Does Mac dictation work in Google Docs?

Google Docs does not use Apple Dictation. It has its own voice typing, and Google says that when you turn it on, your web browser controls the speech-to-text service ¹. That is why the browser's microphone access matters more than the Mac's Dictation setting. Voice typing works in a supported browser, so the first step is to check which browser you are using.

Start voice typing from the Tools menu

1. Open a document in Google Docs in a supported browser.
2. Choose Tools > Voice typing, then click the microphone box that appears ².
3. Or press Command + Shift + S. Google lists this shortcut for a Mac, and labels it as available in Chrome ³.

Browser support has changed, so older advice may be wrong

Google's current help lists Chrome, Edge and Safari, each in its latest version ¹. An archived copy of the help page from December 2020 said voice typing was only available in Chrome ⁴. If you find an older guide that says Chrome is the only browser, it predates the change.

Some guides we read disagree about Safari. We could not confirm the Safari position from a Google page during this check, so rely on the current Google list above. If voice typing fails in Safari, open the same document in Chrome. If it works there, the problem is the browser, not the document or your microphone.

Check the browser's microphone permission

A website that wants the microphone asks for permission. Chrome offers Allow while visiting the site, Allow this time, or Never allow ⁵. If you chose Never allow, the browser will not let Google Docs hear you until you change that permission for the site.

The browser also needs access on the Mac itself. Apple says you can decide which apps are allowed to use the microphone on a Mac ⁶. Check that your browser is allowed to use the microphone in macOS, then reload the document and try voice typing again.

Apple Dictation in Google Docs is not documented

Google's help describes its own voice typing and does not mention Apple Dictation in Docs. We did not test whether the Mac's Dictation shortcut types into a Google Docs page. If you want to try it, speak a short, harmless word first and check that it appears. For voice typing in Docs, use Google's tool.

If voice typing starts but nothing appears, check the microphone before you change the browser. On a Mac, Apple tells users to select the microphone in Sound settings and raise its input volume if the Mac does not respond to their voice ⁷. A quiet or wrong input device produces the same silence as a blocked permission, so test the input first.

For the Word equivalent, see how to dictate in Word on a Mac. For the Terminal route, see how to dictate in Terminal on a Mac. If you are looking for a free browser option beyond Google's own tool, does Google have a voice to text app explains what Google offers. The guide to Google Docs voice typing covers the feature in more detail, and the guide to dictation in Mac apps compares the options for each app. For the terms used here, see voice typing.