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Voice assistants & dictation

Listening Ears

Speak instead of typing. Useful if typing is slow, or hands and eyes are not what they were.

What these do

These tools listen and act. You say out loud what you want: a reminder, a timer, a phone call, a song. And it happens. Others turn your speech into written words, so you can “write” a letter just by talking.

Good for

  • Medication and appointment reminders
  • Making a call without hunting for the number
  • Writing an email by speaking it
  • Getting the weather, the news, or a radio station without a screen

Tools worth trying

  • Amazon Alexa

    by Amazon

    Easy to start

    Say “Alexa” and ask. Excellent for reminders, timers, music, and hands-free calls.

    Visit Amazon Alexa Tutorial coming soon

  • Gemini

    by Google

    Easy to start

    Speak to it on any Android phone. Strong at questions, directions, and calendar reminders, and it now does the job Google Assistant used to.

    Note: Google Assistant: Google is retiring it from 4 September 2026 and replacing it with Gemini on phones, tablets, watches and headphones. Once your device switches you cannot switch back.

    Visit Gemini Tutorial coming soon

  • Siri

    by Apple

    Easy to start

    Already on every iPhone and iPad. Nothing to install. Just hold the side button and speak.

    Visit Siri Tutorial coming soon

  • Voice Typing

    by Built into your phone and computer

    Easy to start

    The little microphone on your keyboard. Tap it and talk, and your words appear as text. Free, already installed.

    Note: Dragon: the consumer version was discontinued, and built-in dictation is now as good and free.

    Visit Voice Typing Tutorial coming soon

  • Otter.ai

    by Otter

    Some practice needed

    Writes out everything said in a meeting or doctor’s visit, so you can read it later instead of straining to remember.

    Visit Otter.ai Tutorial coming soon