# Ecco Dictate — OpenAI Whisper Dictation > Offline, accurate, and private speech-to-text dictation app with integrated AI. (iPhone/iPad app by Brian Cajulis.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ecco-dictate/id6474762093 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Brian Cajulis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721783843) - Category: Utilities, Productivity - Price: Free - Rating: 3.80/5 from 5 App Store ratings · 6 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 17.0 · 467 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2023-12-26 - Data updated: 2026-06-10 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ecco-dictate/id6474762093/reviews.md ## What is Ecco Dictate? Speech to text application focused on very accurate transcriptions, ease of use, and shortcuts integration. Dictation focused Design: The focus of Ecco is for a drop in replacement of speech to text dictation - and not external file transcription. From the design and size of the buttons, haptics and sound, app behavior, and user interface is to address this specific need. Fast: Ecco does not download and choose which model to use. It comes with the Whisper Small model - a very well balance size versus accuracy model from the Whisper ASR family. This means that because the model is integrated, the lag that results from the app choosing the model is removed (which can have a speed impact in many cases). This is why the download size is large. It has the model built in and the 1 to 2 second delay of “choosing” a downloaded model is eliminated. Push to Talk / Push to Record: Unlike other dictation solutions, where users press start and press end to capture audio, Ecco uses Push to Talk, release to transcribe. This behavior makes it less of a mental burden to users - we tend to “rush”, or, the opposite, speak robotically when there is no haptic control. Private and Offline: Ecco does not store recordings, does not connect to the internet to do its job, and stores all transcription text on device (with a quick delete all button available on screen). Multilingual: Ecco Supports multilingual dictation out of the box. Refer to the references below on the Whisper ASR Models for the full list. The easiest way to find out is to try out your language yourself. On Device Microphone: Ecco will always use the on device mic, even when you have bluetooth speakers, headphones, or AirPods connected. Automation Capable: Power features to work with your existing shortcuts. Pricing and Cost: On the house, just like sunshine. Yours, free, and no in app purchases. I built it for myself - and giving it away. This is my first iOS app - worked on it a lot. Would love a review in the App Store. Maybe use Ecco to write it up :-). I use this app personally all the time, and add features that I can think of when they come, so this app may update VERY often with new stuff. ## Key features - Accurate AI-powered transcription - Push-to-talk recording - Offline and private operation - Multilingual support - Shortcuts integration - On-device microphone usage ## Recent user reviews (6 of 6) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ecco-dictate/id6474762093/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Transcribed with Ecco *2025-09-21* EDIT: hey kind dev, check out Parakeet if you haven’t already - free tiny local model! — Thank you so much for releasing this free to the world. It just works. It's so simple and so high quality. And completely private. Great work, Brian 😎 ### 4/5 — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ *2025-05-26* I just tried Ecco Dictate with French and I’m really impressed by the quality of the transcription. The app understood my speech very well and the result was accurate, even with my accent. I would love to see Ecco Dictate available on the French App Store so more users here can benefit from it. One thing I found a bit tricky is the need to keep my finger pressed on the button while recording. It would be much easier for many people if we could have the option to either hold the button or simply tap once to start recording and tap again to stop. Having this choice would make the app more accessible and convenient for everyone. I also tried to copy the transcription after recording, but unfortunately it didn’t work for me, even though my iPhone is up to date. I noticed there is a copy button on the interface, but if I want to copy the transcription later, it’s not possible anymore. For sharing, I saw that it’s possible to use the shortcuts provided in the app, but I would still really appreciate having an additional, more direct sharing option. It would also be great to have the possibility to share not only the text transcription but also the audio file, and ideally be able to save it directly to cloud storage services like TeraBox. Lastly, I would love to be able to customize the app with my own choice of colors. Personalizing the interface would make the experience even more enjoyable! Thank you for your work on this app—it’s already very useful, and with these improvements it could