Dictate Emails and Contacts in iOS 16

iOS 16 allows you to insert email addresses and contact details quickly and accurately using voice dictation. With Apple's upgraded on-device speech engine, the operating system intelligently converts spoken syntax into formatted email addresses, recognizes names stored in your address book, and allows you to seamlessly switch between speaking and typing without pausing dictation.

Dictating Email Addresses

To insert an email address using voice dictation, you simply need to speak the address along with the standard punctuation commands:

  1. Tap the Microphone icon on your keyboard or within any text field.
  2. Speak the username clearly.
  3. Say "at" to generate the @ symbol.
  4. Say the domain name, followed by "dot" (to insert a period), and the domain extension.

For example, saying:

"alex dot miller at gmail dot com"

iOS 16 will automatically format and transcribe it as:

alex.miller@gmail.com

If the email includes special characters like hyphens or underscores, say "hyphen" or "underscore" at the appropriate points in the address.

Dictating Contacts and Address Book Names

iOS 16 uses on-device intelligence to sync dictation with your personal Contacts list. When you speak the name of someone saved in your contacts, the system automatically prioritizes the correct spelling of their first and last name rather than attempting a generic phonetic guess.

While dictation will not automatically insert an entire interactive contact card on its own, it can transcribe all relevant contact details:

  • Names: Dictating full names of saved contacts automatically capitalizes and spells them according to your address book.
  • Phone Numbers: Say the numbers naturally or digit-by-digit (e.g., "five five five, zero one nine nine"), and iOS 16 will format them into standard phone number syntax.
  • Street Addresses: Dictate street names, apartment numbers, and postal codes using standard pauses, and auto-punctuation will format the address properly.

Using Simultaneous Voice and Touch

One of the key enhancements in iOS 16 is the hybrid keyboard. The keyboard remains visible while dictation is active, which allows you to:

  • Speak the contact's name, then immediately tap a QuickType suggestion above the keyboard to auto-fill their email or phone number.
  • Use voice to dictate the text, then tap to move the cursor or correct a character with your finger without disabling the microphone.