Fact · Dictation on Mac
Keyboard settings include a Microphone source menu for Dictation; on Automatic, the Mac listens to the device it thinks you are most likely to use.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“The microphone source in Keyboard settings shows which device your Mac is currently using to listen for Dictation. ... If you choose Automatic, your Mac listens to the device you're most likely to use for Dictation.”
Dictate messages and documents on Mac (Apple Mac Help, Dictation), Apple Inc., Apple Support, Mac User Guide, n.d., Change the microphone used for Dictation.
Open the original- What it measures
- A wrong automatic choice (for example a display or webcam microphone) is a common reason the dictation icon appears but no text arrives.
- What it does not show
- The setting is separate from the input device chosen in Sound settings.
Source
Cited on
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