Official documentation

Dictate messages and documents on Mac (Apple Mac Help, Dictation)

Apple Inc., Apple Support, Mac User Guide, n.d.

Read the original

Read on October 16, 2026

What it is: Apple's current Mac help page for Dictation. It covers how to dictate anywhere you can type, the keyboard during dictation on Apple silicon Macs, the automatic stop after silence, and the microphone and shortcut settings.
How much weight it carries: The official Apple guide, which is the authority on Mac behavior. Menus and options change between macOS versions, and the page is the current version, so check the release you use before following its steps.

Facts taken from this source

Apple says that, on a Mac, voice inputs and transcripts for general text Dictation are processed on your device and not sent to Siri servers, and that you can check this in Keyboard settings.
“are processed on your device and not sent to Siri servers” (Opening section, Dictate messages and documents on Mac)
Apple says that with Dictation on a Mac you can speak to enter text in any place where you can type.
“With Dictation, you can speak to enter text anywhere you can type it.” (Introduction, Dictate messages and documents on Mac)
Apple's Mac Help says that to change the language you dictate in, you go to Dictation in Keyboard settings, click the Edit button next to Languages, and select a language and region.
“Go to Dictation, click the Edit button next to Languages, then select a language and region.” (Dictate in another language)
Apple says you can dictate text of any length on a Mac without a timeout.
“You can dictate text of any length without a timeout.” (Dictate messages and documents on Mac, stopping Dictation paragraph)
Apple says you can change the language you dictate in, or set up Dictation for multiple languages and switch between them as needed. Apple describes switching between languages, not recognizing two languages within one sentence.
“You can change the language you dictate text in, or set up Dictation for multiple languages and switch between them as needed.” (Section 'Dictate in another language')
To change the Dictation shortcut on a Mac, you go to Dictation in Keyboard settings, click the Shortcut pop-up menu, and choose a shortcut from the list.
“Go to Dictation, click the Shortcut pop-up menu, then choose a shortcut to start Dictation.” (Set the Dictation keyboard shortcut)
On a Mac, you turn Dictation on or off from the Dictation section of Keyboard settings in System Settings.
“Go to Dictation, then turn it on or off.” (Turn Dictation on or off)
On a Mac with Apple silicon, you can use the keyboard while you dictate, and there is no need to stop Dictation first.
“you can still use the keyboard while you speak; there’s no need to stop dictation.” (Dictate text section)
On a Mac, the new line or new paragraph that you say during Dictation appears when you are done dictating, not as you speak.
“The new line or new paragraph appear when you’re done dictating.” (Dictate text section, after the list of spoken formatting commands)
On a Mac, saying "new line" during Dictation is equivalent to pressing the Return key once, and saying "new paragraph" is equivalent to pressing it twice.
“Say “new line” (equivalent to pressing the Return key once) or “new paragraph” (equivalent to pressing the Return key twice).” (Dictate text section)
Apple's Mac help tells you to turn Dictation on or off in Keyboard settings, a separate control from the Siri settings.
“Go to Dictation, then turn it on or off.” (Turn Dictation on or off)
On a Mac, you add a dictation language by going to Dictation, clicking the Edit button next to Languages, and selecting a language and region.
“Go to Dictation, click the Edit button next to Languages, then select a language and region.” (Dictate in another language)
In supported languages, Mac Dictation inserts commas, periods and question marks automatically, and you can switch this off with the Auto-punctuation setting in Keyboard settings.
“Dictation automatically inserts commas, periods, and question marks for you as you dictate. To turn off this feature, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar” (Dictate text, Note)
Mac Dictation inserts an emoji when you say its name followed by the word emoji, such as heart emoji.
“Say the name of an emoji, like "heart emoji" or "car emoji."” (Dictate text)
To stop sharing audio recordings, you go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements and turn off Improve Siri & Dictation.
“If you change your mind later and want to share or stop sharing audio recordings, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Privacy & Security in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.) Go to Analytics & Improvements, then turn Improve Siri & Dictation on or off.” (Turn Dictation on or off)
Keyboard settings include a Microphone source menu for Dictation; on Automatic, the Mac listens to the device it thinks you are most likely to use.
“The microphone source in Keyboard settings shows which device your Mac is currently using to listen for Dictation. ... If you choose Automatic, your Mac listens to the device you're most likely to use for Dictation.” (Change the microphone used for Dictation)
Current Mac Dictation accepts text of any length without a timeout; you stop it with Escape, the Microphone key or the Dictation shortcut.
“You can dictate text of any length without a timeout. When you're done, press the Escape key, the Microphone key (if available), or the Dictation keyboard shortcut.” (Dictate text)
Apple says you can dictate text of any length on a Mac without a timeout.
“You can dictate text of any length without a timeout.” (Use Dictation on Mac, section on starting and stopping)
Apple says that when the cursor is highlighted and pulsing, or you hear a tone, your Mac is ready for dictation, and you can speak your text.
“When the cursor is highlighted and pulsing, or you hear the tone that signals your Mac is ready for dictation” (Section 'Dictate text')
When you enable Dictation, choosing Share Audio Recordings allows Apple to store audio of your Siri and Dictation interactions, and Apple may review a sample of it; choosing Not Now declines.
“Click Share Audio Recordings to allow Apple to store audio of your Siri and Dictation interactions from your Mac. Apple may review a sample of stored audio.” (Turn Dictation on or off)
On a Mac you start Dictation by pressing the Microphone key (on keyboards that have one), pressing the Dictation keyboard shortcut, or choosing Edit > Start Dictation.
“Press the Microphone key if available in the row of function keys on your Mac, use the Dictation keyboard shortcut , or choose Edit > Start Dictation.” (Dictate text)
Mac Dictation stops automatically when it detects no speech for 30 seconds.
“Dictation stops automatically when no speech is detected for 30 seconds.” (Dictate messages and documents on Mac)
With more than one dictation language set up, you switch languages by clicking the language label next to the cursor or by pressing the Globe key and choosing a language.
“If you set up Dictation for more than one language, you can switch languages as you dictate by clicking the language next to the cursor (languages are displayed as abbreviations or characters that represent the language). Or press the Globe key (if available), then choose the language you want to use.” (Dictate in another language)
On a Mac with Apple silicon, you can type during dictation: the cursor stops pulsing while you type and resumes when you stop, so you can keep dictating.
“The cursor stops highlighting and pulsing while you type, and then resumes after you stop typing, so you can continue dictating.” (Dictate messages and documents on Mac)
Pressing and releasing the Microphone key starts Dictation, while pressing and holding it activates Siri, if Siri is enabled.
“Press and release the Microphone key to start Dictation; press and hold the key to activate Siri (Siri must be enabled).” (Dictate text, Note)
Apple says that if you want to enter text and control your Mac by speaking commands, instead of using a keyboard, mouse or trackpad, you can use Voice Control.
“If you want to enter text and control your Mac by speaking commands, instead of using a keyboard, mouse, or trackpad, you can use Voice Control” (Introduction to Dictate messages and documents on Mac)

