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 > System Preferences, click Keyboard, then click Dictation.
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 to” option in the Keyboard pane of Keyboard System Preferences may change automatically. For example, if you choose Press Fn (Function) Key Twice in the Dictation Shortcut option, the Keyboard option changes to Start Dictation (Press Fn Twice) automatically. | ||||||||||
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.