Check, in this order: Dictation is on in System Settings > Keyboard, you are using the right shortcut, Voice Control is off, the language is correct, the microphone is selected and unobstructed, and whether the Mac needs a connection. Apple's older and related pages also list Screen Time and managed-device restrictions that can block Dictation entirely.
Start with the quick checks
Apple's page "If Dictation on Mac doesn't work as expected" starts with the setting itself, then the language and region, then the shortcut. Voice Control is not on that checklist for macOS 27, but Apple's Dictation page says standard Dictation is unavailable while Voice Control is on, so it belongs here too.
- Open the Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard, scroll to Dictation and confirm it is turned on. If you just turned it on, click Enable. This path is the same for Ventura 13, Sonoma 14, Sequoia 15, Tahoe 26 and macOS 27.
- Use the correct shortcut. In the same Dictation settings, the Shortcut pop-up menu is where you choose it. Apple's keyboard-shortcuts article lists Fn-D as start or stop dictation and says another shortcut may be set in Keyboard settings.
- If your Mac has a Microphone key in the function-key row, press and release it to start Dictation. Pressing and holding it activates Siri instead, so a long press will not dictate.
- Turn off Voice Control: System Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control. While it is on, Apple says you use Voice Control to dictate and standard Dictation is not available. Ventura 13's page puts it more bluntly: you can't use Dictation.
- Check the language. In macOS 27, System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation > Edit next to Languages, then select your language and region. Sonoma 14 calls this language and dialect, and Ventura 13 uses a Language pop-up menu.
Check the microphone
This is the longest part of Apple's checklist. Dictation needs to hear you, so Apple lists the microphone and the room together.
- Source: in Keyboard > Dictation, the pop-up next to Microphone source shows which device your Mac is using. Automatic means it listens to the device you are most likely to use.
- External microphone: make sure it is connected and selected in Sound or Keyboard settings. A Mac without an internal microphone needs one.
- Volume: in System Settings > Sound > Input, drag the input volume slider and make sure it is sufficient.
- Obstruction: Apple says the microphone must not be blocked by objects such as clothing or your body while you speak.
- Voice: speak clearly, at a volume that is not too quiet or too loud, positioned as you normally use the Mac.
- Noise: avoid background noise and echo. Apple says a headset microphone may help in a noisy room.
Check the connection
Apple's current checklist says you may need an internet connection and points you to the text below Dictation in Keyboard settings to see whether your setup processes speech on the device or on Apple's servers. To check the network, go to System Settings > Network.
Apple's Ventura 13 and Sonoma 14 pages go further: on a Mac with Apple silicon, Dictation requests are processed on the device for supported languages with no internet connection required. The Sonoma 14 page adds that Intel Macs and languages without on-device support send utterances to Apple. The macOS 15, 26 and 27 pages do not repeat that statement. Our guide to offline dictation on Mac covers this in full.
If Dictation will not turn on or is blocked
Some Macs have Dictation switched off by a person or an organisation. Apple's pages describe three places.
- Screen Time: Content & Privacy > App & Feature Restrictions > Allowed has a Siri & Dictation toggle that can prevent use. Apple's Ventura 13 troubleshooting page says Screen Time Content & Privacy Restrictions may be preventing you from using Dictation.
- Family Sharing: Apple's Siri page says a Family Sharing organiser can restrict access to Siri & Dictation on a child's device.
- Managed Macs: Apple's deployment guide lists a Modify Dictation restriction for supervised devices, under which users can't use dictation. On a work or school Mac, ask whoever manages it.
If it stops by itself
Dictation stops automatically when it detects no speech for 30 seconds. Apple says you can dictate text of any length without a timeout, so a pause of 30 seconds ends it.
To stop it on purpose, macOS 27 uses the Escape key, the Microphone key or the Dictation shortcut. Sonoma 14 uses the shortcut or Escape, and Ventura 13 uses the shortcut, Return or Done in the feedback window.
What Apple's pages do not say
Apple's Dictation troubleshooting pages do not recommend restarting the Mac or turning Dictation off and on. They give no advice about third-party apps, and they do not list error messages or symptoms such as a greyed-out Dictation switch beyond the Screen Time note above.
Microphone permission is also not mentioned. Apple's general microphone page says you can turn access on or off for each app in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone. It does not say Dictation needs that permission, so we cannot tell you it does.
If you want more than the built-in tool
If Apple's Dictation keeps falling short for your voice or your text, Pepys Dictate is a Mac app that turns speech into clean text where your cursor is, with recognition and formatting running on your Mac and no account needed. It needs an Apple silicon Mac. How it compares with Apple Dictation lists where each one is the better choice.
Last updated October 5, 2026.