Here, again, accuracy isn’t as important as convenience. A few missed words from a call are fine, when the alternative is typing at superhuman speed or having no notes at all.
