This page is for Apple’s Dictation on a Mac. On a Windows PC, see voice to text not working: Windows and Mac fixes.
Mac dictation not working: check these first
Each step below comes from Apple’s guides for macOS 27, which we read on 6 November 2026. Menu names can differ on older versions.
- Is Dictation on? Open Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard, then go to Dictation. Turn it on and click Enable if you are asked.
- Is the language right? On the same screen, click Edit next to Languages and choose your language and region. Apple says Dictation is not available in every language or region.
- Are you using the right shortcut? The same screen shows your Dictation shortcut. You can also start from the menu bar with Edit > Start Dictation. If that works, the shortcut is the problem. Our Mac dictation shortcut guide shows how to set it.
- Is the cursor in a text box? Apple says you can dictate anywhere you can type, so click into the place you want the words, then start Dictation.
- Is your Mac online? Open System Settings > Network and check the connection.
Check the microphone
Apple lists several microphone checks.
- Open System Settings > Sound and click Input.
- Choose the microphone you want from the list. It can be the built-in one, a display’s, an external one plugged into your Mac, or your iPhone.
- Check the input volume slider is high enough. Apple’s troubleshooting page asks you to check this especially for an external microphone.
- If your Mac has no built-in microphone, make sure an external one is connected and chosen.
- Make sure nothing covers the microphone, such as clothing.
- You can also choose a microphone for Dictation alone: System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation > Microphone source.
- Speak clearly at a normal volume. In a noisy room, Apple suggests a headset microphone.
Check the app’s permission to use the microphone
If one app cannot hear you, it may not be allowed to use the microphone.
- Open System Settings and click Privacy & Security in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down).
- Click Microphone.
- Turn on the switch for the app in the list.
Apple’s page also says the recording indicator in Control Center shows when the microphone is in use or was used recently.
If it still doesn’t work
- Try a headset or another microphone. Apple suggests a headset in a noisy room, and it also rules out a faulty built-in microphone.
- Switch Dictation off, then on again, under Keyboard > Dictation.
- Try dictating in a different app, such as Notes. If it works there, look at the first app.
- Restart your Mac and try again.
- Then Apple’s own page is the next stop: If Dictation on Mac doesn’t work as expected.
Switching off and on, trying another app and restarting are general good practice, not steps on Apple’s page.
When is a dictation app worth it?
If the cause is the microphone or a permission, a dictation app will not rescue it: it uses the same microphone and asks for the same kind of permission. Fix the basics above first.
If Apple’s Dictation works but does not suit you, a dictation app may. Talkativ for Mac asks for two permissions: Microphone, so it can hear you, and Accessibility, so it can type into other apps. If either is off, switch it on under System Settings > Privacy & Security. You press Ctrl + Space on Windows, ⌥ Option + Space on a Mac to start and again to stop. It adds punctuation and capital letters by default, and the Free plan gives 2,200 words a week.
Talkativ does not work offline, does not transcribe audio files, has no phone app, and has fixed shortcuts. If you need any of those, look at another tool. Talkativ for Mac has the full picture, and how to dictate on a Mac covers the basics.