Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
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.
It depends on the service. At some the audio is deleted right after the text is received, at others it is kept for some time to improve the model. This must be stated directly in the privacy policy of the specific product; there is no general rule for all services.
It is the processing of a user's voice and text data on servers physically located in Russia, in line with the requirements of Federal Law No. 152-FZ "On Personal Data". It matters for companies that are forbidden to transfer personal data abroad.
In Potok, only in the cloud, on servers in Russia; the app has no local (offline) processing.
Voice and the text derived from it can contain personal data, so for business it matters where the processing servers are physically located and whether 152-FZ applies to the service. Potok offers a business plan with on-prem hosting or servers in Russia for exactly this requirement.
Potok is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and there is no local processing. Data is stored in Russia (152-FZ); for business, on request, there are servers inside the company perimeter (on-prem), SSO and a shared dictionary.
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: speech is recognized on servers in Russia, and 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows voice typing (Win+H) | Windows 10 and 11 | Windows 11 only | Microsoft cloud, does not work offline |
| 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