At a glance
- Start: Tools > Voice typing, then click the microphone.
- Browsers: the latest versions of Chrome, Edge and Safari, according to Google.
- Shortcut:
⌘+Shift+S, which Google documents for Chrome. - Voice commands: English only. Your account language and document language must both be English.
- Languages for typing: a long list, including Spanish and about 20 regional Spanish variants.
- Cost: free with Google Docs.
How to use voice typing in Google Docs on a Mac
Open your document in Chrome, Edge or Safari, choose Tools > Voice typing, click the microphone and speak. Click the microphone again to stop. Many older guides say it only works in Chrome; Google’s help page now lists Safari and Edge too.
- Check your microphone. Google points Mac users to System Settings. If your input level is low, raise it in System Settings > Sound > Input.
- Open a document in Google Docs in a supported browser.
- Click Tools > Voice typing. A microphone box appears. In Chrome you can press
⌘+Shift+Sinstead. - Click the microphone when you’re ready, and speak clearly at a normal volume and pace.
- Click the microphone again when you’re done, or say “Stop listening” (English).
Made a mistake? You can move your cursor to it and fix it without turning off the microphone, then put the cursor back where you want to continue. Words underlined in gray may have suggestions: right-click to see alternatives.
Punctuation by voice
Say these to add punctuation. Google notes punctuation “might not be available in every language”, and voice commands need both your account and document language set to English.
| Say | Result |
|---|---|
| Period | . |
| Comma | , |
| Exclamation point | ! |
| Question mark | ? |
| New line | Line break |
| New paragraph | New paragraph |
Google Docs voice commands (English only)
Once voice typing is on, you can also edit and format by voice. A selection of the commands Google lists:
| To | Say |
|---|---|
| Select | Select [word or phrase], Select paragraph, Select last word, Select all, Deselect |
| Format text | Bold, Italics, Underline, Strikethrough, Uppercase, Title case, Highlight, Apply heading [1–6], Apply normal text |
| Paragraphs | Align center, Increase indent, Line spacing double |
| Lists | Create bulleted list, Create numbered list |
| Edit | Delete, Delete last word, Delete [word or phrase], Copy, Cut, Paste |
| Insert | Insert link [then say the URL], Insert comment [then say your comment], Insert table, Insert page break |
| Move around | Go to the end of the line, Go to the end of the paragraph, Go to next heading, Scroll down |
| Stop and resume | Stop listening, Resume, Resume with [word or phrase] |
| Help | Voice typing help, Voice commands list |
Saying “Delete” by itself deletes the word before the cursor. If a command lands in your text instead of running, pause before and after it; the words may show briefly before the action happens. The microphone shows a bubble with the last command it heard, and “Undo” reverses a wrong one.
Voice commands aren’t available in Google Slides speaker notes (Slides has its own Tools > Dictate speaker notes for typing).
Who processes your voice?
Google’s wording: when you turn on voice typing, “your web browser controls the speech-to-text service.” The browser decides how your speech is processed and then sends the text to Google Docs. So the answer depends on the browser you use. Google doesn’t spell out more than that on its help page.
Google Docs voice typing not working on Mac?
- “We’re having trouble hearing you”: move to a quiet room, plug in an external microphone, or raise the input volume (System Settings > Sound > Input).
- The microphone doesn’t work at all: check that it’s plugged in and not being used by another app, check your Mac’s microphone settings, then restart your computer.
- No Voice typing in the Tools menu: if you use a work or school account, your administrator may have turned the feature off.
- The shortcut does nothing: Google documents
⌘+Shift+Sfor Chrome. In Safari or Edge, use Tools > Voice typing. - Commands get typed as text: speak slowly, pause around each command, and make sure your account and document language are English.
Another option: macOS Dictation in Google Docs
macOS has its own Dictation that works anywhere you can type, including a Google Doc in any browser. Turn it on in System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation (see how to turn on Dictation on Mac), click in your document and press your Dictation shortcut. It has its own punctuation commands, in many languages, but no editing commands.
When built-in dictation isn’t enough
Docs voice typing is a great free option, especially if you want to edit by voice in English. If you write in Docs and other apps all day and want text that’s ready to send, VybeScript is a paid Mac app ($99 once or $39 a year) that works there too:
- Speech-to-text runs on your Mac, not in the browser, so it works the same in Docs, Gmail, Slack or Word.
- Clean removes filler words; Polish and Formal turn spoken lists into bullets. These need macOS 26 with Apple Intelligence on.
- English and Spanish, with vocabulary corrections for names and jargon.
- It has no voice commands for selecting or formatting. If you depend on those, Docs voice typing is the better fit.
See pricing or the best dictation apps for Mac.
Sources: Google Docs Editors Help, Type & edit with your voice and Keyboard shortcuts for Google Docs; Apple, Use Dictation on Mac. Checked 2026-10-01. More how-tos in our guides.