When Mac dictation is not working, the cause is usually one of two things. Either the key you press isn't the shortcut set in System Settings, or Dictation is listening to a different microphone than the one you're speaking into. Open System Settings and search for "Dictation". Make sure it's turned on, note the Shortcut, and set Microphone source to the mic you actually use. If that doesn't fix it, work down the list below, which goes from the quickest fixes to the deepest.

Before you start, test in TextEdit. If dictation works there but not in your usual app, the problem is that app, not Dictation. Dictation also doesn't work in password fields.

Dictation not working on Mac: match the symptom to the fix

What you see Most likely cause Go to
Pressing the key does nothing, and no microphone icon appears Dictation is off, or you're pressing the wrong shortcut Check that Dictation is on and the shortcut matches
The microphone icon appears, but no text is typed Wrong microphone, or input level too low Choose the right microphone
It only works when you're online, or gets words badly wrong Language not supported on-device, or wrong language selected Check the language and on-device support
The Dictation option is missing or grayed out Screen Time or a work profile blocks it Check permissions and restrictions
It worked before and now does nothing A stuck background process Restart the dictation process
It starts, then stops mid-sentence Silence, focus changes or a dropping mic Why dictation stops after a few seconds

Check that Dictation is on and the shortcut matches

Symptom: you press the Dictation key (or double-press a key) and nothing happens.

Why: Dictation is off, the shortcut was changed, your keyboard doesn't have the key the shortcut uses, or another app catches the keystroke first.

  1. Open System Settings and click Keyboard. You can also type "Dictation" in the search field.
  2. Scroll to Dictation and turn it on. Confirm if macOS asks.
  3. Look at the Shortcut menu. That is the exact key or key combination macOS listens for.
  4. If your keyboard doesn't have that key (common with external and third-party keyboards), choose a different option in the menu, such as pressing Control twice.

To confirm it's a shortcut problem, click in a text field in TextEdit and choose Edit > Start Dictation from the menu bar. If that works but your shortcut doesn't, the shortcut is the problem.

Apps that watch your keyboard, such as launchers, key remappers or macro tools, can take over a double-press shortcut. Quit them one at a time and try again.

Choose the right microphone

Symptom: the microphone icon appears and seems to listen, but no text shows up, or only fragments do.

Why: with the microphone source set to automatic, macOS may pick a mic you aren't speaking into, such as a display or webcam mic, or an audio interface with its input turned down.

  1. Open System Settings, go to Keyboard, and scroll to Dictation.
  2. Open the Microphone source menu and pick the mic you're using instead of the automatic choice.
  3. Open System Settings > Sound and select the Input tab.
  4. Select the same microphone and speak. The input level meter should move.
  5. If the meter barely moves, drag the Input volume slider up.

If you use a Bluetooth headset, switch to a different mic for one test: the built-in microphone on a MacBook or iMac, or a wired mic on a Mac mini or Mac Studio (they have no built-in mic). If dictation works then, the headset or its connection is the cause.

Check the language and on-device support

Symptom: dictation fails when you're offline, or it types the wrong words as if it expects another language.

Why: on a Mac with Apple silicon, Dictation runs on your device for supported languages and doesn't need internet. On an Intel-based Mac, or in a language without on-device support, your speech is sent to Apple to process, so you need a working connection. Dictation also isn't available in every language or region.

  1. Open System Settings > Keyboard and scroll to Dictation.
  2. Click Edit next to Languages.
  3. Make sure the language and region you speak are selected. Remove the ones you don't use.
  4. If you just turned Dictation on or added a language, stay online for a few minutes in case your Mac needs to download files for it.

On an Intel Mac, check your internet connection first. A VPN or firewall that blocks the connection to Apple can stop Dictation from working.

Check permissions and restrictions

Symptom: the Dictation setting is missing, grayed out, or turns itself back off.

Why: Screen Time and device management profiles can both block Siri and Dictation.

