Fact · Dictation in your apps
ChromeOS Dictation can only be used when keyboard focus is on an editable field, such as a text area or an input box.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“Dictation can only be used when focus is on an editable field (textarea, input, contenteditable, etc).”
ChromeOS Dictation (Chromium developer documentation), Chromium Project (Google), undated, Summary, User flow.
Open the original- What it measures
- The document lists textarea, input and contenteditable as examples of editable fields.
- What it does not show
- The document does not say what happens in a field that looks editable but is not. Click into the text box before you start dictating.