Source: https://saypad.app/turn-off-dictation-mac # How to turn off Dictation on a Mac Open System Settings β†’ Keyboard, scroll to Dictation and switch it off. If your real problem is the microphone popping up when you press a key, the steps below deal with that too, and you can keep Dictation available if you want it. ## Turn Dictation off - Choose Apple menu β†’ System Settings. - Click Keyboard in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down. - Go to Dictation and turn it off. That's it. You can turn it back on from the same place, and your Mac will ask you to confirm with Enable. ## Keep Dictation, but stop accidental starts Most people searching for this just keep triggering it. Two settings control the keys: - **Shortcut.** Under Keyboard β†’ Dictation, open the Shortcut pop-up menu and pick something you won't hit by chance, or choose Customize and press your own combination, such as Option-Z. - **Press 🌐 key to.** Also under Keyboard. Set it to Do Nothing if you keep pressing fn by accident. Apple notes that choosing a Dictation shortcut can change this option by itself, so check it again afterwards. Keyboards with a Microphone key in the top row start Dictation when you press it, whatever shortcut you've set. Apple's guide doesn't list a way to reassign it. [The Mac dictation shortcut guide](change-dictation-shortcut-mac) goes through the options. ## End a session that's already running Press Escape, the Microphone key or your Dictation shortcut. If you do nothing, Dictation stops after 30 seconds without speech. ## If it isn't actually Dictation Voice Control is a separate feature. When it's on, it handles your dictating, and standard Dictation isn't available. If your Mac keeps reacting to your voice, go to System Settings β†’ Accessibility β†’ Voice Control and turn it off, or say β€œStop listening” to pause it. [Voice Control vs Dictation](voice-control-vs-dictation-mac) explains the difference. ## Related settings - **Auto-punctuation:** Keyboard β†’ Dictation β†’ Auto-punctuation, if you only dislike the commas and periods it adds. - **Sharing audio with Apple:** Privacy & Security β†’ Analytics & Improvements β†’ Improve Siri & Dictation. ## Turning it off because it doesn't work well? If you turned Dictation off because it keeps making mistakes on names or stops when you pause, a dictation app may suit you better. Saypad, which we make, is free. It only records while you hold fn and stops when you let go. If you do want to keep Apple's dictation, use a different key for each. Saypad needs an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 15 or later. Steps from Apple's Mac User Guide, checked 6 November 2026. Menu names can vary slightly between macOS versions. ## Questions **How do I stop Dictation right now?** Press Escape, the Microphone key if your keyboard has one, or your Dictation shortcut. It also stops by itself after 30 seconds with no speech. **Why does Dictation keep starting by itself?** Usually a shortcut you hit by accident, such as pressing fn twice. Change the shortcut under Keyboard β†’ Dictation, and check what the β€œPress 🌐 key to” option does, since the two settings affect each other. **Why is the microphone still listening with Dictation off?** Look for Voice Control, which is a separate feature that takes over dictating text. Turn it off under System Settings β†’ Accessibility β†’ Voice Control. Other apps may be using the microphone too. You can check them in Privacy & Security β†’ Microphone. **How do I stop my Mac sharing dictation audio with Apple?** Open System Settings β†’ Privacy & Security β†’ Analytics & Improvements and turn off Improve Siri & Dictation.