iPhone 13, dictation worse than ever

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Level 1

20 points

iPhone 13, dictation worse than ever

note, if someone finds this confusing, then move on… I'm trying to detail the weird things dictation has been doing increasingly

I hope to find someone who has more tech experience and has noticed the same, or is this another failing in my new iPhone 13? That has already been through one rebuild

I am not only having to correct more and more words, sentences, punctuation... using dictation, but finding later that "auto correct" (I had that turned off, turned back on, after an update?) is changing words and the meaning of sentences after I have proof read them

Dictation has always done some rational things, made some ridiculous word choices

"we're" instead of "were", used more commonly in sentences

Chyna instead of "China"

more common in sentences

Choosing slang, the names of rap bands instead of common words, "Doctor Who"

Apple claims that dictation and uses the most common chosen words

I had to laugh at that one, chosen by Apple?

Are we supposed to think that English-speaking people talk about "Doctor Who" instead of, "the doctor who recommended surgery"?

capitalizing some word in a sentence where it isn't needed, or isn't the name of a rap group

every update seems to result in a further decay of dictation ability, not a problem through four previous iPhones but now I can't dictate "while"

and get "Cheryl" instead of "several"

Type to ( typed "typed" then change it data ( typed "changed it" then changed it to "change data") to "type to"

impractical punctuation, putting the end quote close to the next word, throwing commas in where they are not needed or dictated

Is there any option for normal English?

i've also searched for any kind of option to select that for people who don't commonly fill their dictation with profanity, I have to watch for City, sitting

And dictation just did that, turning "sitting" into sh-tting

making that change when I was beginning another paragraph

The practical advantage of "you can use dictation just fire off a quick message to someone" no longer exists, you have to not only proofread it but wait, and proofread it again for changes dictation makes… When you might be two paragraphs down

What iPhone options can I use to get back the accurate and efficient dictation I loved so much in my iPhone 3?

*** found another one, it had added "it" to after "loved", reading it again, and apparently removed it after "it" after I had added a line pointing out that error, below****

Dictation just did it again, adding "it" to that sentence

And change sentence to "sh-t" and then back to sentence

Is this a virus?

help!

Are used to love dictation, now it has become the enemy

I had typed "I used to love dictation", had proofread that section, going over again I find it has turned "I" to " Are"

Are there combinations of settings I am missing?

it certainly explains the garbled and useless communications I have received from people who have purchased newer iPhones while I kept my iPhone 8

as I said, my first iPhone 3, had incomparable dictation skills

Wow, it got incomparable, iPhone 13 usually isn't very good at big words

it would be funny if it were not such a waste of time, my iPhone eight turned "dictation" into Dick Tahitian

Will someday be the main character in a cozy mystery

iPhone 13

Posted on Aug 21, 2023 12:12 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 21, 2023 12:32 PM in response to wednesdaytgw

Apple doesn't read here in this user-to-user forum for feedback or suggestions. You can, however, let them know your thoughts here:

Product Feedback - Apple

I would suggestion using the iPhone form as this is part of the iPhone operating system. I don't know what the limit is in the text box but you may need to edit for bevity.

No, it's not a virus.

Unfortunately, I don't have any magical suggestions. Despite being very fond of Doctor Who, I've never had my iPhone mention it. Nor have I ever had the names of bands (regardless of genre) appear in my dictation.

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Answer 2

wednesdaytgw Author

Level 1

20 points

Aug 22, 2023 2:39 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

thank you, I had more of the same this morning, thinking I should do screen shots to show apple what I am talking about though, "stupid iPhone dictation" brings up quite a number of similar conversations

and many mention, I have autocorrect turned off, though, perhaps that doesn't work if using dictation, the lack of info about how features work is impressive

this morning, Publix, for "public's"

really, when you say doctor who, it types doctor who? not Dr Who?

I get punctuation where it doesn't belong and more often, incomplete words, it leaves the last letter or two off a word it had correct

that is why I wondered if it was a virus, other friends tell me they have different variations of weird dictation

thank will, will send the request to apple, esp the idea of blocking dictation from typing or auto correcting words into obscenities

every friend had a tale of some crisis from not proofreading or not catching dictations foray into e-rated word substitutions in dictated text or emails, some causing issues with work relationships

I had mentioned posting this question to friends and had a lot of response from them

thank will, I will try to have the friends and associates also contact them but, most often, people won't bother

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Answer 3

Aug 28, 2023 6:33 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

Well, I’m glad I’m not the only one…

I just had to remove three different profanities from a paragraph

A PROBLEM (not “I properly” never had with my old iPhone)

I have a trained voice… I studied, singing, acting, and voiceover, so I can say with a certain amount of a surety that my pronunciation into the phone is pretty clear but, nonetheless, I am constantly correcting it (not collecting it)

I would type with the keyboard, but I have the same problem with auto correction going totally insane, but that also happened on my old iPhone, so I feel it’s worse with the new one… It’s as if they’re trying way too hard to predict what I’m saying and failing miserably.

The most annoying thing is even when I turn off spellcheck every time I glide to type it corrects words in two word phrases and when it does that it almost always gets it wrong so I have to go back and correct

Basically I have no way of typing on my iPhone that’s fast inconvenient. Everything is a pain in the ***.

If you’re gonna make the iPhone, try to guess, at least teach it proper grammar 😏

I know I can try to report a bug and I feel totally useless as I’ve tried to before and got zero help or information or even any responses

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Answer 4

Aug 28, 2023 6:44 AM in response to Kerbatron

Kerbatron wrote:

I know I can try to report a bug and I feel totally useless as I’ve tried to before and got zero help or information or even any responses

Apple is very clear on the Feedback page that they will not be responding to you.

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Answer 5

wednesdaytgw Author

Level 1

20 points

Aug 30, 2023 12:25 PM in response to Kerbatron

thank you, I've experiment with trying various ways to pronounce words dictation often gets wrong, words that do not seem to me to have a similar sound.

It's fascination to know that a pro has the same problems

I've noticed it also selects names from my contacts to use in place of words, Les for less

Shirley for surly surely and even for certainly

it would be funny if it were not so wasteful to have to review everything several times and still catch things that it has changed with auto correct turned off...

I had not thought to mention that, my auto correct is not as aggressive as it is in dictation as yours, but, does sometimes

apple, is it's own little culture, like Disney and so many other companies who now tell us what we want instead of giving us what we need and use.... we are still not buying annual passes anymore and I almost tried a droid instead for my last purchase and, had so many problems with the glitchy new phone (rebuilt instead of giving me a new one, more time and travel) I'm sorry I didn't try it.

and most, like all the friends who have told tales of relationship and business issues going wrong from auto correct, are not interested in addressing, they say "it's obvious they don't care"

and maybe they are right

It's a disturbing aspect of their lack of values (Tibet) when they focus on toys and not communication aspect for customers who pay a lot for their products

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iPhone 13, dictation worse than ever

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