Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
If voice input on iPhone suddenly stopped working, the cause is almost never a missing network: dictation for most languages is recognized right on the device. The exception is dictation in a search bar, where the text goes to a search service. Check 3 things: the microphone, the app's permissions for dictation, and whether the Enable Dictation setting itself is on.
The logic "no network means nothing to recognize voice with" is almost always wrong on iPhone. In most apps, dictation is processed by the device itself and not by a server, so the cause of the failure should be looked for somewhere other than the internet.
Why voice input on iPhone stopped working, and it is not the internet
Dictation on iPhone for most languages is recognized right on the device, without sending the recording anywhere, so losing the network does not stop it by itself. The only exception is dictation inside a search bar: in Spotlight, in an app's built-in search or in a browser's address bar, the recognized text goes to the search service, which picks results for it, and without a network such dictation really will not work. In all ordinary text fields (notes, messages, mail) the cause, if dictation does not work, lies not in the network but elsewhere.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The user thinks dictation does not work without a network | Dictation on iPhone for many languages is processed on the device itself, so no internet is required; the exception is dictation inside a search bar, where the text may go to a search service. | Do not link the problem to the lack of a network (except dictation in search); look for the cause in the microphone, app permissions or the Enable Dictation setting. |
What to check if it is not the network
- Check the microphone: it may be physically covered by a case or occupied by another app that is already using audio recording at that moment.
- Open the settings of the specific app and make sure it is allowed to use the microphone. The permission is granted separately for each program, even if dictation works in the others.
- Check in Settings whether the Enable Dictation setting itself is on: if it is off, dictation will not work in any app regardless of the network.
- If the problem is specifically with a search bar (Spotlight, search in an app, a browser's address bar), the network really may be the cause there. That is the only real exception.
If the cause was not found in any of the points
If the microphone works, the permissions are granted and Enable Dictation is on, but dictation still does not react to speech in just one app, take a look at the broader review of cases when dictation on iPhone does not work, which collects other typical causes for specific apps. Potok has no app for a phone, tablet or watch: it works only on a computer, Windows, macOS and Linux, and it is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet. Other voice input errors are collected in the general section.
Frequently asked questions
The concept of an antivirus on iOS works differently than on a computer, but access to the microphone is still controlled by the permissions of each app. If voice input does not work in only one program and not in all of them at once, check that program's microphone permission in the settings.
Voice input stopped working on iPhone. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. Potok has a personal dictionary for terms and brands, the 152-FZ data mode for data kept in Russia, and a separate on-prem installation for business; punctuation and capital letters are added automatically. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For Voice input stopped working on iPhone you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Voice input stopped working on iPhone. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. Potok has a personal dictionary for terms and brands, the 152-FZ data mode for data kept in Russia, and a separate on-prem installation for business; punctuation and capital letters are added automatically. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For Voice input stopped working on iPhone you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Voice input stopped working on iPhone. Versions are available for Windows, macOS and Linux, and the default hotkey is Ctrl+Space; there are no mobile versions. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. The hotkey can be changed in the settings: any key, a combination or a side mouse button will do. Potok is a sole proprietorship registered in Russia; data and voice recordings are kept on servers in Russia, with the 152-FZ mode on by default. For Voice input stopped working on iPhone you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Voice input stopped working on iPhone. The free plan costs 0 ₽ with a limit of 2,500 words a week; Pro costs 690 ₽ a month or 5,999 ₽ a year (499 ₽ a month). Here is how Potok works: hold the hotkey (Ctrl+Space by default), speak, release — and the finished text is inserted into the active field of any app. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For Voice input stopped working on iPhone you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Check it in one evening
Install Potok, dictate what you usually type and compare. 14 days of full access, no card needed. Potok is a cloud service, so it does not work without the internet.
Download PotokThe Potok subscription also includes the Telegram bot @potok_now_bot: forward it a voice message or a long meeting recording and it returns the text. Without a subscription the bot gives 60 minutes per month for free.
Built-in dictation and Potok
| Tool | Where it works | Russian language | Where speech is recognized |
|---|---|---|---|
| macOS Dictation | macOS | yes | on the device or on Apple servers |
| Potok | Windows, macOS, Linux | primary language | cloud, servers in Russia, does not work offline |
Primary sources: support.apple.com · support.microsoft.com