Smartphone dictation: Convenient, cost-effective and a great productivity tool; but as it becomes more popular it begs the question: Which are the best voice-to-text apps?
Whilst the likes of Siri and Google are appealing, with in-built speech recognition and no price tag, they pose damaging threats when used for business purposes. These free engines offer little security and are often sent overseas to be stored/processed which of course in a professional capacity could breach GDPR and data-security policies.
Therefore, having a paid subscription to a professional voice-to-text app is not only better for your client/patient experience, but also for you the user due to improved accuracy and in-depth features.
It is for these reasons that our best voice-to-text apps recommendation list includes only paid-for products, but they will leave you with the peace of mind of knowing your dictations are safe and sound.
Furthermore, we have also included automatic speech recognition options, where words appear on your screen in real-time, and dictation apps, where the phone records the audio file to be sent for transcription – After all, we love to include something for everyone so let’s get down to it!
Dragon Anywhere Mobile
- App type: Speech recognition (real-time, happens before your eyes)
- Licence type: 12-month subscription
- RRP: £299 plus VAT
- This is included when purchasing the desktop Dragon Professional Anywhere cloud product
Of course, we have to include a Dragon product in this line-up! The Dragon Anywhere Mobile app is the sister product of the Dragon Professional Anywhere PC licence and it has many of the same great features.
Available on both Android and iPhone, this product is definitely one of the best voice-to-text apps on the market right now. Not only does it allow for real-time speech recognition on your mobile device, it syncs with your computer licence (if you have one).
Additionally, similarly to the desktop product, the app allows for use of templates, the command feature and allows you to add words to your vocabulary. Furthermore, the Dragon Anywhere Mobile app has the same learning capabilities whereby it learns the user’s voice pattern and becomes increasingly more accurate with each use.
This dictation app allows you to send the dictation to an email address, whether it is straight to the recipient or to your secretary to distribute, you are able to be productive no matter where you are. It can also sync to document storage applications.
Most importantly, this app is fully secure, hosted in the UK and GDPR compliant meaning your’s and your client’s information is completely safe.
Check out this short demonstration:
SpeechLive app for iPhone
- App type: Dictation with the option of speech recognition as an optional service
- Licence type: Annual subscription
- RRP: £101.88 plus VAT (Advanced Business Package)
Next up we have the SpeechLive app by Philips. Like the other apps mentioned, the SpeechLive app too allows for dictation away from the constraints of a desk and office; whether you’re out at a client meeting, at an event or on the commute, your work doesn’t have to suffer.
Send your dictation recording to your secretary or typist at the click of a button and enjoy the following features:
- Record and playback dictations.
- Save dictations as a draft to refer back to and complete at another time.
- Sync your mobile dictations on the app with your SpeechLive desktop profile.
- Add more value and detail to your dictations with the option to attach multiple images.
- Mark dictations in terms of priority ensuring you never miss a deadline again.
- Add comments to your dictations with the option to alter them where necessary.
SpeechLive allows for feedback on the status of the jobs which frees up time and points of contact for the team. Most importantly, the SpeechLive app too has encryption to ensure that all audio files are stored and sent with complete peace of mind.
Philips has recently introduced the optional addition of real-time speech recognition within the app. With the Advanced Business Package option, users will get 10 free minutes of speech recognition use with the option to buy more as and when needed. This is an excellent feature for the app and will save on the admin team’s resources too.
Olympus Dictation Delivery Service (ODDS)
- App type: Dictation only
- Licence type: 12-month subscription
- RRP: £87 plus VAT
- Can be purchased in addition to the ODMS transcription system
As a great feature of the Olympus Dictation Management Service, the ODDS app is another great dictation app for boosting productivity and efficiency.
Available on Android and iPhone the app acts as a voice recorder by capturing the audio file and transfers them to the Olympus portal for your secretary to transcribe. What’s more, the files are sent with 256-bit encryption meaning they cannot be listened to by unauthorised persons at any point in the delivery chain.
The ODDS app is just one reason as to why the Olympus dictation platform is extremely flexible, offering users different workflow options whether it is classic, automatic or advanced transcription – You decide!
That’s all for our best voice-to-text apps, we hope you have found one that will suit your needs best! As always, if you have any questions about any of the apps featured in this blog, then please contact our team.