be even better! ### 4/5 — Feedback? *2024-10-09* I'm testing this app out, but there's no way to provide any feedback outside of the app store. Is it possible for you to remove the leading space when you paste it inside of other applications? Having to go back and delete it every single time is quite an annoyance. Thanks. ### 5/5 — Transcribed with Ecco *2024-09-25* Thank you so much for releasing this free to the world. It just works. It's so simple and so high quality. And completely private. Great work, Brian 😎 ### 5/5 — Great app for quick dictation *2024-02-05* Works great! However, it would be nice to be able to choose a larger model. This could potentially increase the accuracy of dictations, even if it means compromising on speed. Thanks for creating this app and offering it for free! ### 5/5 — Really fantastic off-line dictation *2024-01-17* A really fantastic app utilizing OpenAI's absolutely fantastic voice to text text translation model: whisper. I really like the simple design and dedicated functionality dedicated to just doing vocal dictation offline using one of the best voice dictation models we have at time of writing. Thanks so much for all your hard work. ## Frequently asked questions about Ecco Dictate ### Does Ecco Dictate have ads? No, Ecco Dictate is completely free and does not contain any advertisements. ### How accurate is Ecco Dictate? Ecco Dictate utilizes the Whisper Small model for highly accurate transcriptions, aiming for a drop-in replacement for standard dictation. ### Can I use Ecco Dictate offline? Yes, Ecco Dictate is designed for private and offline use. It does not store recordings or connect to the internet for its core transcription function. ### What languages does Ecco Dictate support? Ecco Dictate supports multilingual dictation out of the box, leveraging the capabilities of the Whisper ASR models. You can try your specific language to confirm compatibility. ### How does the push-to-talk feature work in Ecco Dictate? Instead of separate start and end buttons, Ecco Dictate uses a push-to-talk mechanism where you press to record and release to transcribe, offering a more natural dictation experience. ### What devices is Ecco Dictate available on? Ecco Dictate is available for iPhone and iPad devices. ### How often is Ecco Dictate updated? The developer plans to update Ecco Dictate very often with new features, as they are personally using and improving the app regularly. ### What is the price of Ecco Dictate? Ecco Dictate is available for free and does not include any in-app purchases. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.1 — 2024-01-16 Whole new design and UI / UX Bug fixes and general improvements ### 2 — 2024-01-14 All new design, behavior, updated model. ### 1.3 — 2024-01-09 Thank you for all of the feedback sent on recommended improvements. Version 1.3 Changes: Added a sound upon completion of transcription for users that dictate without looking at the screen to wait for the results. Changed the logic behind indication messages of when it is transcribing and when it is done to be more robust- the previous method occasionally does not trigger the switch of the indication message. Also added a progress animation during transcription Logic of the always on display the application - will now respect the user defined screen timeout of the device when it is not recording and will only keep the screen on when recording is ongoing. Default behavior of fresh installation for new users to have automatic button press turned off by default - turning it on will still persist. Strength of the haptic feedback to only be a single tap instead of a double tap upon starting and stopping recording. Included haptic feedback on pressing the copy button in the archive. Increased the size of the start and stop button so it is easier to hit. Transcribing indicator color to red and done to green for easier visual signal of ongoing and completed Other performance improvements as the Whisper Models are updated, this version uses the latest models and should increase transcription accuracy. What I am working on for future versions: Shortcuts integration Transcription of external files - it is already currently working on m4a files (Apple’s default voice recording format) but still working on a universal input for all kinds of audio files as well as videos. ### 1.2 — 2024-01-01 Version 1.2 Release: Major Changes: 1. Multilingual transcription! - After testing multilingual capabilities and accuracy of whisper model, and making sure it doesn't have any detrimental impact on speed, launching the multilingual version. Ease of use improvements: 1. Haptic feedback is now a single light feedback after pressing the button. 2. Added a sound indicator after completion of transcription for better indication that it's done. 3. The copy button now also triggers a mild haptic feedback. What I'm working on next: 1. Shortcuts integration 2. Ability to import external files (without impacting speed of app for dictation) ### 1.0 — 2023-12-27 No release notes. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*