SaypadHow to dictate on a Mac, step by step
Every Mac can turn your speech into text. You turn Dictation on once, put the cursor where you want the words, press a key and talk. This guide walks through the first setup, the keys to start and stop, punctuation, and the settings people usually miss.
Step 1: turn Dictation on
- Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Click Keyboard in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down.
- Find Dictation on the right and turn it on. If macOS asks, confirm.
- Check the language next to Dictation. Add a second one if you speak two.
That's a one-time step. While you're there, look at "Microphone source". If you use headphones or an external mic, pick it here, so Dictation doesn't listen through the laptop's built-in microphone across the room.
Step 2: start and stop
Click where you want the text to go, so the cursor is blinking in that field. Then start Dictation in one of three ways:
- press the fn key twice (the default shortcut);
- press the Microphone key in the top row, if your keyboard has one;
- choose Edit → Start Dictation in the menu bar.
Speak normally, in full sentences. To finish, press Escape, the Microphone key or the shortcut again. Dictation also stops by itself after 30 seconds without speech.
If the fn shortcut does nothing, the fn (🌐) key may be set to something else, like changing the input source or showing emoji. You can choose a different shortcut in the same Dictation settings, or create your own with Customize, for example Option-Z. Our guide to changing the dictation shortcut has the details.
Step 3: punctuation and new lines
Say the punctuation you want: "period", "comma", "question mark", "new line", "new paragraph". In many languages macOS also adds periods and commas on its own, and you can mix both. The full list of voice commands is in Mac dictation commands.
Step 4: read before you send
Dictation is good at everyday words and weaker with names, brands and jargon. Read the text once before you press Send. Fixing two words by hand is still much faster than typing the whole message.
Where it works
Apple Dictation works in any app where you can type: Mail, Notes, Messages, Pages, Word, Safari and most others. If nothing appears in one particular app, the problem is usually the text field, not your voice. Mac dictation not typing text explains why that happens and what to try.
When you dictate a lot
Built-in Dictation is fine for a message here and there. If you dictate long emails, notes or documents every day, a few things start to get in the way: the 30-second cut-off when you stop to think, names that come out wrong every time, and no record of what you said if the text didn't land.
That's what dictation apps add. Saypad is a free one. You hold fn (or right ⌘), talk as long as you need, let go, and the text appears at the cursor. Whisper runs on your Mac, so it works offline. Names and jargon go into Settings → Vocabulary. Every dictation is kept with its audio, so if a paste didn't land, nothing is lost. It doesn't rewrite your words. For long pieces, see how to dictate long text on a Mac; to compare options, voice typing on a Mac.
Next steps: change the dictation language or turn Dictation off if it keeps starting by accident.
Questions
What is the shortcut to dictate on a Mac?
By default you press the fn key twice. If your keyboard has a Microphone key in the top row, that works too, and so does Edit → Start Dictation in the menu bar. You can change the shortcut in System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation.
Does Mac dictation need the internet?
On a Mac with Apple silicon, Apple says dictation is processed on the device for many languages, with no internet connection. On Intel Macs and for some languages, speech is sent to Apple.
Why does dictation stop on its own?
Apple Dictation stops automatically after 30 seconds without speech. If you pause to think, start it again, or use an app that records only while you hold a key.
How do I add punctuation when dictating on a Mac?
Say it: "period", "comma", "question mark", "new line". In many languages macOS also adds punctuation automatically; our punctuation guide covers both.
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