Where is the dictation key on a Mac keyboard?

The dictation key on a Mac is the Microphone key in the top row of function keys, and only keyboards that have one carry it. Apple's own wording is conditional: you press the Microphone key "if available in the row of function keys on your Mac" ¹. If your keyboard has no Microphone key, there is no dedicated key to find. Dictation then starts from the shortcut you set in Keyboard settings.

The guide to Mac Dictation shortcuts maps each option to the keyboard you have. This page covers only where the key is.

The Microphone key is in the top row, marked with a microphone symbol

Look along the row of function keys above the number row for a microphone symbol. Apple's function-key article shows Dictation among the symbols on the top row of an Apple keyboard, next to display brightness, Mission Control and Spotlight ². That symbol is the key to press. Read the symbols on your own keyboard rather than counting keys from the left.

Apple also notes that not all keyboards have the same symbols ², which is why the symbols are the check to use. A keyboard with no microphone symbol may still start Dictation with its shortcut, so the next step is to read the Dictation settings.

A Mac without the Microphone key starts Dictation with its shortcut

Apple lists three ways to start Dictation on a Mac: the Microphone key where it exists, the Dictation keyboard shortcut, or Edit > Start Dictation ¹. On a keyboard with no microphone symbol, the shortcut is the only keyboard route, and Edit > Start Dictation is the route with no key at all.

The shortcut has a default, but the default has changed. In Apple's help for macOS High Sierra 10.13, the default Dictation shortcut is pressing the Fn key twice to start or stop dictation ³. On current versions, the shortcut is the one in the Shortcut menu under Dictation, and Apple says that choosing Press Fn (Function) Key Twice changes the fn key option to match ⁴. So on a keyboard without the Microphone key, the fn key can start Dictation, but only if you have set it that way. Check the setting, not the label on the key.

Pressing and holding the Microphone key is a separate case. Apple says pressing and releasing it starts Dictation, but pressing and holding it activates Siri, if Siri is enabled ⁵. A press that opens Siri is a sign you are on the right key, held too long.

Three settings decide what the key does on your Mac

The location of the key is only part of the answer. Three conditions change what a press does.

The fn key option. Keyboard settings include a "Press fn key to" option, and Apple lists four choices for it: Change Input Source, Show Emoji & Symbols, Start Dictation and Do Nothing ⁶. Start Dictation makes a double press start Dictation, and you may be asked to turn Dictation on first ⁷. Do Nothing ends the fn key's job entirely.

Holding fn. On an Apple keyboard, holding the fn or Globe key while you press a top-row key performs the action assigned to the F key, not the feature on the symbol. Apple's example is fn with F3, which does the F3 action instead of opening Mission Control ⁸. The same rule covers the Dictation symbol if it sits on a function key, so press the key without holding fn.

The keyboard itself. Apple's article says not all keyboards carry the same symbols. A keyboard from another company may have no Microphone key and no fn or Globe key, so the Dictation shortcut is the only option you have. Apple does not list which keyboards carry the Microphone key, so the top row on your keyboard is the check.

Apple's Dictation help also says the fn key option can change depending on your Mac model when you choose a Dictation shortcut ⁹. Read the setting after you change the shortcut, because the two settings can move together.

What to do if you cannot find the key

1. Look at the top row for a microphone symbol. If you find it, press it once without holding fn, and release it.
2. If there is no symbol, open System Settings, choose Keyboard, go to Dictation, and read the Shortcut setting. Press that combination.
3. If nothing starts, choose Edit > Start Dictation in a text app. If the menu item works, the key or its setting is the fault. If it does not, Dictation may be off, and the question on why the dictation shortcut is not working explains the checks for each cause.

Apple's Dictation help gives the full set of steps. Once you know the key, the question of how to change the dictation shortcut on a Mac covers moving it to a combination you can press reliably.

For the wider subject, read the overview of Dictation on Mac. The terms used here are defined in the entries for Microphone key and Apple Dictation.