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Change Keyboard Dictation preferences on Mac
On your Mac, use Dictation preferences to turn on Dictation and choose a language and keyboard shortcut to use when you dictate. Learn how to use keyboard dictation.
To open Dictation preferences, choose Apple menu
Open the Dictation pane for me
Option | Description | ||||||||||
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Microphone | Click the pop-up menu below the microphone icon, then choose a microphone. If you choose Automatic, your Mac listens to the device you’re most likely to use for keyboard dictation. | ||||||||||
Dictation | Turn keyboard dictation on and off. | ||||||||||
Language | Choose a language. Keyboard dictation is not available in all languages. If you don’t see the language you want in the pop-up menu, choose Add Language or Customize to download it. You can download multiple languages. If you no longer want to use a language you downloaded, you can remove it. Click the Language pop-up menu, choose Customize, then deselect the language you don’t want to use. | ||||||||||
Shortcut | Click the Shortcut pop-up menu, then choose a shortcut to start dictation. To create your own shortcut, click the Shortcut pop-up menu, choose Customize, then press the keys you want to use. For example, you could press Option-Z. Note: When you choose a dictation keyboard shortcut, depending on your Mac model, the “Press Fn key to” or “Press | ||||||||||
About Dictation & Privacy | Click to learn when keyboard dictation may send things you say and other information to Apple to process your requests and how you can control what data is stored. |
To share or stop sharing audio recordings with Apple at any time, select or deselect the Improve Siri & Dictation checkbox in the Analytics & Improvements section of Privacy preferences in Security & Privacy. See Change Privacy preferences.