Dictation not working on Mac? Fixes by symptom

When dictation is not working on a Mac, the cause is usually one of four things: Dictation is switched off, you’re pressing a different shortcut from the one set, the wrong microphone is chosen, or Voice Control is on. Check System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation first. That one screen holds the on switch, the Shortcut menu and the Microphone source menu. If Dictation works everywhere except one app, skip to the sections on Word, Google Docs and Chrome or Terminal.

The fixes are the same on a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac or Mac mini.

Why is dictation not working on my Mac?

Find your symptom in the table below. Nothing happening on the shortcut, no Dictation at all, cutting out after a pause and wrong words each have a different cause and a different fix in System Settings. Every setting path below comes from Apple’s, Microsoft’s or Google’s own help pages, read on 23 October 2026.

How do I get Dictation to work on my Mac?

To get Dictation working on a Mac, open System Settings, click Keyboard in the sidebar and turn on Dictation. Then click where you want the text, press the Microphone key (if your keyboard has one), press your Dictation shortcut or choose Edit > Start Dictation, and speak once you hear the tone or see the cursor pulse.

1. Turn it on. Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard, then Dictation. When you first turn it on, macOS asks whether Apple may store audio from Siri and Dictation. You can say no and change this later in Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements.
2. Check the shortcut. In the same Dictation section, open the Shortcut menu and pick one, or choose Customise and press your own keys. Changing it can also change the “Press fn/Globe key to” option in Keyboard settings, so check that too.
3. Pick the microphone. Use the Microphone source menu. Automatic uses the device you’re most likely to use, which isn’t always the one you want.
4. Set the language. Click Edit next to Languages and add the one you speak. With more than one language, switch by clicking the language indicator next to the cursor or pressing the Globe key.
5. Click into a text field first. Apple’s steps start with placing the insertion point in an app. Dictation types where that cursor is.

Stop dictating with Escape, the Microphone key or your shortcut. Blue underlines mark words macOS wasn’t sure about. Click one to pick an alternative.

Why did my Dictation stop working?

When Mac Dictation worked before and now doesn’t, something in its settings has usually changed. The common ones are Voice Control being turned on, which disables standard Dictation, a new shortcut, a different microphone picked by the Microphone source menu, or a lost internet connection if your Mac sends dictation to Siri servers.

• Voice Control. Apple says that when Voice Control is on, you dictate with Voice Control and standard macOS Dictation isn’t available. Check System Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control.
• Shortcut. Open System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation and look at the Shortcut menu. Press exactly that.
• Microphone. If you’ve plugged in or unplugged a headset, a display or another mic, check which one Microphone source is using.
• Internet. Apple says you may need an internet connection. Check System Settings > Network. The note under Dictation in Keyboard settings says whether your general text dictation is processed on your Mac or sent to Siri servers. That note doesn’t cover dictation in a search box.
• Language and region. Apple lists the wrong language or region as a cause. Check Languages in Dictation settings.

Dictation stops after a few seconds

Mac Dictation stops by itself after 30 seconds without detected speech. Apple says there’s no time limit while you keep talking, so if Dictation cuts out, it most likely stopped hearing you. Start it again, and if it stops while you’re still talking, check the microphone and input volume in System Settings > Sound > Input.

Dictation can’t tell a very quiet voice from silence, so check the input level in Sound > Input before blaming the app. Apple’s advice is to keep the microphone clear, sit as you normally would and speak clearly at a moderate volume.

Mac dictation not working with an external microphone

An external microphone that Mac Dictation ignores is a source setting: Dictation is still listening to another mic. Go to System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation and choose the external mic from the Microphone source menu, rather than Automatic. Then open System Settings > Sound > Input, select the same mic and raise its input volume if your Mac isn’t responding.

• A Mac without a built-in microphone needs an external one before Dictation can work. Apple says to connect it and select it in Sound or Keyboard settings.
• On a Mac with a single sound port, that port takes a headset with a built-in microphone (stereo out, mono in).
• In Sound > Input, a display with its own microphone shows up as “[Mac model] Microphone”, and an iPhone microphone can appear too. Make sure you’ve picked the one you’re actually speaking into.
• In a noisy or echoey room, Apple suggests a headset microphone.

Why does Mac dictation get my words wrong?

Mac Dictation mishears most often when the language is wrong, the room is noisy or echoey, or the microphone is blocked or far away. Check the language under Languages in System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation, move somewhere quieter or use a headset, and click any word with a blue underline to choose what you actually said.

