Adding Information to Seer by Voice

Can I add my entries by voice instead of typing?

Yes. Tap any text field in Seer Health, then tap the microphone on your keyboard and start speaking. This is Dictation, and for logging it is faster and more accurate than asking Siri out loud. Siri is for commands; Dictation is for entering text.

How do I turn on voice entry?

Go to Settings › General › Keyboard › Enable Dictation, then tap Dictation Languages and add the language you speak. The first time, your iPhone downloads a small language file over Wi-Fi (about 30 to 100 MB). After that, the microphone appears on your keyboard whenever you tap a field.

Does voice entry work without internet, and is my data private?

For most languages, yes. Once the language file finishes downloading, Dictation runs on your iPhone, so your voice stays on your device. To check, turn on Airplane Mode and try dictating; if it still works, you are running on-device. For your health entries, stay with this built-in dictation and skip third-party voice keyboards, since some of them send your audio to the cloud. One thing to know: text you dictate into a search box does go to the search provider.

Is it safe to dictate sensitive health details into Seer?

On most recent iPhones, dictation runs directly on your device and the audio stays on your phone. To confirm yours does, open Settings › General › Keyboard and make sure on-device Dictation is on for your language. If you would rather not use voice for your most sensitive entries, you can always type them in.

Does my voice leave my phone?

On iPhone XS and later, with your language downloaded, dictation is handled on the device and the audio is not sent anywhere. If your device or language is not supported, the audio goes to Apple to be turned into text. Seer never receives your audio in either case. We only receive the finished text you choose to save.

Does Apple keep a recording of what I say?

No, unless you have turned on a setting called "Improve Siri & Dictation." We recommend leaving it off. You can check at Settings › Privacy & Security › Analytics & Improvements.

Can I delete my dictation history?

Yes. Go to Settings › Siri › Siri & Dictation History and tap Delete.

Any tips for entering sensitive information?

Dictate somewhere private so no one nearby overhears, the same way you would be careful reading a health detail out loud. For your most sensitive entries, typing is always an option.

Why does it feel slow, or like it is "thinking," before I can add something?

If you start with "Hey Siri" and then ask it to add information, the assistant first has to recognize the phrase, wake up, and work out what you want, which adds a pause and can misfire. For adding entries to Seer, skip the assistant. Tap into the field and tap the microphone on your keyboard instead. It starts listening right away and puts your words straight into the field. If you do want Siri for something else, press and hold the side button instead of saying "Hey Siri" for a quicker start.

What is the fastest way to add information by voice?

Tap the field you want to fill, tap the microphone on your keyboard, and speak. The text appears as you talk.

Can I add information completely hands-free?

Standard dictation needs one tap on the keyboard microphone to start, so it is not fully hands-free. If you need hands-free use for accessibility reasons, iPhone's Voice Control (Settings › Accessibility › Voice Control) supports spoken dictation, though it takes more setup.

My first word keeps getting cut off.

Wait for the microphone to show it is listening before you start talking. Speaking in the moment it is still starting up can clip your first words.

How do I make sure the text comes out right?

Speak at a steady, natural pace and do not trail off at the end. Say punctuation out loud as you go, like "period," "comma," or "new line."

Why does it get names, numbers, or terms wrong?

Dictation is about 90 to 95 percent accurate in a quiet room, and less accurate with background noise, an accent, or fast speech. Speak in short pieces at a normal pace, with the phone 6 to 12 inches from your mouth. For numbers, say "numeral five" for 5 or "five percent" for 5%. For a word it keeps missing, add it under Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement so it sticks the next time.

Numbers and measurements come out wrong.

Check these closely before saving. Sound-alikes like "fifteen" and "fifty," and decimals, are the most common mistakes.

How do I add punctuation or fix something while I talk?

Say "comma," "period," "new line," or "new paragraph" as you go. To fix something, say "delete that," or say "select" followed by the word you want to change. Auto-punctuation adds commas and periods for you by default. If you would rather control every mark yourself, turn it off at Settings › General › Keyboard › Auto-Punctuation.

How do I make sure it captured the right thing before it saves?

Read the field before you tap Save. The text stays editable and the keyboard stays open, so you can correct anything by voice or by hand first. Voice entry is quick but not perfect, so a quick check saves you fixing it later.

It misspells names or unusual words.

Dictation guesses on words it does not know. Spell out unusual names, terms, or codes, or add ones you use often at Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement so it learns them.

Does it confirm what I said before saving?

No. The text appears in the field as you speak, so reading the field is your check. Pause, read what landed, then save.

The microphone icon is missing from my keyboard.

Dictation may be turned off, blocked by Screen Time, or hidden by a third-party keyboard. Turn it on at Settings › General › Keyboard › Enable Dictation. If it is still missing, check Settings › Screen Time › Content & Privacy › Allowed Apps and confirm Dictation is allowed.

Dictation stops in the middle of a long entry.

Long pauses end dictation. For longer notes, add information in shorter pieces rather than one long stretch.

My words went into a search instead of the field.

Tap directly into the Seer entry field before using the microphone. Dictating into a search box also sends your text off the device, so avoid that for sensitive information.

Auto-correct changed what I dictated.

Review your entry before saving. Auto-correct and auto-capitalization can occasionally change words, especially unfamiliar ones.