Should I use Apple's speech engine or the built-in one?
On a Mac the built-in engine uses your Vocabulary, while Apple's engine types words the instant you say them and only matters with Live typing on.
The built-in engine is the right choice for most people: it handles names and unusual words better, and it uses your Vocabulary. Apple’s engine types words the moment you say them, which only matters when Live typing is on. Both run entirely on your Mac.
#The three settings
The choice is the Speech engine row in Settings → General.
- Built-in: every dictation is transcribed by the speech model you chose on the AI Models page.
- Apple: while Live typing is on, Apple’s recogniser supplies the words as you speak, with nothing to download.
- Auto: uses Apple’s engine when it is available and allowed on your Mac, and the built-in engine otherwise.
#Why it rarely changes anything
With Live typing off, which is the default, nothing is typed until you finish, and the finished text always comes from the speech model you chose on the AI Models page, so the engine setting makes no difference. It only matters while words are being typed as you speak.
Even then, Apple’s engine does not know about your Vocabulary, which is why Settings → Typing → Re-check against your Vocabulary exists. Left on, it has the built-in engine check the result when you finish and correct any names Apple misheard.
#Turning Apple’s engine on
- Make sure offline dictation is available for your language in System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation. If it is not, the Apple choice is greyed out.
- Choose Apple or Auto under Settings → General → Speech engine.
- Restart Dictate Safe, and choose OK when macOS asks about speech recognition.
With Live typing on, words now appear as you say them. If you already declined the macOS prompt, allow Dictate Safe in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Speech Recognition.
Apple’s engine is used only in its on-device form, so it never sends your audio to Apple. On a Mac where it cannot run on the device, Dictate Safe does not use it at all. Windows has no Apple engine, so the setting there is always the built-in engine.