Guide
How to use speech to text on Mac
Your Mac can already type what you say. It’s called Dictation, it’s free, and it takes about a minute to set up. Here’s how, the voice commands worth knowing, and when an app does more.
Short answer: Open System Settings › Keyboard and turn on Dictation. Then click where you want to type, press the microphone key or your Dictation shortcut (for example, fn twice), or choose Edit › Start Dictation, and talk. Press Esc when you’re done. It’s free, works anywhere you can type, and stops on its own after 30 seconds of silence.
Steps from Apple’s Mac User Guide for macOS 27, read on 31 October 2026. Menus can differ slightly on older versions of macOS.
Set it up (about a minute)
- Turn it on. Apple menu › System Settings › Keyboard. Scroll to Dictation and turn it on.
- Pick a shortcut. In the same section, open the Shortcut menu. If your keyboard has a microphone key in the top row, that works too. “Press Fn (Function) Key Twice” is one of the options, and Customize lets you choose your own keys, such as Option-Z.
- Check the microphone. “Microphone source” shows which microphone Dictation listens to. Automatic picks the one you’re most likely to use.
- Add your languages. Click Edit next to Languages, then choose a language and region. You can add more than one.
Dictate
- Click where you want the words: an email, a note, a message, a document. Dictation works anywhere you can type.
- Press the microphone key or your shortcut, or choose Edit › Start Dictation. When the cursor highlights and pulses, or you hear a tone, your Mac is listening.
- Talk normally. On a Mac with Apple silicon you can keep typing while you speak; there’s no need to stop dictation first.
- Press Esc, the microphone key or your shortcut to stop. You can dictate for as long as you like: it only stops on its own after 30 seconds without speech.
Dictating in more than one language? Switch while you talk by clicking the language next to the cursor, or press the Globe key, if your keyboard has one, and choose it.
Voice commands worth knowing
| Say | You get |
|---|---|
| “new line” · “new paragraph” | A line break, or a new paragraph |
| “comma” · “period” · “question mark” | That punctuation. Auto-punctuation adds commas, periods and question marks for you in supported languages. |
| “open parenthesis” · “dash” · “ellipsis” · “at sign” | Those characters, and most other symbols by name |
| “caps on” … “caps off” | The phrase in between in Title Case |
| “all caps” | The next word in CAPITALS (“all caps on” … “all caps off” for a phrase) |
| “no space on” … “no space off” | The phrase in between with no spaces |
| “numeral” | The next phrase as a number |
| “tab key” | Moves to the next tab stop |
| “heart emoji” · “car emoji” | The emoji, in some languages |
From Apple’s list of dictation commands for macOS 27, which also covers currency, maths and other symbols.
Is it private?
- Check where it runs. In System Settings › Keyboard, the text under Dictation says whether your voice and transcripts for everyday dictation (messages and notes, for example, but not search boxes) are processed on your Mac and not sent to Siri servers.
- Recordings are opt-in. If “Improve Siri & Dictation” is on, Apple may store audio of your dictation and review a sample of it. Turn it off in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Analytics & Improvements.
New in macOS 27
With Apple Intelligence, dictation uses an on-device model to improve spelling, punctuation and capitalization. That’s in English, on Macs with an M3 chip or later and at least 12 GB of memory. On an M1 or M2, here’s what changes and what to use instead.
If it isn’t working
- Nothing happens when you press the shortcut: check Dictation is on, then try Edit › Start Dictation. If that works, another app may be using your shortcut; choose a different one with Customize.
- It doesn’t hear you: check “Microphone source” in Keyboard › Dictation, and pick the microphone you’re actually using.
- Voice Control is on: then you dictate through Voice Control, and standard Dictation isn’t available.
- Your language is missing: Dictation isn’t available in every language or region, and features vary.
When an app is worth it
Apple Dictation types what it hears, and it’s free and good. What it won’t do is turn a two-minute ramble into a tidy email in Mail or a structured prompt in ChatGPT. That’s the gap dictation apps fill:
- Apps that run on your Mac, so your voice stays on it: Precis ($39 once; it shapes the text for the app you’re in), VoiceInk ($25 once for one Mac, open source), Superwhisper’s local models, and Spokenly’s free on-device dictation.
- Cloud apps: Wispr Flow (its free plan warns you at 2,000 words a week on Mac and blocks new dictations above 5,000; Pro is $15 a month) and Granola’s voice typing (free and unlimited on every Granola plan while it’s in beta, and it needs internet). How those two compare.
Not sure? Start with Apple Dictation for a week. If you find yourself fixing the same things every time, here are the apps side by side.
Questions
How do I turn on speech to text on a Mac?
Open Apple menu › System Settings › Keyboard, scroll to Dictation and turn it on. Then click where you want to type and press the microphone key, your Dictation shortcut, or choose Edit › Start Dictation.
What is the keyboard shortcut for dictation on a Mac?
If your keyboard has a microphone key in the top row, press it. Otherwise use the shortcut set in System Settings › Keyboard › Dictation › Shortcut, such as pressing the fn key twice, or choose Customize to pick your own keys.
Is speech to text free on Mac?
Yes. Dictation is built into macOS and free to use, anywhere you can type.
How long can you dictate on a Mac?
As long as you like. Apple says there’s no time limit; dictation only stops on its own after 30 seconds without speech, or when you press Esc.
How do I add punctuation when dictating on a Mac?
Auto-punctuation adds commas, periods and question marks for you in supported languages. For anything else, say its name: “new line”, “open parenthesis”, “dash”, “exclamation mark”.
Does Mac dictation send my voice to Apple?
Check System Settings › Keyboard: the text under Dictation says whether everyday dictation is processed on your Mac and not sent to Siri servers. Apple only stores audio if “Improve Siri & Dictation” is turned on.
Try Precis free for 7 days
Hold ⌥ Space in any app and talk. No card and no account, then $39 once for 2 Macs.
Free for 7 days, no card. Needs macOS 26.5 on Apple silicon.