How do you make a custom Voice Control command on a Mac?

To make a custom Voice Control command on a Mac, open System Settings, click Accessibility, click Voice Control, then click Commands. Click the button for a new command below the list, enter the phrase in the When I say field, choose the app and the action, and click Done. Apple's Customize Voice Control page sets out these steps ( Apple: Customize Voice Control on Mac). The full list of standard and custom commands is in our guide to Mac Voice Control commands.

Name the command with two or more words

The phrase matters most. Apple advises using two or more words, and avoiding names with a single syllable ¹. Its example is "Make text smaller" rather than "Smaller". A short, distinct phrase is less likely to be confused with a standard command or with ordinary speech.

Apple also advises avoiding proper names, avoiding names that sound similar to other words, and avoiding names that are used for other commands ( Apple: Customize Voice Control on Mac). The duplicate case is the easiest to miss. If your new name matches another command, Voice Control shows a warning icon next to the duplicates in the list ². Check the list after you save.

Choose the app and the action

When you create a command, you decide whether it works in any app or only in one app. Then you choose its action. Apple gives three examples of actions that need more information:

1. Paste Text needs the text itself. The text is pasted each time you say the command ³.
2. Press Keyboard Shortcut needs a key. You do not hold a modifier key. Apple's example is the Space key, to play or pause a video ( Apple: Customize Voice Control on Mac).
3. Run Shortcut needs a shortcut. You can choose one, or choose Open Shortcuts App to build a new one first.

Once it is saved, the command appears in the Custom section at the top of the Commands list.

Say Make this speakable to start faster

You do not need to open settings to begin. Say Make this speakable. Apple says this opens the New Voice Control Command window, where you give the command a name, an app and an action ⁴. If you select text or an item such as a file before you open the window, Apple says an action is selected by default, and you can change it.

Turn commands off, or delete them, when you no longer need them

To keep a command without using it, untick its checkbox in the Commands list. Voice Control listens only for the commands whose checkboxes are selected ⁵. To remove a custom command for good, select it in the Custom section and delete it ⁶.

Export your commands, and move their files separately

Custom commands can be exported and shared. The export is less complete than it looks. It leaves out the files that commands refer to, such as apps, documents, Shortcuts and Automator Workflows, and you must transfer those separately ⁷. A command that points to a Shortcut or file which is not on the other Mac may not work there, even though its name appears in the list.

It depends: a command can clash with dictation or fail in another app

A custom command is only as reliable as the context it runs in. Turning on Command mode tells Voice Control to respond only to commands, and words that are not commands are ignored rather than typed. Apple advises turning it on to avoid mistakenly entering a Voice Control command as text ⁸. Turn it off again before you dictate normal sentences.

A command set to one app is limited to that app. If you want a phrase that works everywhere, choose any app when you create it. If a command does nothing, check that it is selected, that its name is not duplicated, and that you are in the app it was built for.

Do not confuse custom commands with custom vocabulary

A custom command makes a phrase run an action. Custom vocabulary teaches Voice Control to recognize a word, such as a name or a term that dictation keeps getting wrong. Use custom vocabulary for words you dictate, and custom commands for actions you want to trigger. Our glossary entry on custom vocabulary explains the difference, and the entry on voice commands covers the wider idea of a spoken instruction.

What to do next

1. Choose one routine action, such as a shortcut you use often, and give it a two-word name.
2. Create the command in one app first, check it works, then decide whether it should work everywhere.
3. Check the Custom section for a warning icon, and fix any duplicate names.
4. Export the command only after you have confirmed that any Shortcut or file it uses is on the other Mac.

For the other side of the same settings, read how to click with Voice Control on a Mac. To see how far Voice Control reaches without a keyboard or mouse, read whether you can use a Mac completely hands-free. For the other dictation tools on the Mac, start with our overview of dictation on Mac.