Apple Dictation privacy: what stays on your Mac, what goes to Apple, and how to check
By Ryleigh Newman · Published
Apple Dictation is private in some setups and not in others, and your Mac tells you which. Open System Settings, Keyboard, and read the text under Dictation: it says whether your audio and transcripts are processed on your device and not sent to Apple's servers. If it does not say that, Apple's privacy statement says what you dictate is sent to and processed on its servers, and is not stored unless you opt in to Improve Siri and Dictation.
I make YapToText, a free dictation app that runs on the Mac, so read the last section with that in mind. Everything about Apple here is from its legal page Siri, Dictation & Privacy and its Mac User Guide, read October 10, 2026.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
This guide in other languages: العربية, Čeština, Dansk, Deutsch, Ελληνικά, Español, Suomi, Français, עברית, हिन्दी, Magyar, Bahasa Indonesia, Italiano, 日本語, 한국어, Norsk, Nederlands, Polski, Português, Română, Русский, Slovenčina, Svenska, ไทย, Türkçe, Українська, Tiếng Việt, 简体中文, 繁體中文
On this page: 8 sections
Check where your dictation is processed
- Choose Apple menu, System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar.
- Find Dictation and make sure it is on.
- Read the text below it. It says whether your voice inputs and transcripts are processed on your device.
- For the full statement, click About Ask Siri, Dictation & Privacy at the bottom of Keyboard settings.
Apple's guide notes one exception even when processing is on device: it applies to general text dictation, such as messages and notes, not to dictating in a search box.
What Apple says it receives and keeps
From Apple's legal page Siri, Dictation & Privacy, read October 10, 2026. It describes default behavior for Siri and Dictation together.
| What | What Apple's statement says |
|---|---|
| Your audio | Processed on your device when Keyboard settings says so. Otherwise sent to Apple's servers, and not stored unless you opt in to Improve Siri and Dictation |
| Transcripts and request data | Kept as request history under a random identifier that rotates several times an hour and is not tied to your Apple Account. Apple may keep and use it for up to two years |
| A reviewed sample | Apple may review a subset of transcripts, and that reviewed subset may be kept beyond two years |
| Related request data | The category of the request, whether it succeeded, device specifications and performance statistics |
| Context | Your device may send contact names and nicknames, names of your devices and apps, and labels such as Reminders lists, so it can recognize what you say |
| Location | The approximate location, if Location Services is on for Siri |
| On your Mac | A history of your Siri and Dictation interactions is stored on the device and may personalize Siri |
Apple says this data is not used to build a marketing profile and is never sold.
The setting that stores your audio
Improve Siri & Dictation is the opt-in. With it on, Apple can store audio of your Siri and Dictation interactions, and may review a sample. When you turn Dictation on, macOS asks, and you can choose Not Now.
- Open System Settings, then Privacy & Security.
- Go to Analytics & Improvements.
- Turn Improve Siri & Dictation off, or on, as you prefer.
If you never opted in, Apple says your dictated audio is not stored.
Which languages stay on the Mac
On-device dictation depends on the language. Apple's macOS Feature Availability page lists the ones that are processed on the Mac, and for others the dictation goes to Apple's servers. The text under the Dictation switch reflects the languages you have set. The Mac dictation languages page compares the lists.
Delete what is stored, or turn it off
- Turn off Dictation. System Settings, Keyboard, Dictation. The guide to turning it off also covers the key that starts it.
- Clear the history on the device. Apple says turning off both Siri and Dictation deletes the transcripts stored on your device that personalize your experience.
- Apps that transcribe through Apple. Apple notes that when you let an app use Speech Recognition, the audio may be sent to Apple. Review those apps in System Settings, Privacy & Security, Speech Recognition.
Dictation with nothing to check
Apple's design is careful, and it still has conditions: the language, the settings, and what you opted in to. YapToText has one rule: the speech model runs on your Mac, in every language it supports, and it has no account and no server. You can verify it by dictating with Wi-Fi off. It keeps a history on the Mac that you can limit or clear, and deleting the app deletes all of it.
The private dictation page goes through what stays on the Mac and how to check it, and the orange dot page shows how to see what is using your microphone.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
The short version
- Check. The text under Dictation in Keyboard settings.
- On device. Audio and transcripts stay on the Mac, for supported languages.
- Otherwise. Sent to Apple, not stored unless you opted in.
- Kept. Transcripts and request data, under a rotating identifier, for up to two years.
- Opt out. Improve Siri & Dictation, in Analytics & Improvements.
If Apple changes its statement, open an issue on GitHub and I will update this page. Every one gets read.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
Related
Sources
- https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/ask-siri-dictation/ (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-dictation-mh40584/mac (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://github.com/ryleighnewman/YapToText (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaptotext/id6786382289 (checked 2026-10-10)
Questions
Is Apple Dictation private?
It depends on your language and settings. Keyboard settings says whether your audio and transcripts are processed on your device. If not, they are sent to Apple's servers.
Does Apple store what I dictate?
Apple says audio is not stored unless you opt in to Improve Siri and Dictation. Transcripts and request data may be kept for up to two years under a random identifier.
Does Apple Dictation work on device?
For supported languages, yes. The text under the Dictation switch in System Settings, Keyboard, tells you.
How do I stop Apple storing my dictation audio?
Turn off Improve Siri & Dictation in System Settings, Privacy & Security, Analytics & Improvements.
Is Apple Dictation safe for confidential work?
Check the text under the Dictation switch first. If dictation in your language is sent to Apple, an on-device app avoids that.