Can I use Apple Intelligence to clean up dictated text?

Quick answer — November 1, 2026: Yes, on an eligible device running macOS 26+ or iOS/iPadOS 26+. Dictop offers Apple Intelligence as an on-device transcript-refinement option, separate from its speech recognizer. Select it in the AI settings and check that it is available and ready. It is included in Dictop's on-device offering; it does not require cloud refinement credits.

Speech recognition and AI writing assistance do different jobs. Recognition turns audio into text. Refinement edits that text for readability or structure. Choosing Apple Intelligence in Dictop selects the editor; it does not replace the speech model with an Apple speech recognizer.

What does the local workflow look like?

Choose an available on-device speech model, such as a compatible Whisper or Parakeet option. Dictop transcribes your recording, applies replacement rules, and can then refine the transcript using Apple Intelligence.

That combination keeps the applicable audio and text processing on device. If you select cloud speech recognition instead, the audio is still sent for cloud transcription even when the later edit uses Apple Intelligence. Check both settings when local processing is the goal.

Is Apple Intelligence available on every supported device?

No. Dictop’s Apple Intelligence refinement requires macOS 26+ or iOS/iPadOS 26+, eligible hardware, Apple Intelligence enabled and its model ready. The base app supports macOS 14+ and iOS/iPadOS 17+, so being able to install Dictop does not by itself enable this refinement feature.

Open Dictop’s AI settings to check availability for your device and language. Enable Apple Intelligence and let its model finish downloading before you start.

Dictop uses Apple’s Foundation Models framework for this refinement.

If local refinement is unavailable, you can still use supported speech recognition without AI cleanup, or consider the cloud options offered by the app. Cloud processing has separate credit and compatibility requirements.

What should you ask it to change?

Start with a small editing task: fix punctuation and grammar, remove repeated starts, and preserve names, numbers and meaning. Dictop supports custom instructions so the goal can be narrower than a general request to “make it better.”

Review a few examples before using the result automatically. On-device AI can still misunderstand a sentence or remove a qualification you meant to retain. Processing locally changes where the edit happens, not the need to check its accuracy.

With history enabled, on-demand Mac dictation keeps text versions so you can compare the original with the refined output. With Paste delivery selected, you can also review text before pasting. Continuous Mac mode pastes directly and saves accumulated processed text without those separate versions.

Dictop's one-time on-device purchase includes supported local refinement after the trial. Check the app for current eligibility and pricing, and learn more about compatibility, pricing, and restoring your purchase.

Explore Dictop for Mac or iPhone and iPad. Read the privacy policy for details about how Dictop handles your data.