Speech Recognition

Speech Recognition

Transcribe live and pre-recorded audio to text using Apple's Speech framework. Covers SpeechAnalyzer / SpeechTranscriber (iOS 26+) and SFSpeechRecognizer (iOS 10+). Targets Swift 6.3 / iOS 26+ while preserving fallback guidance for apps that support older OS versions.

Scope boundary: Use this skill for speech-to-text recognition, speech authorization, microphone capture plumbing, and result handling. Hand off text analysis, language identification after transcription, sentiment, embeddings, and translation to natural-language; hand off audio playback UI to avkit; hand off summarization or generation over transcripts to apple-on-device-ai.

Contents

• SpeechAnalyzer Strategy (iOS 26+)
• SFSpeechRecognizer Setup
• Authorization
• Live Microphone Transcription
• Pre-Recorded Audio File Recognition
• On-Device vs Server Recognition
• Handling Results
• Common Mistakes
• Review Checklist
• References

SpeechAnalyzer Strategy (iOS 26+)

Use SpeechAnalyzer for modern iOS 26+ speech analysis, especially long-form recordings, live transcription, time-indexed transcripts, and fully on-device flows. Keep SFSpeechRecognizer for iOS 10+ deployment targets, server-backed locale coverage, or existing callback/delegate implementations.

Read SpeechAnalyzer patterns when implementing an iOS 26+ transcription pipeline, model asset handling, volatile results, or file/buffer examples.

SpeechAnalyzer setup checklist

1. Choose the module:
   • SpeechTranscriber for the newer general-purpose on-device model.
   • DictationTranscriber when SpeechTranscriber is unavailable for the current device or locale and dictation-compatible support is acceptable.
   • SpeechDetector only in conjunction with a transcriber when voice activity detection is worth the accuracy/power tradeoff.
2. Check support before creating the session:
   • SpeechTranscriber.isAvailable
   • SpeechTranscriber.supportedLocale(equivalentTo:)
   • SpeechTranscriber.installedLocales / supportedLocales when showing language choices.
3. Pick a documented preset:
   • .transcription for basic accurate transcription.
   • .progressiveTranscription for live UI updates.
   • .timeIndexedProgressiveTranscription when playback highlighting needs audioTimeRange.
4. Install required assets with AssetInventory.assetInstallationRequest.
5. Convert live audio buffers to SpeechAnalyzer.bestAvailableAudioFormat(compatibleWith:) before yielding AnalyzerInput.
6. Consume module results from their AsyncSequence in a separate task.
7. Finish explicitly with finalizeAndFinish(through:), finalizeAndFinishThroughEndOfInput(), or cancelAndFinishNow().

Do not use an offlineTranscription preset; Apple does not document one. Finishing an AsyncStream input sequence does not finish the analyzer session.

SFSpeechRecognizer Setup

Creating a recognizer with locale

import Speech

// Default locale (user's current language)
let recognizer = SFSpeechRecognizer()

// Specific locale
let recognizer = SFSpeechRecognizer(locale: Locale(identifier: "en-US"))

// Check if recognition is available for this locale
guard let recognizer, recognizer.isAvailable else {
    print("Speech recognition not available")
    return
}

Monitoring availability changes

final class SpeechManager: NSObject, SFSpeechRecognizerDelegate {
    private let recognizer = SFSpeechRecognizer()!

    override init() {
        super.init()
        recognizer.delegate = self
    }

    func speechRecognizer(
        _ speechRecognizer: SFSpeechRecognizer,
        availabilityDidChange available: Bool
    ) {
        // Update UI — disable record button when unavailable
    }
}

Authorization

Request both speech recognition and microphone permissions before starting live transcription. Add these keys to Info.plist:

• NSSpeechRecognitionUsageDescription
• NSMicrophoneUsageDescription

import Speech
import AVFoundation

func requestPermissions() async -> Bool {
    let speechStatus = await withCheckedContinuation { continuation in
        SFSpeechRecognizer.requestAuthorization { status in
            continuation.resume(returning: status)
        }
    }
    guard speechStatus == .authorized else { return false }

    let micStatus: Bool
    if #available(iOS 17, *) {
        micStatus = await AVAudioApplication.requestRecordPermission()
    } else {
        micStatus = await withCheckedContinuation { continuation in
            AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().requestRecordPermission { granted in
                continuation.resume(returning: granted)
            }
        }
    }
    return micStatus
}

Live Microphone Transcription

The standard pattern: AVAudioEngine captures microphone audio → buffers are appended to SFSpeechAudioBufferRecognitionRequest → results stream in.

import Speech
import AVFoundation

final class LiveTranscriber {
    private let recognizer = SFSpeechRecognizer(locale: Locale(identifier: "en-US"))!
    private let audioEngine = AVAudioEngine()
    private var recognitionRequest: SFSpeechAudioBufferRecognitionRequest?
    private var recognitionTask: SFSpeechRecognitionTask?

