Turn on Dictation in macOS
- Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down).
- Go to Dictation, turn it on, then click Enable.
- If macOS asks whether to improve Siri and Dictation, choose Share Audio Recordings or Not Now. You can change this later in Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements.
- While you're in Keyboard > Dictation, check Languages (click Edit to add one) and Microphone source.
Start talking: Microphone key, shortcut or Edit menu
Click where you want the text. Then press the Microphone key in the top row of your keyboard if your Mac has one, press your Dictation shortcut, or choose Edit > Start Dictation. When the cursor pulses or you hear the tone, start talking.
- Press and release the Microphone key to dictate. Pressing and holding it calls Siri instead, if Siri is on.
- To use a different shortcut, go to Keyboard > Dictation > Shortcut. Choose Customize to set your own, such as Option-Z.
- To stop, press Escape, the Microphone key or your shortcut. Dictation also stops by itself after 30 seconds without speech.
- On a Mac with Apple silicon you can keep typing while Dictation listens. It picks up again when you stop typing.
Punctuation, new lines and quick fixes
- In supported languages, Dictation adds commas, periods and question marks for you. You can turn Auto-punctuation off in Keyboard > Dictation.
- Say "new line" or "new paragraph" to break up your text, or say a punctuation mark such as "exclamation mark".
- Say an emoji's name, like "heart emoji".
- A word underlined in blue is one Dictation wasn't sure about. Click it to pick an alternative.
Talk to text with SayDart on a MacBook
SayDart is a voice typing app for Mac (beta), Windows and Linux. Hold Right Option, talk, let go. Your words land at the cursor with the "um"s and restarts taken out and punctuation in place. It's up to 4x faster than typing.
- Clean text in your style. Pick Formal, Casual or Very casual, write your own rule in Custom, or choose Original to keep every word.
- Live transcript. Turn on Live transcription display and your words show above the capsule while you talk.
- Dictionary and Snippets. Add names and terms once so they come out right, and save a sign-off you can drop in with a short phrase.
- Voice translation. Press Right Shift + Right Option, speak, and get the translation at your cursor.
- History. Results are saved on your Mac, with the original text and switchable versions.
- SayDart Assistant. Select text, press Right Option + Space and ask about it.
Set up SayDart on your Mac
- Download the Apple Silicon or Intel .dmg (macOS 14.2 or later), open it and drag SayDart into Applications.
- Not notarized yet. If macOS blocks the first open, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway.
- Allow Microphone so SayDart can hear you, Input Monitoring so the Right Option shortcut works in any app, and Accessibility so it can put text into other apps.
- Sign in with your email, click into any text box, hold Right Option and talk.
Built-in Dictation or SayDart?
| macOS Dictation | SayDart for Mac | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Built into macOS | Free with an allowance every 7 days, or Pro |
| Start it | Microphone key, Dictation shortcut or Edit > Start Dictation | Hold Right Option (you can change it) |
| Punctuation | Auto-punctuation in supported languages, plus spoken punctuation | Added for you, while cleanup removes filler words and restarts |
| Internet | May need a connection; Keyboard settings show whether general dictation is processed on your Mac | Always needs an internet connection |
| Extras | Spoken commands for emoji, punctuation and new lines | Dictionary, Snippets, voice translation, History and the Assistant |
| Other computers | Mac only | The same app on Windows and Linux |
If you dictate a sentence now and then, built-in Dictation is already on your Mac. If you write long emails, messages or AI prompts by voice every day, give SayDart your next long one.
If Dictation stops working
Check that Dictation is on in Keyboard settings, that the right language and microphone are selected, and that Voice Control is off. When Voice Control is on, standard Dictation isn't available.
Official sources
The macOS Dictation steps are summarized from Apple's Mac User Guide, checked October 20, 2026. Menu names can change between macOS versions.