Names and specialist terms are a separate problem. We found no way to add your own words in Apple’s Dictation help pages (checked 23 October 2026), so a colleague’s surname or a product name can come out wrong. Our guide to fixing names spelt wrong in dictation covers the options. If the problem is commas and full stops, see Mac dictation punctuation: automatic punctuation is on by default in supported languages and can be switched off with Auto-punctuation in Dictation settings.

Dictation not working on Mac in Word

Word on a Mac has two different dictation tools, and they fail for different reasons. Mac Dictation works in Word like in any other app, using your shortcut or Edit > Start Dictation. Word’s own Dictate button, on the Home tab, is a Microsoft feature: Microsoft says it is only available to Microsoft 365 subscribers and needs you signed in, a microphone and a reliable internet connection.

If Mac Dictation works in other apps but not Word, click inside the document so the cursor is in the text, then try again. If it’s Word’s Dictate button that won’t work, go through Microsoft’s checks:

• No Dictate button. Check you have an active Microsoft 365 subscription and are signed in. Microsoft’s page lists Word for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Word 2024 for Mac and Word 2021 for Mac.
• Dictate is greyed out. Microsoft says to make sure the file isn’t read-only.
• “We don’t have access to your microphone”. Close other apps that are using the microphone. On the Mac side, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and check the switch for Microsoft Word is on.
• “Dictation can’t hear you”. Check the mic isn’t muted, adjust the input level in System Settings > Sound > Input, move somewhere quieter or try a headset.

We’ve written a longer guide to dictating in Word on Mac.

Mac dictation not working in Google Docs or Chrome

Google Docs has its own voice typing, separate from Mac Dictation. Google says it works in the latest versions of Chrome, Edge and Safari. Open the document, choose Tools > Voice typing, and click the microphone box to start and again to stop. When it can’t hear you, the cause is usually microphone permission in the browser or on the Mac.

1. Allow the microphone in Chrome. Chrome’s three-dot menu > Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Microphone. If Google Docs is under the sites not allowed to use your microphone, open it and change the permission to Allow.
2. Allow Chrome on the Mac. System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone, then turn on the switch for Google Chrome (or Safari or Edge). If your Mac asks you to quit Chrome, follow the prompt, or restart Chrome.
3. “We’re having trouble hearing you”. Google suggests a quieter room, an external microphone or a different input volume.
4. Mic still silent. Google’s list: check the mic isn’t broken, is plugged in and isn’t in use by another app, then restart your computer.
5. No Voice typing in the menu. On a work or school account, your administrator may have turned it off.

Voice commands such as “Undo” only work in English, and only when both your account and the document language are English. More on Google Docs voice typing on Mac.

Mac dictation not working in Terminal

Terminal needs no special setting for Mac Dictation: click on the command line, then press your Dictation shortcut or choose Edit > Start Dictation. We found no Terminal-only cause in Apple’s Dictation help pages (checked 23 October 2026), so if nothing appears, test Dictation in Notes first. If it fails there too, the fixes above apply.

If Dictation works in Notes but not in Terminal, check that the Terminal window is in front and the cursor is on the command line, not in another pane or app. Dictated text lands as typed characters, so read the command before you press Return. If you’re dictating prompts into Claude Code, which has its own /voice command, read our guide to dictating into Terminal and Claude Code.

When a dictation app helps, and when it doesn’t

A separate dictation app won’t fix a broken microphone, a mic that’s switched off in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone, or a noisy room. Fix those first using the steps above. Where an app helps is with what built-in Dictation keeps: ums, false starts, names spelt wrong, and text that needs tidying before you send it.

We make Speaky Box, so take this with that in mind. You hold a key, talk, let go, and finished text appears where your cursor is, in every app, Terminal included. It removes ums and false starts. The Smart key adapts what it writes to the app in front, for example a structured prompt in Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor. A Words list keeps your custom names and terms spelt right. It’s free for 2,000 words a week, and Pro is £8.99 a month. See Speaky Box vs Mac Dictation for a side-by-side, or speech to text on Mac for every option, built in or not.

Sources, read 23 October 2026: Apple, If Dictation on Mac doesn’t work as expected, Use Dictation on Mac, Control access to the microphone on Mac, Change the sound input settings on Mac and Use Voice Control commands; Microsoft, Dictate your documents in Word and Using dictation; Google, Type & edit with your voice and Use your camera and microphone in Chrome.