    func startTranscribing() throws {
        // Cancel any in-progress task
        recognitionTask?.cancel()
        recognitionTask = nil

        // Configure audio session
        let audioSession = AVAudioSession.sharedInstance()
        try audioSession.setCategory(.record, mode: .measurement, options: .duckOthers)
        try audioSession.setActive(true, options: .notifyOthersOnDeactivation)

        // Create request
        let request = SFSpeechAudioBufferRecognitionRequest()
        request.shouldReportPartialResults = true
        self.recognitionRequest = request

        // Start recognition task
        recognitionTask = recognizer.recognitionTask(with: request) { result, error in
            if let result {
                let text = result.bestTranscription.formattedString
                print("Transcription: \(text)")

                if result.isFinal {
                    self.stopTranscribing()
                }
            }
            if let error {
                print("Recognition error: \(error)")
                self.stopTranscribing()
            }
        }

        // Install audio tap
        let inputNode = audioEngine.inputNode
        let recordingFormat = inputNode.outputFormat(forBus: 0)
        inputNode.installTap(onBus: 0, bufferSize: 1024, format: recordingFormat) {
            buffer, _ in
            request.append(buffer)
        }

        audioEngine.prepare()
        try audioEngine.start()
    }

    func stopTranscribing() {
        audioEngine.stop()
        audioEngine.inputNode.removeTap(onBus: 0)
        recognitionRequest?.endAudio()
        recognitionRequest = nil
        recognitionTask?.cancel()
        recognitionTask = nil
    }
}

Pre-Recorded Audio File Recognition

Use SFSpeechURLRecognitionRequest for audio files on disk:

func transcribeFile(at url: URL) async throws -> String {
    guard let recognizer = SFSpeechRecognizer(), recognizer.isAvailable else {
        throw SpeechError.unavailable
    }
    let request = SFSpeechURLRecognitionRequest(url: url)
    request.shouldReportPartialResults = false

    return try await withCheckedThrowingContinuation { continuation in
        var didResume = false
        recognizer.recognitionTask(with: request) { result, error in
            guard !didResume else { return }
            if let error {
                didResume = true
                continuation.resume(throwing: error)
            } else if let result, result.isFinal {
                didResume = true
                continuation.resume(
                    returning: result.bestTranscription.formattedString
                )
            }
        }
    }
}

On-Device vs Server Recognition

SFSpeechRecognizer can use on-device recognition for supported locales on iOS 13+. If supportsOnDeviceRecognition is false, the recognizer requires a network connection. requiresOnDeviceRecognition only has effect when the recognizer supports it.

let recognizer = SFSpeechRecognizer(locale: Locale(identifier: "en-US"))!

// Check if on-device is supported for this locale
if recognizer.supportsOnDeviceRecognition {
    let request = SFSpeechAudioBufferRecognitionRequest()
    request.requiresOnDeviceRecognition = true  // Force on-device
}

SFSpeechRecognizer requests may still be a poor fit for long-form capture. Apple documents a roughly one-minute task limit for speech recognition and other service limits. For long recordings on iOS 26+, prefer SpeechAnalyzer; otherwise chunk or restart recognition before the limit and preserve transcript state across tasks.

Handling Results

Partial vs final results

let request = SFSpeechAudioBufferRecognitionRequest()
request.shouldReportPartialResults = true  // default is true

recognizer.recognitionTask(with: request) { result, error in
    guard let result else { return }

    if result.isFinal {
        // Final transcription — recognition is complete
        let final = result.bestTranscription.formattedString
    } else {
        // Partial result — may change as more audio is processed
        let partial = result.bestTranscription.formattedString
    }
}

Accessing alternative transcriptions and confidence

recognizer.recognitionTask(with: request) { result, error in
    guard let result else { return }

    // Best transcription
    let best = result.bestTranscription

    // All alternatives (sorted by confidence, descending)
    for transcription in result.transcriptions {
        for segment in transcription.segments {
            print("\(segment.substring): \(segment.confidence)")
        }
    }
}

Adding punctuation (iOS 16+)

let request = SFSpeechAudioBufferRecognitionRequest()
request.addsPunctuation = true

Contextual strings

Improve recognition of domain-specific terms:

let request = SFSpeechAudioBufferRecognitionRequest()
request.contextualStrings = ["SwiftUI", "Xcode", "CloudKit"]

Common Mistakes

Not requesting both speech and microphone authorization

// ❌ DON'T: Only request speech authorization for live audio
SFSpeechRecognizer.requestAuthorization { status in
    // Missing microphone permission — audio engine will fail
    self.startRecording()
}

// ✅ DO: Request both permissions before recording
SFSpeechRecognizer.requestAuthorization { status in
    guard status == .authorized else { return }
    AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().requestRecordPermission { granted in
        guard granted else { return }
        self.startRecording()
    }
}

Not handling availability changes

// ❌ DON'T: Assume recognizer stays available after initial check
let recognizer = SFSpeechRecognizer()!
// Recognition may fail if network drops or locale changes

