Change Voice Control settings for accessibility on Mac
On your Mac, use Voice Control settings to enable Voice Control so you can edit text and control your Mac by speaking commands to it, select the commands to use, and add custom words or phrases to a vocabulary list. Learn how to use Voice Control.
To change these settings, choose Apple menu 
in the sidebar, then click Voice Control on the right. (You may need to scroll down.)
Open Voice Control settings for me
Option | Description |
|---|---|
Voice Control | Turn Voice Control on or off. The first time you turn on Voice Control, files for the selected language are downloaded to your Mac (you must be connected to the internet) and the feedback window appears on the desktop. When Voice Control is ready to use, the microphone icon |
Language | Choose the language to use when you speak commands to your Mac. To change the languages shown, click the pop-up menu, then do one of the following:
|
Microphone | Choose the microphone to use to speak commands to your Mac. If you choose Automatic from the pop-up menu, your Mac listens to the device you’re most likely to use for speaking commands. |
Overlay | Continuously show item numbers or a numbered grid on the screen to make it easier to select items or navigate the screen. By default, an overlay is not displayed. You can also set this option while using Voice Control by saying the command “Show numbers continuously” or “Show grid continuously.” If you say the command “Hide numbers” or “Hide grid,” this option is set to None. |
Show hints | Display suggested commands and hints onscreen next to the microphone icon. |
Play sound when command is recognized | Have your Mac play a sound to indicate that it recognized the command you spoke. |
Advanced Actions menu | Show the menu you can use to import, export, or delete custom commands and vocabulary. See Create, import, and export custom commands and Create, import, and export a custom vocabulary. |
Commands | Show the list of commands you can use to control your Mac and use apps. |
Vocabulary | Specify custom words or phrases to use when you speak to your Mac. For example, if you work with medical or technical documents or apps, you can add medical and technical terms to the vocabulary. This option is not available for all languages. |
appears in the window and fluctuates to indicate the volume level.
Commands
Option | Description |
|---|---|
Commands list | Standard commands and custom commands you created are shown. Use the search field to find a command. Standard commands are grouped by category: Basic Navigation, Overlays & Mouse, Dictation, Text Selection, Text Navigation, Text Editing, Text Deletion, and Accessibility. A checkmark next to a command indicates it can be used. If you don’t want to use a command, deselect its checkbox. |
Preview area | Click a command in the list to show how to say it. The preview may show multiple ways to say a command, a description, or an example. |
Add | Click the Add button To delete a command you created, select it in the Custom section, then click the Remove button |
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Vocabulary
Option | Description |
|---|---|
Vocabulary list | Words or phrases that you added. |
Add | Click the Add button To delete an item you added, select it in the list, then click the Remove button |