Evernote has its own dictation: place the cursor in a note, choose the microphone or dictation option in the editing toolbar, and speak. Evernote says it needs an internet connection and saves no audio file. Bear and Craft do not document a dictation button, so use Apple's built-in Dictation (press the Microphone key and speak) or a system-wide dictation app. Do not confuse dictation with audio notes: Evernote can also record audio and transcribe it afterwards, which is a different job.
Publisher note: SuprFlow publishes this guide and is one of the products discussed. Competitor details come from each company's own pages, checked on 3 October 2026. Prices and features change; confirm before you buy.
Does Evernote have voice to text?
Yes, in two forms, and Evernote's help keeps them apart.
Dictation. Evernote's Dictation article says it is "available on desktop, web, and mobile," with mobile rolling out gradually. The steps:
- Open a note and place the cursor where the text should go.
- Start dictation from the editing toolbar (the microphone or dictation option) and speak.
- Stop dictation when you are finished.
Evernote says dictation "does not save an audio file" and that "Dictation processing requires an active internet connection." The article does not say which plans include it.
Audio recording and AI Transcribe. In a note, open the Insert (+) menu and choose Audio recording, or type /audio, then pick Meeting recorder or Voice note (Audio recording in Evernote). The recording is saved in the note, and Evernote's AI Transcribe FAQ says audio files are transcribed automatically after you stop. Use this when you want to keep the recording; use dictation when you only want the text.
If you write in Evernote and are online, its own dictation is the simplest choice.
Do Bear and Craft have dictation?
No. Bear's help pages do not describe a built-in dictation feature as of 3 October 2026; see the Bear FAQ. Craft's help pages do not describe one either; see Using Craft Assistant. Craft's Apple Shortcuts page lists "Use dictation to create voice notes that automatically save to Craft" as an example workflow you can build yourself.
In both apps, system dictation types into the note like a keyboard.
How do you dictate a note with Apple Dictation?
Apple's Dictation guide for macOS 27 says "you can speak to enter text anywhere you can type it."
- Turn on Dictation once in System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation. On older macOS versions the wording may differ.
- Open the note in Evernote, Bear or Craft and click where the text should go.
- Press the Microphone key or your Dictation shortcut, and speak. Say "new paragraph" between thoughts.
- Stop with Escape, the Microphone key or the shortcut.
- Add headings, tags and links by keyboard.
Apple says that on a Mac with Apple silicon "you can still use the keyboard while you speak; there's no need to stop dictation." Setup is in How to use voice to text on a Mac. See the Mac dictation shortcut guide, Mac dictation commands and Mac Dictation not working.
When is a push-to-talk dictation app worth it?
Notes are captured in a hurry. A key you hold to speak and release to insert, the same in every notes app, is quicker than clicking a toolbar. It is also worth a look if you want one tool across Bear, Craft and the rest of your Mac rather than learning each app's own feature.
SuprFlow is one example. It is a menu-bar app for Apple Silicon Macs on macOS 14 or later. Hold the Fn key, speak, release, and it pastes the text into whichever text field has focus. Speech recognition runs on the Mac with an on-device model; optional cloud formatting sends transcript text, not audio, to the provider you pick. Default formatting is local cleanup of punctuation, capitalization and numbers. It costs $125 for lifetime access on up to 5 Macs you own, with no subscription and a 7-day refund on a first purchase (as of 3 October 2026).
Because it pastes at the cursor, it should work in an ordinary text field; test it in a scratch note in each app with a harmless sentence. It does not record or transcribe meetings; Evernote's Meeting recorder does. We have not run a controlled benchmark against Apple Dictation or Evernote's dictation.
Which route should you use?
| Built-in | Apple Dictation | System-wide app (SuprFlow as the example) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evernote | Dictation in the toolbar, online only | Yes | Should work; test first |
| Bear | Not documented | Yes | Should work; test first |
| Craft | Not documented; Shortcuts workflow | Yes | Should work; test first |
| Keeps the audio | Evernote audio recording, not dictation | No | No |
| Cost | Depends on your Evernote plan | Free with macOS | $125 once |
| Start | Toolbar button | Microphone key or shortcut | Hold Fn, release to insert |
| Best for | Evernote users online | Occasional notes in any app | Many quick notes across apps |
What goes wrong when dictating notes?
- Two dictation tools at once. Do not start Apple Dictation while Evernote's dictation is running. Use one.
- Dictation vs recording. Evernote's Voice note saves audio; its dictation does not. Pick the one you meant.
- Formatting characters. If your notes app formats as you type, check that dictated symbols or numbers at the start of a line have not become headings or lists.
- New line vs new paragraph. Apple says "new line" equals pressing Return once and "new paragraph" equals pressing it twice.
- Silence. Apple says Dictation stops after 30 seconds without speech.
What should you check before you rely on the note?
- Names, numbers, dates and addresses.
- Every "not", which flips a reminder.
- Tags, links and headings, which you add by hand.
- That the note landed in the right notebook, folder or space.
- Whether an Evernote recording is still running.
On privacy: Evernote says dictation saves no audio, while recordings are stored in the note. Bear says it "relies on Apple's CloudKit technology to sync your notes" and that its team does not "have access to users credentials or any sensitive data" (Syncing & Privacy). Craft's security page lists "Data encryption at rest and in transit." See where dictated text goes after insertion.
Questions people ask
Does Evernote dictation work offline?
No. Evernote says dictation processing requires an active internet connection. Apple's Dictation may work offline, depending on your Mac and language.
What is the difference between Evernote dictation and AI Transcribe?
Evernote says dictation converts speech to text live, while AI transcription generates text from an existing audio recording.
Can I dictate in Bear on a Mac?
Yes, with Apple Dictation or another dictation app. Bear does not document its own dictation feature.
Does Craft have voice notes?
Craft documents an Apple Shortcuts workflow that uses dictation to save voice notes to Craft. It does not document a dictation button in the editor.
Related guides
- Voice to text for notes on a Mac
- How to dictate into Notion or Obsidian on a Mac
- Dictate a private draft in Apple Notes
- How to transcribe a voice memo on a Mac
- Voice journaling on a Mac
- How to use voice to text on a Mac