Google quietly launched an AI dictation app that works offline

Google on Monday quietly released an offline-first dictation app called “Google AI Edge Eloquent” on iOS to take on the likes of Wispr Flow, SuperWhisper, Willow, and others. The app is free to download, and once its Gemma-based automatic speech recognition (ASR) models are downloaded, you can start dictating on your phone. In the app, you can see the live transcription, and when you hit pause, the app automatically filters out filler words like “um” and “ah” and polishes the text. Below the transcript are options like “Key points”, “Formal”, “Short”, and “Long” to transform the text. You can also turn off the cloud mode to use local-only processing.

The Google AI Edge Eloquent can import certain keywords, names, and jargon from your Gmail account, if desired. Plus, you can add your own custom words to the list. The app displays the history of the transcription session and lets you search through all of them as well. It can show you words dictated in the last session, your word per minute speed, and the total number of words spoken. “Google AI Edge Eloquent is an advanced dictation app engineered to bridge the gap between natural speech and professional, ready-to-use text. Unlike standard dictation software that transcribes stumbles and filler words verbatim, Eloquent utilizes AI to capture your intended meaning. It automatically edits out ‘ums,’ ‘uhs,’ and mid-sentence self-corrections, outputting clean, accurate prose,” the company’s App Store description reads.

While the app is currently only available on iOS, the App Store description references an Android version. The app is still in its early days, and according to the description, Eloquent offers “seamless Android integration,” where it can be set as users’ default keyboard for system-wide access across any text field. Plus, the app will be able to use the floating button feature, similar to the one Wispr Flow uses on Android, for easy access to transcription from anywhere. AI-powered transcription apps are gaining popularity among users as speech-to-text models get better. With this experimental app, Google is joining the trend. If this test is successful, we could see improved transcription features across Android, too.

Ivan covers global consumer tech developments at TechCrunch. He is based out of India and has previously worked at publications including Huffington Post and The Next Web. You can contact or verify outreach from Ivan by emailing im@ivanmehta.com or via encrypted message at ivan.42 on Signal.