How do you change the dictation language on Apple Watch?

To change the dictation language on Apple Watch for one message or app, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and choose the language you want. If the language is not in the list, you have to add it on the paired iPhone first. Dictation on the watch is not available in all languages ¹, so a language missing from the watch is added on the iPhone, and it may still not be offered.

Pick a language for one app by swiping up

Apple says that if you have set up your watch to use more than one language, you can swipe up from the bottom of the screen and choose a different language keyboard ². The steps below follow Apple's guide to entering text and the iGeeksBlog steps for dictation specifically.

1. Tap a text field, such as a new message or a search field.
2. Tap the input button at the bottom right of the screen. It shows which input method is active ³.
3. Choose Dictation. Apple's guide describes dictation as having your speech transcribed to text.
4. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to see the languages set on the watch, then tap the language you want to dictate in ².
5. Speak. The text appears in the text field.

iGeeksBlog reports that changing the language on the watch is limited to that one app. It says the change "is limited to that specific app and will not change your default Dictation language in any other app" ⁴. So if you want Dictation in a second language everywhere, you have to change it in each app, or change the keyboard language on the iPhone as described below.

The watch follows the keyboard language on the iPhone

Cult of Mac quotes Apple as saying that dictation on the watch uses the keyboard language set for the same app on the paired iPhone ⁵. We could not find that wording on an Apple page, so treat it as Apple's rule as reported by Cult of Mac.

That rule means the easiest permanent change is on the phone. Change the keyboard language for the app you use on the iPhone, and the watch's dictation for that app should follow. Check it on the watch afterwards, because the report is from 2019 and we did not test it on watchOS 27.

Add a language that is missing from the watch

If your language is not in the list on the watch, add it on the iPhone. iGeeksBlog gives these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on the iPhone.
2. Tap General, then scroll down and tap Keyboard.
3. Tap Keyboards, then select Add New Keyboard.
4. Tap the language you want to add, choose the type of keyboard, then tap Done.

When you return to the watch, the new language should appear, and you can dictate in it ( iGeeksBlog). Apple's iPhone guide says the same thing in its own words: you can add keyboards "for writing or using Dictation in different languages" on an iPhone ⁶.

Not every language can be dictated on the watch

Apple says dictation on Apple Watch is not available in all languages ¹. Apple's watchOS 27 table lists on-device dictation for 14 language and regional variants ⁷. Apple's table is the only list we found for watch dictation, and it does not say what happens to a session in a language that is not on the list.

If the language you need is not on Apple's list, you cannot choose it on the watch with confidence. Check whether the language works on the iPhone, and dictate there instead. Our guide to dictation languages on iPhone and Android explains how the lists differ between devices.

It depends on which language you want and which app you use

• The language is on Apple's watch list and is already on the iPhone. Swipe up in the text field and choose it. This is the simplest case.
• The language is on the iPhone but not the watch. Add the keyboard on the iPhone, then check the watch again, as above.
• You want the language in every app. Change the keyboard language for each app on the iPhone, since the watch follows the phone for each app.
• The language is missing from the iPhone and the watch. Add the keyboard on the iPhone first. If the language is still not offered, it may not be supported for dictation on your device.

If the watch keeps the wrong language

If the watch dictates in a language you did not choose, check the keyboards on the paired iPhone first. Remove the extra languages you do not need, and make sure the one you want is set for the app. For the steps to restart and check the settings on both devices, see the question on why dictation is not working on Apple Watch.

For a related problem on the phone, the question on why the dictation button is missing on the iPhone keyboard explains what to check there. The full set of settings on both devices is in our guide to dictation on Apple Watch. For the term, see dictation.