If you have been paying for a voice transcription app, you might want to hold off on renewing that subscription.
Google has launched Google AI Edge Eloquent on macOS, bringing its free dictation app to Mac users. The app captures what you say, transcribes it, and cleans it up in real time by removing filler words and polishing the text for clarity.
The app, dubbed “Google Al Edge Eloquent,” was first launched on iOS a few months ago, and it has now finally come to macOS. Alas, as always, Google is treating its own mobile platform as a second-class citizen and has still not released an Android version of the app.
What makes it different from the rest?
The biggest difference is where the processing happens. Unlike most transcription tools that rely on the cloud to process your audio, Eloquent does everything on-device, using Google’s Gemma AI models, which you download directly to your Mac. That means your audio never leaves your Mac, which is a significant privacy win.
Beyond privacy, the app lets you pick from different writing styles to match the tone you’re going for. You can also add custom words to its dictionary, whether that’s a client’s name, industry jargon, or any term your dictation app loves to mangle.Â
Anyone who has watched their transcription app butcher a person’s name for the tenth time will appreciate this feature.
Is this a threat to paid transcription apps?
It certainly looks that way. Many popular transcription and dictation apps charge a monthly or annual subscription for features that Eloquent appears to cover for free. On-device processing, polished transcriptions, and style customization are not basic features; they are the kind of things users happily pay for.
For casual users, students, and writers who want a reliable and private way to dictate their thoughts, Google AI Edge Eloquent might be all they need..
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