Claude
ChatGPT
Cursor
Slack
Mail
Google Docs
Microsoft Word
Apple NotesEvery Mac has speech to text (voice to text) built in. Apple calls it Dictation: it is free, it types wherever your cursor is, and you switch it on in System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation.
How to turn on speech to text (Dictation) on a Mac
- Open the Apple menu, then System Settings, then Keyboard in the sidebar.
- Scroll to Dictation, switch it on and click Enable when asked.
- Change the shortcut there if you want a different one.
Then put your cursor in any text field and start Dictation one of three ways: press the Microphone key if your keyboard has one, press the Dictation shortcut, or choose Edit > Start Dictation. Press Escape, the Microphone key or the shortcut again to stop. (Steps from Apple's Mac User Guide, checked 26 October 2026.)
The voice to text Mac shortcut
The Mac voice to text shortcut is set in System Settings > Keyboard, under Dictation, where you can change it to suit you. On keyboards with a Microphone key, a single press starts Dictation; pressing and holding that key starts Siri instead, according to Apple. Mac Dictation is press to start, press to stop. If you would rather hold a key while you talk and let go to finish, that is push to talk, which needs a third-party app; hold to talk vs toggle dictation explains the difference.
How to voice type on a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro
Voice typing on a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro or desktop Mac uses the same Dictation feature as every other Mac; there is no separate MacBook version. Turn it on under System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation, click into the text field, press the Microphone key or your Dictation shortcut, and talk. Apple says there is no length limit, but Dictation stops on its own after 30 seconds without speech.
Voice typing on a Mac: three ways
On a Mac, "voice typing" can mean three different things: macOS Dictation, Google Docs voice typing, or a dictation app. They work in different places and give you different text.
| Mac Dictation | Google Docs voice typing | Speaky Box (ours) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it types | Any app with a text field | Google Docs, and Slides speaker notes | Any app with a text field |
| How you start it | Microphone key, shortcut or Edit > Start Dictation | Tools > Voice typing, then the microphone | Hold a key you choose |
| Punctuation | Commas, full stops and question marks added in supported languages | Spoken (say "comma", "period") | Added for you |
| Ums and false starts | Not removed | Not removed | Removed |
| Cost | Free | Free | Speaky Box: 2,000 words a week free, Pro £8.99 a month |
Sources: Apple, Dictate messages and documents on Mac; Google, Type and edit with your voice; speakybox.com/pricing. All checked 26 October 2026.
Google Docs voice typing on a Mac
Google Docs voice typing works on a Mac in the latest Chrome, Edge and Safari: open the document, choose Tools > Voice typing and click the microphone. Google's help covers it for Docs and Slides speaker notes only, so it will not type into Mail, Slack or Word. The Google Docs voice typing on Mac guide has the setup, the voice commands and the fixes.
Voice to text in Word on a Mac
Mac Dictation types into a Word document like any other text field: click into the page and press your Dictation shortcut. Word also has its own Dictate button; the dictate in Word on Mac page compares the two.
Does Mac dictation remove ums?
No. Mac Dictation and Google Docs voice typing give you a transcript: the words you said, in the order you said them. Say "um, can you, uh, send me the deck, no, the new deck, before Thursday" and the ums, the "no" and both decks land in the message, with Mac Dictation adding commas and a question mark. Speaky Box removes the ums and false starts and types "Can you send me the new deck before Thursday?", ready to send.
What Mac speech to text is good at
Mac speech to text is free, already installed, and fine for a sentence in Notes or a quick reply in Messages. It adds commas, full stops and question marks for you in supported languages, and Apple's Keyboard settings tell you whether your dictation is processed on your Mac rather than sent to Apple's servers.
Mac dictation problems
Mac Dictation types what you said, literally. Ums, false starts and "no, actually" all go in.
Paragraphs are on you. macOS adds commas, full stops and question marks in supported languages, but you still say "new line" or "new paragraph" and most other marks. Mac dictation punctuation lists what you still say.
Names and jargon can come out wrong. Mac Dictation has no word list you fill in yourself, so product names, colleagues and technical terms are spelt however it hears them; custom vocabulary for dictation covers the ways round it.
Mac Dictation writes the same way in every app. A Slack message and a Claude prompt come out identical.
Free voice to text on Mac
The free voice to text options on a Mac are Mac Dictation (built in, every app), Google Docs voice typing (free, Docs and Slides only) and the free plans of dictation apps. Free online speech to text sites also work, but they type into a box on their own page that you copy from; the Speechnotes and SpeechTexter guides cover those.
- Speaky Box (ours): 2,000 words a week free, no card, in every app.
- Wispr Flow: 2,000 words a week free on desktop.
- Superwhisper: free plan with unlimited dictation using local Whisper models.
Free plans checked on each maker's pricing page on 26 October 2026.
Speech to text apps for Mac
A speech to text app for Mac replaces Dictation when you want finished text instead of a transcript. Speaky Box (we make it) sends your speech to a speech model, then a language model, and types finished text where your cursor is: punctuated, ums removed, names spelt from a Words list you control. You hold a key to talk, it works in every app, and a second key writes a proper prompt in Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor and an email in Mail. Free for 2,000 words a week; Pro is £8.99 a month. If you want speech processed on your Mac instead, the Wispr Flow alternatives page compares apps with local models.
The Speaky Box vs Mac dictation comparison has the side-by-side table.
Common questions
Does a Mac have voice to text? Yes. Every Mac has Dictation built in; turn it on in System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation and it types into any app with a text field.
How do I turn off voice typing on my Mac? Press Escape, the Microphone key or your Dictation shortcut to stop Dictation mid-sentence. To turn it off completely, switch Dictation off in System Settings > Keyboard.
Why isn't voice typing working on my Mac? Check that Dictation is switched on in System Settings > Keyboard and that your Mac is using the right microphone in System Settings > Sound > Input. Dictation not working on Mac has the fixes by symptom.
Does Mac dictation work offline? It depends on your language. Apple's guide says the text under Dictation in Keyboard settings tells you whether your dictation is processed on your Mac and not sent to Apple's servers, so check there for your language.
Why does my Mac dictation stop after a few seconds? Mac Dictation has no length limit, but Apple says it stops automatically after 30 seconds without speech. If it stops sooner, the Mac dictation fix guide covers the other causes.
Is there a free on-device voice typing option for Mac? Mac Dictation is free, and Keyboard settings say whether it processes your language on the Mac. Among apps, Superwhisper's free plan runs local Whisper models (superwhisper.com, checked 26 October 2026).
Can I dictate into Word or Google Docs on a Mac? Yes. Mac Dictation types into both, Google Docs also has its own voice typing in Chrome, Edge and Safari, and Speaky Box works in Google Docs in any browser and in Word.