Quick answer
- Turn it on: Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation, switch it on, then click Enable.
- Start dictating: press the Microphone key, use the Dictation shortcut, or choose Edit > Start Dictation.
- Stop: press Escape, the Microphone key, or the shortcut again. It also stops after 30 seconds of silence.
- Change the shortcut: Keyboard > Dictation > Shortcut pop-up menu.
- Change the language: Keyboard > Dictation > Edit (next to Languages).
- Cost: free and built into macOS. No account needed.
How to turn on Dictation
To turn on dictation on a Mac, open System Settings, click Keyboard, and switch on Dictation. Then place your cursor in any text field and press the Microphone key or the Dictation shortcut. Here are the exact steps for macOS Tahoe 26:
- Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
- Click Keyboard in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down to see it.
- Go to Dictation on the right and turn it on.
- Click Enable when macOS asks you to confirm.
- A second prompt asks about sharing recordings. Choose Share Audio Recordings to let Apple store audio of your dictation and review a sample to improve Siri and Dictation, or Not Now to keep them to yourself. You can change this later (see privacy below).
On macOS 13 Ventura, 14 Sonoma or 15 Sequoia? The path is the same: System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation.
How to start and stop dictating
Click where you want the text to go, then use any of these:
| Method | Start | Stop |
|---|---|---|
| Microphone key (on keyboards that have one) | Press and release it. Pressing and holding opens Siri instead. | Press it again |
| Dictation shortcut | Press the shortcut you set in Keyboard > Dictation | Press it again |
| Menu bar | Edit > Start Dictation | Press Escape |
| Do nothing | — | Stops on its own after 30 seconds with no speech |
There’s no time limit: Apple says you can dictate text of any length without a timeout. On a Mac with Apple silicon, you can also keep typing while Dictation is listening, without stopping it.
The Mac dictation shortcut, and how to change it
- Go to System Settings > Keyboard.
- Under Dictation, click the Shortcut pop-up menu.
- Pick an option from the menu, or choose Customize and press the keys you want to use (for example, Option-Z).
The preset Apple describes is Press Fn (Function) Key Twice. If you pick it, macOS may also change the Keyboard setting “Press fn key to” (called “Press Globe key to” on keyboards with a Globe key) to Start Dictation (Press Fn Twice). That setting has three other options (Change Input Source, Show Emoji & Symbols, Do Nothing), so if you later change it, double-pressing Fn will stop starting Dictation.
How to change the dictation language
- Go to System Settings > Keyboard.
- Under Dictation, click Edit next to Languages.
- Select each language you want and choose its region. Deselect a language to remove it.
With more than one language set up, switch while you dictate by clicking the language shown next to the cursor, or by pressing the Globe key. Apple notes that Dictation isn’t available in all languages or regions. On macOS 13 Ventura, languages were managed from a Language pop-up menu (Customize / Add Language) instead of the Edit button.
Choose the microphone
In Keyboard > Dictation, use the Microphone source pop-up menu. Automatic listens to the device you’re most likely to use. If you have a headset or USB microphone, pick it here by name so Dictation doesn’t fall back to the built-in mic.
Auto-punctuation
With Auto-punctuation on, Dictation inserts commas, periods and question marks for you in supported languages. To say punctuation yourself instead, turn off Auto-punctuation in Keyboard > Dictation. Either way, you can still say commands like “new paragraph” or “exclamation mark”; see the full list in Mac dictation commands.
Is Mac dictation processed on-device?
On macOS Tahoe 26, Apple doesn’t make a blanket promise. Instead, it asks you to read the text under Dictation in Keyboard settings: it tells you whether your general text dictation is processed on your device and not sent to Siri servers. Dictation in search boxes is handled separately.
On macOS 14 Sonoma, Apple’s wording was simpler: on a Mac with Apple silicon, Dictation requests are processed on your device for supported languages, with no internet connection required. On Intel Macs, or in languages without on-device support, audio is sent to Apple. For more on dictating with no connection, see offline dictation for Mac.
Privacy: Improve Siri & Dictation
If you chose Share Audio Recordings during setup and want to undo it, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements and turn off Improve Siri & Dictation.
Tips for better results
- Pick the right language and region. Choose the region that matches how you speak, and add a second language if you switch between them.
- Set the microphone explicitly if Automatic keeps choosing the wrong one.
- Speak in full sentences at a natural pace. Short pauses are fine; 30 seconds of silence ends the session.
- Fix mistakes by clicking. Words underlined in blue have alternatives; click one to pick a better match.
- Expect line breaks at the end. “New line” and “new paragraph” appear only after you finish dictating.
- Don’t turn on Voice Control by accident. When Voice Control is on, standard Dictation isn’t available. If Dictation stops working, start with our Mac dictation troubleshooting guide.
When built-in dictation isn’t enough
Apple Dictation is free, private on supported setups, and good enough for many people. It types exactly what you say, though, and doesn’t learn your vocabulary. If that’s where it falls short for you, a dedicated app like VybeScript adds:
- Cleanup and rewriting on your Mac. Clean removes “um” and false starts; Polish and Formal tighten the wording and turn spoken lists into bullets. These styles need macOS 26 with Apple Intelligence on.
- Your names and jargon. Add up to 100 words, or start from a free word pack for legal, healthcare admin, real estate, finance or dev tools.
- Everything on-device. Transcription runs locally with NVIDIA Parakeet or Whisper, even with Wi-Fi off.
- English and Spanish, with the whole app available in Spanish too.
It costs $99 once or $39 a year, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. See pricing, or compare options in the best dictation apps for Mac.
Sources: Apple, Use Dictation on your Mac (macOS Tahoe 26), macOS Sonoma 14 version, macOS Ventura 13 version and Keyboard settings on Mac. Checked 2026-10-01. More how-tos in our guides.