Why is dictation on but not typing anything?

Dictation that is switched on but types nothing is usually a sound problem, not a switch problem. The feature can be enabled and still receive no audio, because the wrong microphone is selected, the app has no permission to use the microphone, or the device has no microphone to use. Check the input device and the permission before anything else, then test in a plain text box. The dictation not working guide lists five causes of failure, and the dictation overview covers how dictation works from start to finish.

Turning Dictation on does not choose the microphone it listens to

Switching on the feature only starts it. It does not guarantee that the microphone you speak into is the one it listens to. On a Mac, Keyboard settings has a Microphone source menu for Dictation, and on Automatic the Mac listens to the device it thinks you are most likely to use ¹. That guess can be wrong when you have more than one microphone, such as a headset and a built-in one.

Apple says the microphone source in Keyboard settings shows which device the Mac is currently using to listen for Dictation ¹. Read that line before you change anything else. If it names a device you are not speaking into, choose the right one from the menu.

For the input level, Apple tells Mac users to select the microphone in Sound settings and raise its input volume if the Mac does not respond to their voice ². A microphone that is selected but quiet produces the same symptom as a microphone that is missing.

A Mac with no internal microphone cannot dictate until an external one is connected and selected in Sound or Keyboard settings ³. This is the clearest case of a switched-on feature that does nothing: the feature is fine, and there is nothing for it to hear.

A blocked permission gives silence rather than an error

Permission problems are quiet. The Dictation control can look ready, and no text arrives. On a Mac, Apple says you can decide which apps are allowed to use the microphone ⁴. The app you type in needs its microphone permission turned on, not only the dictation feature.

On Windows, the same failure shows as a message: "Voice typing needs access to your microphone." Microsoft says you turn this on under Start, Settings, Privacy & security, Microphone ⁵.

On an iPhone, the check is per app. If the microphone does not work in an app, go to Settings, tap Microphone, and make sure the app is enabled ⁶.

A Bluetooth headset can change the audio path

A headset can take the microphone away from the sound you hear. Unity's developer documentation describes two Bluetooth connections: the high-quality stereo one used for music, and a voice connection used for calls. Audio over the voice connection is lower quality and mono ⁷. If the headset's microphone is the one in use, the recognizer can receive the call audio, not the clean signal you expect.

Apple describes the same switch on a Mac: when Bluetooth switches to its second mode, audio quality is reduced until the microphone is no longer in use ⁸. The practical step is to select the built-in microphone, or a wired headset with its own microphone, and test again. The question on whether AirPods work for dictation covers the Apple case in more detail.

Some silent failures come from voice control or the network

On a Mac, Voice Control can replace Dictation. When Voice Control is on, you dictate through it, and standard macOS Dictation is not available ⁹. Turn Voice Control off if you want the Dictation key back.

Windows voice typing needs three things at once: an internet connection, a working microphone, and the cursor in a text box ¹⁰. It uses online speech recognition ¹¹, so a dropped connection can look like a silent microphone. If the current language is not supported, Microsoft says voice typing is not available and tells you to install a supported language ¹².

It depends on the device, so check the device's own settings first

The causes in the table are the ones Apple and Microsoft document. A failure that matches none of them needs the platform's own troubleshooting steps, which the Mac guide, the Windows guide and the iPhone guide set out in full.

What to do, in order

1. Confirm the input device. On a Mac, read the microphone source in Keyboard settings. On Windows, Microsoft's troubleshooting page for voice typing says to check that the microphone you want is selected under Start, Settings, System, Sound, Input ¹³. Select the microphone you speak into.
2. Turn on the app's microphone permission. Check the app you type in, not only the dictation feature.
3. Raise the input level if the device is selected but quiet. On Windows, Microsoft says to adjust the microphone's input level if nothing appears after you speak ¹⁴.
4. Remove the headset from the path. Test with the built-in microphone or a wired headset.
5. Test in a plain text box, such as a new note. If it works there and not in your app, the problem is the field or the app, and the question on why dictation works in some apps but not others explains the cases.

If dictation starts and then stops, that is a different symptom. The question on why dictation keeps stopping covers it, and the question on why the dictation shortcut is not working covers the case where the key does nothing at all. For the words the engine misses once it does hear you, the dictation mistakes guide explains the accuracy side, and the microphone guide explains how to choose a microphone that the engine can hear well.