Glossary
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.
Updated October 16, 20264 cited facts, each traced to its source
Also called Dictation key, F5 microphone key.
The Microphone key is the key that starts Apple Dictation on a Mac keyboard. Apple's help says you can use it on keyboards that have one, and it is one of three ways to start Dictation. The other two are the Dictation keyboard shortcut and Edit > Start Dictation 1. Readers also search for it as the dictation key or the F5 microphone key. Apple's pages we read do not name a function key for it, so check the label on your own keyboard.
Press and release to start, and to stop
Pressing and releasing the Microphone key starts Dictation. You stop it by pressing Escape, the Microphone key again, or the Dictation shortcut 2. This makes it a toggle rather than a key you hold, which is the main difference from a push-to-talk key.
Pressing and holding it opens Siri
Pressing and holding the Microphone key activates Siri, if Siri is enabled 3. The two actions sit on the same key, so a short press and a long press do different things. If Dictation does not start when you expected, check whether you held the key a little too long.
Example: dictating a message in Messages
You click into a message in Messages and press the Microphone key once. You speak the message, then press Escape to stop. Dictation accepts text of any length and stops by itself after 30 seconds without speech, so you do not need a timer. Apple's help covers this behavior in its Dictation guide 4.
Why it matters for typing
The Microphone key is the fastest way to start dictating, because it needs one press and no menu. It is also the quickest way to start a short dictation, such as a single reply. If the key does nothing, the cause is often that Dictation is turned off or the shortcut was changed, and the guide to why Mac dictation is not working lists the checks in order.
Related terms
- Globe key (Fn key): the key that can also start Dictation when you press it twice.
- Push-to-talk: a key you hold while you speak, which the Microphone key does not do.
- Voice Control (Apple): Apple's hands-free feature, which handles dictation instead of standard Dictation while it is on.
Guides that cover it
Evidence
Every number on this page, with where it comes from. Open a fact to see the exact words in its source.
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Use Dictation on iPhone (Voice to Text)Guide
- How to Turn On Voice Typing on Every DeviceGuide
- Mac Dictation Shortcut: Keys and Custom HotkeysGuide
- Dictate Emails in Outlook and GmailGuide
- Mac Dictation Commands and Punctuation: Full ListGuide
- Dictate in PowerPoint, OneNote and ExcelGuide
- Dictation in Mac Apps: Word, Pages, Notes, Mail, TerminalGuide
- Dictation vs Voice Control vs Siri on a MacGuide
- Dictation on iPad and Android TabletsGuide
- Can you dictate in Microsoft Word on iPhone, iPad or Android?Question
- Can you type while dictating on a Mac?Question
- Do you need Siri turned on to use dictation on a Mac?Question
- Does Gmail have voice typing?Question
- How do dictation keyboards work on iPhone and Android?Question
- How do you allow microphone access on Windows?Question
- How do you change the voice typing language on Android?Question
- How do you dictate a book or long document on iPhone?Question
- How do you dictate an email in Mac Mail?Question
- How do you dictate an email in Outlook?Question
- How do you reset dictation on iPhone?Question
- How do you turn off dictation on a Mac?Question
- How do you turn on dictation on iPhone?Question