For iOS 18 and later
Say it out loud. Send it as text.
Barkey is a minimalist dictation keyboard that transcribes on your iPhone. Tap once, talk for as long as you need, and insert into any app.
- Transcribed on your iPhone
- No account
- No transcription server
Saturday still on? What's the plan?
Message
Why Barkey
Built for the long message, not the quick reply.
-
Talk for minutes, not seconds
The app sets no time limit on a recording. Start recording anywhere from a keyboard that stays out of your way.
-
Right where you type
Barkey sits where your keyboard is. Your words land in the field where you tap Stop.
-
Keep going anywhere
Switch apps or lock your phone. Recording carries on until you stop it.
-
Stays on your iPhone
Every word is transcribed on your phone. No account, no server.
The very best transcription keyboard for iPhone
How it works
Three steps, then one button.
-
Step 1
Set up Barkey
Open the app once and let it download what it needs.
-
Step 2
Add your keyboard
In Settings, add Barkey to your keyboards and allow Full Access.
-
Step 3
Tap, talk, insert
Tap record, say what you mean, then tap again to insert.
Privacy
What stays on your iPhone, and for how long.
No account and no transcription service.
- Recent transcriptions
- Your last five, with audio, kept in the app until you delete them.
- Text waiting to insert
- 1 hour Then it expires.
- Text copied in the app
- 2 minutes Then it clears.
- Unfinished audio
- Deleted when you discard it or the app restarts.
- The network
- Only used to download speech models.
Before you install.
- An iPhone on iOS 18 or later.
- First setup can take several minutes. Keep the app open while it prepares.
- Allow Full Access so the keyboard can talk to the app.
- Read your words before you send. Speech recognition can mishear.
FAQ
Questions worth asking.
Does my voice leave my iPhone?
No. Transcription runs inside the Barkey app on your iPhone. The app only uses the network to download speech models. There's no account and no transcription service.
Why does Barkey need Full Access?
iOS keeps a keyboard separate from its app. Full Access lets the keyboard send your request to the app and get the finished text back. It never reads the text already in your field.
Why does the app open when I tap Record?
Apple doesn't let keyboards use the microphone. When the microphone is off, your first tap opens Barkey to start it, and you switch back to your chat yourself. After that, recordings start straight from the keyboard until you end the session.
How long can I talk for?
Barkey sets no time limit. A call, an audio route change, or iOS closing the app can still interrupt a recording.
Which languages does it understand?
Bark 3.0 Pro writes English verbatim, fillers included. Parakeet Redux covers 25 languages in a smaller download. Bark 3.0 Pro needs about 3 GB free while it sets up.
Does it work in every text field?
Most of them. iOS switches to the system keyboard for password fields and phone number pads, and some apps don't allow other keyboards.
Where can I download Barkey?
A public download link isn't available on this page yet. Check back here for install details.
Download details coming soon
Get Barkey
A download link will be added here. Until then, try the preview above.