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Mac dictation: how to set it up and fix it

Dictation is built into macOS. You turn it on under Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard, start it with the Microphone key or a shortcut, and speak your text into any text field.

As of 10 October 2026. The steps follow Apple's current Mac User Guide (macOS 27); the sources are linked below. This page is written by the developer of inlaut, a dictation app for the Mac.

Turn on Dictation

  1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
  2. Click Keyboard in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down.
  3. Go to Dictation, turn it on and click Enable.
  4. If macOS asks whether you want to improve Siri and Dictation, click Share Audio Recordings or Not Now.

Start and stop dictating

Place the cursor in a text field. Then start dictating in one of these ways:

To stop, press Escape, the Microphone key or the shortcut again. There is no length limit; after 30 seconds without detected speech, Dictation stops by itself.

Set the dictation shortcut

In Keyboard settings, Dictation has a Shortcut pop-up menu. Choose a shortcut there, or choose Customize to set your own key combination, for example Option-Z. Depending on your Mac, macOS may then change by itself what the fn or Globe key does.

Choose language and microphone

Language: under Dictation, click Edit next to Languages and select a language and region. While dictating, switch languages by clicking the language next to the cursor or with the Globe key.

Microphone: pick it in the pop-up menu next to “Microphone source”. With Automatic, your Mac listens to the device you are most likely to use.

Dictate punctuation, new lines and emoji

In supported languages, Dictation inserts commas, periods and question marks by itself. You can turn that off with Auto-punctuation. Everything else you say out loud:

Apple keeps the full list under Commands for dictating text on Mac.

Does dictation run on the Mac or on Apple's servers?

It depends on the language and the device. Keyboard settings show, in the text below Dictation, whether your dictation is processed on your device or sent to Apple's servers. This applies to general text dictation, not to dictating into search fields.

Whether audio recordings are shared to improve the service is set under Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements with “Improve Siri & Dictation”.

Mac dictation not working: a checklist

Apple lists these causes. Work through them in order:

  1. Dictation is off. Turn it on in System Settings > Keyboard.
  2. Wrong language or region. Choose the right one under Dictation next to Languages.
  3. Wrong shortcut. Check the Shortcut pop-up menu to see which key combination applies, or set it again.
  4. No microphone. If your Mac has no internal one, connect an external microphone and select it in Sound or Keyboard settings.
  5. Microphone too quiet. Under System Settings > Sound > Input, select the microphone and raise its input volume.
  6. Microphone obstructed. Make sure clothing or your body is not covering the microphone.
  7. How you speak. Sit as you normally would at your Mac and speak clearly, neither too quietly nor too loudly.
  8. Surroundings. Background noise and echo get in the way. In a noisy room, a headset microphone may help.
  9. Internet connection. Check under System Settings > Network that your Mac is online, if your dictation is not processed on the device.

One more common cause: when Voice Control is on, you dictate through it and standard Dictation is not available. And if dictation ends in the middle of a sentence, there was probably a 30-second pause.

Turn Dictation off

Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard and turn Dictation off.

When macOS dictation is not enough

For short notes, built-in Dictation is often all you need: it is already there, knows many languages and understands emoji and punctuation commands.

inlaut is built for a different case. You hold a key, speak and let go. Recognition always runs on the Mac, whatever the language or device. English and German may appear in the same sentence, and you add your own replacements for names and technical terms. In return inlaut does less: only English and German, no emoji commands, and only Macs with Apple silicon and macOS 26. inlaut is free and open source.

For other apps, see the comparison of dictation apps for the Mac.

More about inlaut

Frequently asked questions

How do I turn on dictation on a Mac?

Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar. Go to Dictation, turn it on and click Enable.

What is the keyboard shortcut for dictation on a Mac?

The Microphone key, if your keyboard has one, or the shortcut selected in Keyboard settings under Dictation in the Shortcut pop-up menu. Choose Customize there to set your own key combination.

Why does Mac dictation stop by itself?

According to Apple, Dictation stops automatically when no speech is detected for 30 seconds. There is no limit on the length of the text.

Does Mac dictation need the internet?

It depends on the language and the device. Keyboard settings show, in the text below Dictation, whether your dictation is processed on your device or sent to Apple's servers. Apple lists a missing internet connection as a possible cause when Dictation does not work.

Why is Dictation unavailable when Voice Control is on?

When Voice Control is on, you dictate through Voice Control. According to Apple, standard macOS Dictation is not available then.

How do I turn off dictation on a Mac?

Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard and turn Dictation off.

Sources

Everything said about Dictation was checked on Apple's pages on 10 October 2026.

Notes

inlaut is not affiliated with Apple. Mac, macOS and Siri are trademarks of Apple Inc. and are used here only to name the products. Menu names can change with new macOS versions; Apple's user guide is authoritative.

Something is out of date or missing? Write to hallo@inlaut.de and we will correct it.