// ✅ DO: Monitor availability via delegate
recognizer.delegate = self
func speechRecognizer(
    _ speechRecognizer: SFSpeechRecognizer,
    availabilityDidChange available: Bool
) {
    recordButton.isEnabled = available
}

Not stopping the audio engine when recognition ends

// ❌ DON'T: Leave audio engine running after recognition finishes
recognizer.recognitionTask(with: request) { result, error in
    if result?.isFinal == true {
        // Audio engine still running, wasting resources and battery
    }
}

// ✅ DO: Clean up all audio resources
recognizer.recognitionTask(with: request) { result, error in
    if result?.isFinal == true || error != nil {
        self.audioEngine.stop()
        self.audioEngine.inputNode.removeTap(onBus: 0)
        self.recognitionRequest?.endAudio()
        self.recognitionRequest = nil
    }
}

Assuming on-device recognition is available for all locales

// ❌ DON'T: Force on-device without checking support
let request = SFSpeechAudioBufferRecognitionRequest()
request.requiresOnDeviceRecognition = true // Ignored unless the recognizer supports it

// ✅ DO: Check support before requiring on-device
if recognizer.supportsOnDeviceRecognition {
    request.requiresOnDeviceRecognition = true
} else {
    // Fall back to server-based or inform user
}

Not handling the one-minute recognition limit

// ❌ DON'T: Start one long continuous recognition session
func startRecording() {
    // SFSpeechRecognizer tasks can be cut off after about 60 seconds
}

// ✅ DO: roll the segment before the limit and let cleanup end audio once
func scheduleRecognitionRollover() {
    recognitionTimer = Timer.scheduledTimer(withTimeInterval: 55, repeats: false) { [weak self] _ in
        self?.commitLatestPartialText()
        self?.stopTranscribing()     // owns endAudio(), tap removal, and task cancellation
        try? self?.startTranscribing()
    }
}

SFSpeechRecognitionTask exposes finish(), cancel(), state, and error; do not invent task properties such as recognitionTask to restart work. Keep the active SFSpeechAudioBufferRecognitionRequest in your manager and call endAudio() from one cleanup path only.

Treating SpeechAnalyzer input completion as session completion

// ❌ DON'T: Only finish the AsyncStream and expect result streams to close
inputBuilder.finish()

// ✅ DO: explicitly finish or cancel the analyzer session
let lastSampleTime = try await analyzer.analyzeSequence(inputSequence)
if let lastSampleTime {
    try await analyzer.finalizeAndFinish(through: lastSampleTime)
} else {
    try analyzer.cancelAndFinishNow()
}

Duplicating volatile SpeechAnalyzer results

// ✅ Replace volatile text with the finalized result for the same audio range
for try await result in transcriber.results {
    if result.isFinal {
        volatileTranscript = AttributedString()
        finalizedTranscript.append(result.text)
    } else {
        volatileTranscript = result.text
    }
}

Creating multiple simultaneous recognition tasks

// ❌ DON'T: Start a new task without canceling the previous one
func startRecording() {
    recognitionTask = recognizer.recognitionTask(with: request) { ... }
    // Previous task is still running — undefined behavior
}

// ✅ DO: Cancel existing task before creating a new one
func startRecording() {
    recognitionTask?.cancel()
    recognitionTask = nil
    recognitionTask = recognizer.recognitionTask(with: request) { ... }
}

Review Checklist

• NSSpeechRecognitionUsageDescription is in Info.plist
• NSMicrophoneUsageDescription is in Info.plist (if using live audio)
• Authorization is requested before starting recognition
• SFSpeechRecognizerDelegate is set to handle availabilityDidChange
• Audio engine is stopped and tap removed when recognition ends
• recognitionRequest.endAudio() is called when done recording
• Previous recognitionTask is canceled before starting a new one
• supportsOnDeviceRecognition is checked before requiring on-device mode
• Partial results are handled separately from final (isFinal) results
• SFSpeechRecognizer one-minute/service limits are accounted for
• For iOS 26+: AssetInventory assets are installed before using SpeechAnalyzer
• For iOS 26+: SpeechTranscriber.isAvailable and locale support are checked
• For iOS 26+: live buffers are converted to the analyzer-compatible format
• For iOS 26+: analyzer sessions are explicitly finalized or canceled
• For iOS 26+: volatile results are replaced by finalized results, not duplicated

References

• Speech framework
• SpeechAnalyzer
• SpeechTranscriber
• SpeechTranscriber.Preset
• DictationTranscriber
• SpeechDetector
• SFSpeechRecognizer
• SFSpeechAudioBufferRecognitionRequest
• SFSpeechURLRecognitionRequest
• SFSpeechRecognitionResult
• SFSpeechRecognitionRequest
• AssetInventory
• Asking Permission to Use Speech Recognition
• Recognizing Speech in Live Audio
• Bring advanced speech-to-text to your app with SpeechAnalyzer