Pages that rest on this source

Official documentation

Dictate messages and documents on Mac (Apple Mac Help, Dictation)

Apple Inc., Apple Support, Mac User Guide, n.d.

Read the original

Read on October 16, 2026

What it is: Apple's current Mac help page for Dictation. It covers how to dictate anywhere you can type, the keyboard during dictation on Apple silicon Macs, the automatic stop after silence, and the microphone and shortcut settings.
How much weight it carries: The official Apple guide, which is the authority on Mac behavior. Menus and options change between macOS versions, and the page is the current version, so check the release you use before following its steps.

Facts taken from this source

Apple says that, on a Mac, voice inputs and transcripts for general text Dictation are processed on your device and not sent to Siri servers, and that you can check this in Keyboard settings.
“are processed on your device and not sent to Siri servers” (Opening section, Dictate messages and documents on Mac)
Apple says that with Dictation on a Mac you can speak to enter text in any place where you can type.
“With Dictation, you can speak to enter text anywhere you can type it.” (Introduction, Dictate messages and documents on Mac)
Apple's Mac Help says that to change the language you dictate in, you go to Dictation in Keyboard settings, click the Edit button next to Languages, and select a language and region.
“Go to Dictation, click the Edit button next to Languages, then select a language and region.” (Dictate in another language)
Apple says you can dictate text of any length on a Mac without a timeout.
“You can dictate text of any length without a timeout.” (Dictate messages and documents on Mac, stopping Dictation paragraph)
Apple says you can change the language you dictate in, or set up Dictation for multiple languages and switch between them as needed. Apple describes switching between languages, not recognizing two languages within one sentence.
“You can change the language you dictate text in, or set up Dictation for multiple languages and switch between them as needed.” (Section 'Dictate in another language')
To change the Dictation shortcut on a Mac, you go to Dictation in Keyboard settings, click the Shortcut pop-up menu, and choose a shortcut from the list.
“Go to Dictation, click the Shortcut pop-up menu, then choose a shortcut to start Dictation.” (Set the Dictation keyboard shortcut)
On a Mac, you turn Dictation on or off from the Dictation section of Keyboard settings in System Settings.
“Go to Dictation, then turn it on or off.” (Turn Dictation on or off)
On a Mac with Apple silicon, you can use the keyboard while you dictate, and there is no need to stop Dictation first.
“you can still use the keyboard while you speak; there’s no need to stop dictation.” (Dictate text section)
On a Mac, the new line or new paragraph that you say during Dictation appears when you are done dictating, not as you speak.
“The new line or new paragraph appear when you’re done dictating.” (Dictate text section, after the list of spoken formatting commands)
On a Mac, saying "new line" during Dictation is equivalent to pressing the Return key once, and saying "new paragraph" is equivalent to pressing it twice.
“Say “new line” (equivalent to pressing the Return key once) or “new paragraph” (equivalent to pressing the Return key twice).” (Dictate text section)
Apple's Mac help tells you to turn Dictation on or off in Keyboard settings, a separate control from the Siri settings.
“Go to Dictation, then turn it on or off.” (Turn Dictation on or off)
On a Mac, you add a dictation language by going to Dictation, clicking the Edit button next to Languages, and selecting a language and region.
“Go to Dictation, click the Edit button next to Languages, then select a language and region.” (Dictate in another language)
In supported languages, Mac Dictation inserts commas, periods and question marks automatically, and you can switch this off with the Auto-punctuation setting in Keyboard settings.
“Dictation automatically inserts commas, periods, and question marks for you as you dictate. To turn off this feature, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar” (Dictate text, Note)
