Ever have too much trouble trying to type text into iPhone because of clumsy fingers? Don' t think that your typing is quick enough? Then dictating messages might be right for you. MacWorld's Kirk McElhearn recently discussed how to enable this feature on iPhone devices and shared some tips on how to get the most out of the dictation experience.
To access the dictating function, Siri must be turned on. This allows the phone's speech recognition capabilities to work. Users are then able to select whichever language they want to dictate in. Once this is completed, iPhone owners can now talk into their phone to dictate any kind of messages they want, such as emails and texts.
McElhearn offered a few helpful ways to get the most out of the iPhone's dictating capabilities:
- Speak directly into the microphone: A user doesn't have to be loud to be picked up, but talking directly into the microphone as opposed to holding the device at sharp angles can improve dictation accuracy.
- Use dictation while connected to Wi-Fi: 3G areas can cause the iPhone to process the voice into text slowly, but hotspots tend to be faster.
- Annunciate: Speaking clearly and at an easy pace will help the microphone pick up the words better.
- Use the autocorrect feature often: Errors in spelling will often occur when dictating, but users don't have to talk into the device again to fix it, as the phone will indicate errors.
“As you get used to dictating into your iPhone or iPad, you'll figure out the right cadence and volume to get the most precise recognition,” McElhearn noted. “If you need to type a lot on an iOS device, try using dictation. Whether you use it for text messages or emails, it may save you a lot of time.”
Sound accessories for new iPhones
If the quality of the microphone is not quite up to snuff, or you are looking for more sound capabilities, there are a few options available. MacWorld's Dan Frakes discussed some common microphone accessories than can be used on the new iPhones.
The iPhone 5S and 5C headphone jack work the same as older iPhone iterations, making devices like IK Multimedia's iRig Mic Cast still fully functional. If Bluetooth is more in tune with a user's style, all models can be used like they have on older devices.
If an iPhone user is having difficulty with its microphone or speakers, send it into iResQ, where experts can do an iPhone sound check and perform any other iPhone repair needs.