Glossary
Globe key (Fn key)
The Globe key, also called the Fn key or function key, is a modifier on Apple keyboards. In Keyboard settings you choose what a press does, such as switching input source, starting Dictation or doing nothing.
Updated October 16, 20264 cited facts, each traced to its source
Also called Fn key, Function key, Globe key.
The Globe key is the key marked with a globe on many Apple keyboards. Apple's Keyboard settings call it the fn key on some Macs, and the same key is also called the Fn key or function key. Its job is set by you, not fixed: in Keyboard settings, the "Press fn key to" option has four choices, which are Change Input Source, Show Emoji & Symbols, Start Dictation and Do Nothing 1.
The Globe key can start Dictation
If you choose Start Dictation, pressing the key twice starts Apple Dictation.
Example: switching dictation languages
With more than one dictation language set up, you switch languages in one of two ways: click the language label next to the cursor, or press the Globe key and choose a language 2. If you dictate in two languages, the Globe key is the quickest way to change between them while you write.
The Globe key is also a function key modifier
On an Apple keyboard, holding the Fn or Globe key while you press a top-row key performs the action assigned to the F key, instead of the symbol's feature 3. So a top-row key can carry out its F-key action instead of the feature printed on its symbol.
Non-Apple keyboards may not behave the same way
Karabiner-Elements, a free keyboard remapping tool for macOS, cannot modify the fn key on keyboards that are not made by Apple, such as Logitech keyboards 4. If you use a third-party keyboard, the Globe or Fn key may not work as it does on an Apple keyboard, so test Dictation before relying on it.
Why it matters for typing
The Globe key can start Dictation and switch languages, so it is worth setting once in Keyboard settings and then keeping that choice. The guide to the Mac dictation shortcut walks through the options, and the guide to Mac dictation languages explains language switching.
Related terms
- Microphone key (dictation key): a dedicated key on some Mac keyboards that starts Dictation, separate from the Globe key.
- Apple Dictation: the feature the Globe key can start.
- VoiceOver: the screen reader that uses the Fn key with function keys by default.
Guides that cover it
Evidence
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Related terms
- Mac Dictation: How to Dictate and Control a Mac by VoiceThe topic this term belongs to
- Accessibility permission (macOS)Accessibility permission is a macOS setting that lets a specific app read and control other apps through the system's accessibility features. macOS keeps it under Privacy & Security, and an app gets no access until you allow it there.
- Apple DictationApple Dictation is the free, built-in feature that types what you say into any text field on a Mac. Apple also calls it Mac Dictation, macOS Dictation or keyboard dictation.
- Apple IntelligenceApple Intelligence is the name Apple gives to its AI features across its devices. Its on-device models can improve Dictation on newer Macs, and Apple says apps can use the same models.
- Apple siliconApple silicon is the family of chips Apple designs for its own computers, starting with certain Macs in late 2020. Each chip puts several computer components on one piece of silicon, which Apple calls a system on a chip.
- Enhanced DictationEnhanced Dictation was a Mac option, available from OS X Mavericks, that lets you dictate without an internet connection after a download. Apple's help for macOS Mojave describes it, but Apple's later Dictation pages do not mention it.
- Improve Siri & DictationImprove Siri & Dictation is the Mac setting that controls whether Apple may store and review audio from your Siri and Dictation requests. When you first turn on Dictation, the same choice is labeled Share Audio Recordings.
- Microphone key (dictation key)The Microphone key is a key on some Mac keyboards that starts Apple Dictation when you press and release it. Pressing and holding it activates Siri instead, if Siri is turned on.
- Neural EngineThe Apple Neural Engine (ANE) is a block of hardware inside Apple's chips that runs machine learning models efficiently. Speech models can run on it, and Apple uses it for on-device machine learning inference.
- SiriSiri is Apple's built-in voice assistant. You speak a request and it answers or carries out an action, while Dictation types what you say into a text field instead.
- Speech framework (Apple)The Speech framework is Apple's developer toolkit for turning audio into text inside an app. It includes the older SFSpeechRecognizer class and the newer SpeechAnalyzer, which Apple says transcribes entirely on the device once its models are downloaded.
- Voice Control (Apple)Voice Control is Apple's feature for controlling a Mac with spoken commands, including opening apps, clicking items and editing text. When it is on, it also handles dictation, so standard macOS Dictation is not available.
- VoiceOverVoiceOver is the screen reader built into macOS, which speaks what is on the screen so you can use the Mac without seeing it. It does the reverse of dictation: it reads text aloud rather than writing your speech.
Pages that use this term
- Mac Dictation: How to Dictate and Control a Mac by VoiceTopic
- How to Use Dictation on a MacGuide
- How to Change the Dictation Language on Any DeviceGuide
- How to Turn On Voice Typing on Every DeviceGuide
- iPhone Dictation Not Working? How to Fix ItGuide
- Mac Dictation Shortcut: Keys and Custom HotkeysGuide
- Apple Dictation Languages on Mac: The Full ListGuide
- Can iPhone dictation understand two languages at once?Question
- How do you add a dictation language on a Mac?Question
- How do you add a dictation language on iPhone?Question
- How do you switch between dictation languages quickly?Question
- How do you turn off dictation on a Mac?Question
- How do you use VoiceOver on a Mac?Question
- What is dictation on a Mac?Question
- What is the Dictate shortcut in Word on a Mac?Question
- What is the VoiceOver modifier key on a Mac?Question
- Why does iPhone dictation type in the wrong language?Question
- Why is dictation greyed out on my iPhone?Question
- Why is the dictation button missing on my iPhone keyboard?Question
- Microphone key (dictation key)Glossary
- VoiceOverGlossary