Mac dictation not working? How to fix it

Checked on October 17, 2026, against Apple's Mac User Guide: If Dictation on Mac doesn't work as expected and Dictate messages and documents on Mac. Menu names can change between macOS versions; Apple's pages have the latest.

Dictation won't start

1. Make sure Dictation is on. Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Keyboard in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down), go to Dictation, and turn it on. If you're asked, click Enable.
2. Check the shortcut you're pressing. In the same place, the Shortcut pop-up menu shows which keys start Dictation. Choose another, or choose Customize and press the keys you want. You can also start it with Edit > Start Dictation in most apps.
3. Check the language and region. In Keyboard settings, under Dictation, click Edit next to Languages and choose the language and region you speak.

It starts but doesn't hear you

4. Pick the right microphone. In Keyboard settings, under Dictation, use the pop-up menu next to Microphone source. Automatic uses the one you're most likely to use; if you have a headset or a USB microphone, choose it by name. A Mac without a built-in microphone needs an external one connected and selected.
5. Turn up the input volume. For an external microphone, choose Apple menu > System Settings > Sound > Input and raise the input volume.
6. Uncover the microphone. Clothing, your hand, or something on the desk can block it. Apple's Getting Started guide for your Mac shows where the built-in microphone is.

It gets words wrong

7. Sit and speak normally. Sit as you usually do at your Mac, and speak clearly at a moderate volume.
8. Cut the noise. Background noise and echoey rooms make mistakes more likely. A headset microphone helps.
9. Check your internet connection. Dictation may need one. Look in Apple menu > System Settings > Network. The text under Dictation in Keyboard settings tells you whether your dictation is processed on your Mac or sent to Siri servers; if it's sent, a weak connection can be the problem.

It stops on its own

Apple Dictation has no time limit on how long you talk, but it stops by itself after 30 seconds with no speech. Pause to think for longer than that and you'll need to start it again. Pressing Esc, the Microphone key, or your Dictation shortcut also stops it.

Still not working? OliType does far more than Apple Dictation

Fixes like these can get Apple Dictation working again, but it stays a basic tool. OliType is built for people who dictate every day, and it does a lot that Apple Dictation doesn't: it remembers every word you've dictated, learns the words it gets wrong, works from any key, mouse button, or foot pedal, and can polish your text with optional AI cleanup, all on your Mac. Try it free for 30 days, with no account and no card. Press your hotkey, talk, and it types what you say into any app.

• Always on your Mac. Speech becomes text on your Mac with NVIDIA Parakeet, after a one-time model download during setup, so it works offline and never uploads your voice.
• A hotkey you choose. Any key, a middle or side mouse button, or a foot pedal, used four ways: Double-tap, Tap, Hold, or Tap or hold.
• Exact fixes. Add a fix once for a word it keeps getting wrong ("Jon" to "John"), and it's corrected every time.
• Nothing lost. Every dictation is kept as searchable text on your Mac, Esc cancels before anything is typed, and Restore brings a cancelled dictation back for a day.
• Polished text, still private. The optional, free AI cleanup tidies punctuation and follows spoken cues like "new paragraph", and it runs on your Mac too.
• No keyboard needed. A floating Dictate button works with just a mouse, and never takes focus from your app.

It needs a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or newer) and macOS 15 or later. If you keep it, it's $19 once for 1 Mac or $29 for up to 3. For a full side-by-side, see OliType vs. Apple Dictation, or download the free trial.