  • Screen Time: open System Settings, click Screen Time, then Content & Privacy. Look through the app restrictions for a Siri & Dictation setting and allow it. If a parent or family organizer manages Screen Time through Family Sharing, they have to change it.
  • Work or school Macs: search System Settings for "Device Management". If you see a profile from your employer or school, it may disable Dictation. Only your IT team can change that, so ask them.
  • Third-party dictation apps: these need microphone access. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and turn the app on. Quit and reopen the app afterward.

If Voice Control is on, turn it off and test Dictation again, because the two features don't run together. See Voice Control vs Dictation on Mac for how they differ.

Restart the dictation process

Symptom: everything looks correct in settings and dictation worked before, but now it does nothing, or the icon appears and freezes.

Why: the background process that handles Dictation can get stuck.

  1. In System Settings > Keyboard, turn Dictation off, wait a few seconds, and turn it back on.
  2. If that doesn't help, open Activity Monitor (in Applications > Utilities) and type "dictation" in its search field.
  3. If a process with Dictation in its name appears, select it, click the stop button (the X) in the toolbar, and choose Quit.
  4. Restart your Mac.
  5. Still broken? Create a test user in System Settings > Users & Groups and try Dictation there. If it works in the new account, something in your own account (a login item or a key-watching app) is interfering.

Why dictation stops after a few seconds

If Dictation starts and then cuts out, one of these is usually why:

  • You paused. Dictation turns itself off after a stretch of silence. Keep speaking, or start it again.
  • Focus moved. Clicking into another window or switching apps can end the session.
  • The mic dropped out. Bluetooth headsets can disconnect or switch modes mid-session. Test with a different mic.
  • The input level is too low. If your voice barely registers, Dictation may treat it as silence. Raise Input volume in System Settings > Sound > Input.

For voice commands like "new line" and punctuation, see our Mac dictation commands list. For the full setup walkthrough, see how to use dictation on Mac.

A backup way to capture spoken notes

If you just need to get a thought down while Apple Dictation is broken, a separate app that records and transcribes on its own can help. We make Gubb, a notes app with a Speech to Text button that runs a Whisper model on your Mac. Once the model is downloaded, it works without internet.

It is not a replacement for Apple Dictation. Gubb only puts text into its own notes, not into other apps, and it has no dictation hotkey. Its local models handle English only and transcribe just the first 30 seconds of each recording, so speak in short chunks.

To set it up:

  1. In Gubb, move the pointer to the right edge of the window and click Settings, then open Voice to Text.
  2. Under Transcription Provider, choose Local Models.
  3. Under Available Models, click Download next to Whisper Small (480 MB). The progress bar may not move, so wait for the "Download Complete" message.
  4. Under Active Model, select the model you downloaded. If you skip this step, recording can fail until you restart Gubb.
  5. Close Settings, move to the right edge again, and click Speech to Text.
  6. Click the mic to start and speak for at least a couple of seconds, then click stop. The text appears at your cursor in the current note.

Gubb has no microphone picker. It records from your Mac's default input, so set that in System Settings > Sound > Input first. macOS asks for microphone access the first time you record. If you declined, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone, turn on Gubb, and reopen it.

To move the text elsewhere, press ⌘⇧C (Command-Shift-C) to copy the whole note as plain text. More on this workflow in how to dictate notes on Mac.

The direct download from the Gubb download page includes a 7-day free trial.

When to contact Apple

If Dictation still fails in TextEdit, in a new user account and with a different microphone, contact Apple Support. Apple's Dictation help page also covers the settings for your macOS version. Have this ready:

  • Your Mac model and whether it has Apple silicon or an Intel chip (Apple menu > About This Mac).
  • Your macOS version, shown in the same window.
  • The dictation language and the microphone you're using.
  • What happens exactly: no icon, icon with no text, or text that stops.
  • What you already tried from this page, including the test user result.