This guide covers Windows and Mac computers, not phones. Pick your computer below. The facts about each system come from Microsoft’s and Apple’s own help pages, read on 6 November 2026.
How to do voice to text on Windows
- Click into a text box, such as a document or an email.
- Press the Windows key + H. A small voice typing menu opens (Windows 10 calls it the dictation toolbar).
- Speak. Your words are typed at the cursor.
- Say “period” or “comma” to add punctuation.
- To stop, say “stop dictation” or select the microphone button again.
You need the internet and a microphone. The shortcut is the same on Windows 10 and 11; Windows 11 has more languages and settings. For those settings and more fixes, see our Windows voice typing guide.
How to do voice to text on a Mac
- Open the Apple menu, then System Settings.
- Click Keyboard in the sidebar.
- Go to Dictation, switch it on and click Enable.
- Click into a text box. Press the Microphone key if your keyboard has one, press the Dictation shortcut set in Keyboard settings, or choose Edit, then Start Dictation.
- Speak when the cursor is highlighted and pulsing.
- Press Escape, the Microphone key or your shortcut to stop.
Apple says Dictation stops by itself after 30 seconds without speech, and that it is not available in every language or region. Our guide to Apple Dictation on a Mac goes further.
Shortcuts and settings side by side
| Windows | Mac | |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in tool | Voice typing | Dictation |
| Start | Windows key + H | Microphone key, your Dictation shortcut, or Edit, Start Dictation |
| Stop | Say “stop dictation”, or select the microphone button | Escape, Microphone key, or your shortcut |
| Turn the feature on | Nothing to turn on; use the shortcut | System Settings, Keyboard, Dictation |
| Needs internet | Yes | Apple says to check a setting for whether it is processed on your Mac |
| Automatic punctuation | Windows 11: gear icon on the menu. Windows 10: say it | Added in supported languages; can be switched off |
Sources: Microsoft’s voice typing page and Apple’s Dictation guide for Mac, both read on 6 November 2026. Apple’s guide does not name a fixed default key, which is why the table says “your Dictation shortcut”.
Tips for better results
- Talk in full sentences at a steady pace.
- Keep the microphone close and the room as quiet as you can.
- Say punctuation out loud, such as “comma”, “period” or “question mark”, or switch on automatic punctuation if your tool has it.
- Read what was typed before you send it. Names and unusual words are the most likely to be wrong.
How to turn off voice typing or dictation
- Windows: say “stop dictation” or select the microphone button again. On Windows 11, the menu’s gear icon also has a Voice typing launcher setting, which Microsoft says lets you start voice typing quickly in a text box; switch it off if you don’t want that.
- Mac: press Escape to stop. To turn the whole feature off, go back to System Settings, Keyboard, Dictation and switch it off.
If it still doesn’t work
- Click into a text box first. Nothing is typed without a cursor.
- Check your connection on Windows. Voice typing needs the internet.
- Check microphone permission. On Windows 11: Settings, Privacy & security, Microphone. On Windows 10: Settings, Privacy, Microphone. Microsoft’s page has separate switches for desktop apps and Microsoft Store apps.
- Pick the right microphone. On Windows, Settings, System, Sound, then Input (Windows 11 has a “Start test” button there). On a Mac, Keyboard settings, Dictation, “Microphone source”.
- Check the language. On a Mac, in Keyboard settings under Dictation, click Edit next to Languages. Apple says some languages are not supported.
Still stuck? Our voice to text not working guide goes through the fixes in order.
When a dictation app is worth it, and when it isn’t
Built-in dictation is already on your computer and good for short notes. If it types what you need, stay with it.
A dictation app is worth it if you dictate every day, in many apps, and want the same shortcut everywhere. Our guide to choosing a voice to text app lists what to check. Talkativ is one option: it types in any app where you can write, using Ctrl + Space on Windows, ⌥ Option + Space on a Mac to start and again to stop. It adds punctuation and capital letters by default, leaves out “um” and “uh”, has a Vocabulary list for names, and works in 100 languages, highly accurate in 56. The Free plan is 2,200 words a week with no card, and the How to use page shows every step.
What it does not do: it needs the internet, so no offline use. It does not transcribe audio or video files. It has no phone app. It is press once to start and press again to stop, not hold to talk, and the shortcuts are fixed.
Talkativ is for Windows and Mac: see Talkativ for Windows or Talkativ for Mac.