Mac Dictation inserts an emoji when you say its name followed by the word emoji, such as heart emoji.
“Say the name of an emoji, like "heart emoji" or "car emoji."” (Dictate text)
To stop sharing audio recordings, you go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements and turn off Improve Siri & Dictation.
“If you change your mind later and want to share or stop sharing audio recordings, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Privacy & Security in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.) Go to Analytics & Improvements, then turn Improve Siri & Dictation on or off.” (Turn Dictation on or off)
Keyboard settings include a Microphone source menu for Dictation; on Automatic, the Mac listens to the device it thinks you are most likely to use.
“The microphone source in Keyboard settings shows which device your Mac is currently using to listen for Dictation. ... If you choose Automatic, your Mac listens to the device you're most likely to use for Dictation.” (Change the microphone used for Dictation)
Current Mac Dictation accepts text of any length without a timeout; you stop it with Escape, the Microphone key or the Dictation shortcut.
“You can dictate text of any length without a timeout. When you're done, press the Escape key, the Microphone key (if available), or the Dictation keyboard shortcut.” (Dictate text)
Apple says you can dictate text of any length on a Mac without a timeout.
“You can dictate text of any length without a timeout.” (Use Dictation on Mac, section on starting and stopping)
Apple says that when the cursor is highlighted and pulsing, or you hear a tone, your Mac is ready for dictation, and you can speak your text.
“When the cursor is highlighted and pulsing, or you hear the tone that signals your Mac is ready for dictation” (Section 'Dictate text')
When you enable Dictation, choosing Share Audio Recordings allows Apple to store audio of your Siri and Dictation interactions, and Apple may review a sample of it; choosing Not Now declines.
“Click Share Audio Recordings to allow Apple to store audio of your Siri and Dictation interactions from your Mac. Apple may review a sample of stored audio.” (Turn Dictation on or off)
On a Mac you start Dictation by pressing the Microphone key (on keyboards that have one), pressing the Dictation keyboard shortcut, or choosing Edit > Start Dictation.
“Press the Microphone key if available in the row of function keys on your Mac, use the Dictation keyboard shortcut , or choose Edit > Start Dictation.” (Dictate text)
Mac Dictation stops automatically when it detects no speech for 30 seconds.
“Dictation stops automatically when no speech is detected for 30 seconds.” (Dictate messages and documents on Mac)
With more than one dictation language set up, you switch languages by clicking the language label next to the cursor or by pressing the Globe key and choosing a language.
“If you set up Dictation for more than one language, you can switch languages as you dictate by clicking the language next to the cursor (languages are displayed as abbreviations or characters that represent the language). Or press the Globe key (if available), then choose the language you want to use.” (Dictate in another language)
On a Mac with Apple silicon, you can type during dictation: the cursor stops pulsing while you type and resumes when you stop, so you can keep dictating.
“The cursor stops highlighting and pulsing while you type, and then resumes after you stop typing, so you can continue dictating.” (Dictate messages and documents on Mac)
Pressing and releasing the Microphone key starts Dictation, while pressing and holding it activates Siri, if Siri is enabled.
“Press and release the Microphone key to start Dictation; press and hold the key to activate Siri (Siri must be enabled).” (Dictate text, Note)
Apple says that if you want to enter text and control your Mac by speaking commands, instead of using a keyboard, mouse or trackpad, you can use Voice Control.
“If you want to enter text and control your Mac by speaking commands, instead of using a keyboard, mouse, or trackpad, you can use Voice Control” (Introduction to Dictate messages and documents on Mac)