How Dictalock works: private dictation on your iPhone
Dictalock is a dictation app for people who keep secrets for a living: lawyers, doctors, therapists and executives. It records, transcribes and summarizes your voice notes on your iPhone, and encrypts every one with a key only you hold. Dictalock is launching soon. Here's how it will work, step by step, and what you'll get from it.
Step 1: Record
Open Dictalock and tap once to dictate a memo, or record a meeting or consultation. It works without a connection, even in airplane mode, because nothing needs to be sent anywhere. File each recording under a client, patient or case as you go.
Step 2: Transcribed on your phone
Speech recognition runs on your iPhone's own chip, so your audio is never uploaded to a server. Dictalock can also turn a long recording into key points, action items or a clean memo, again on the device.
Step 3: Encrypted in your vault
Every recording, transcript and summary is encrypted with AES-256 the moment it's saved. The key is created on your iPhone and protected by Face ID and the phone's secure hardware. Dictalock never has it, so nobody at Dictalock can read your notes, and neither can anyone who asks us. Your vault also has its own Face ID and passcode lock, so someone holding your unlocked phone still can't open your notes.
Step 4: Export on your terms
When a note is ready, send it to Word, PDF or your practice software. Nothing leaves your phone unless you export it yourself.
The benefits
- Confidential by design. No server receives your recordings, so there's no copy at a vendor to leak, hand over or misuse.
- No account, no tracking. No sign-up and no ads, and your notes are never used to train AI.
- Works anywhere. In court, in a hospital with poor signal, or on a plane.
- Organized. Every client, patient or matter stays separate and easy to find.
- Less paperwork. Dictate between appointments and turn recordings into notes, memos and letters.
Who it's for
- Lawyers: client meetings, case notes and dictated letters, without client confidences on a third-party server. See secure dictation for lawyers.
- Doctors: patient notes and letters between appointments. See HIPAA-compliant dictation apps: what to check.
- Therapists: notes right after a session that stay between you and your client.
- Executives: board preparation, negotiations and ideas you can't afford to leak.
Pricing
Dictalock Pro will cost $14.99 a month. People on the waitlist get the launch price.
Frequently asked questions
When does Dictalock launch?
We're building it now. Join the waitlist and you'll be among the first to get access, at the launch price.
Does anything leave my phone?
No. Recording, transcription and summaries all happen on your device, and Dictalock has no server that receives your notes. Exports only happen when you choose them.
What if I lose my phone?
Your vault stays encrypted and locked, so a lost phone doesn't expose your notes. Because nothing is stored in the cloud, export anything you need to keep long-term.
Do I still need consent to record people?
Yes. Recording laws and professional rules still apply. Dictalock simply makes sure the recording stays with you.
Which devices will it support?
iPhone and iPad first. Android and Mac are on our list.