Dictation not working on Mac almost always comes down to one of five things: Dictation is switched off, your shortcut does not match the one in Keyboard settings, macOS is listening to the wrong microphone, Voice Control has taken over, or the app is the problem. Each takes under a minute to check on macOS Golden Gate or Tahoe.
Quick fix:
- Open System Settings > Keyboard and make sure Dictation is on.
- Check the Shortcut under Dictation and press exactly that, usually Fn (Globe) twice, quickly.
- Set Microphone source to the microphone you are actually using.
- Turn off System Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control if it is on.
- Test in Notes: if Dictation works there, the problem is the app, not your Mac.
Quick checks for dictation not working on Mac
The fastest way to narrow down dictation not working on Mac is a Notes test. Open a new note and press your Dictation shortcut. If words appear, your Mac and microphone are fine and one app is at fault. If nothing appears, the cause is in macOS settings.
Searches such as “MacBook dictation not working” and “dictation not working MacBook Air” lead to the same causes, because Dictation is part of macOS. Apple’s Dictation troubleshooting page adds the easy-to-miss ones: a covered microphone, speaking too quietly and an echoey room.
| What you see | Most likely cause | Where to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Fn or Globe twice does nothing | Dictation off, or another shortcut set | System Settings > Keyboard |
| Microphone key opens Siri | Key held, not tapped | Tap and release |
| Tone, but no text | Wrong microphone or low input level | Microphone source |
| Works in Notes, not Google Docs | Browser or app issue | Browser microphone permission |
| Broke after an update | Changed settings or outdated utility | General > Software Update |
| Shortcut ignored | Voice Control replaces Dictation | Accessibility > Voice Control |
Pressing Fn or the Globe key does nothing
Fn key dictation not working is nearly always a settings mismatch, not a fault. macOS starts Dictation from the Fn or Globe key only when two settings agree, and a keyboard utility can change either.
- Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard and scroll to Dictation. If it is off, turn it on and click Enable.
- Open the Shortcut pop-up menu and choose Press Fn (Function) Key Twice, another option, or Customise to record your own keys.
- Higher up, check Press fn key to (or the Globe symbol). If it says Change Input Source, Show Emoji & Symbols or Do Nothing, the key does that instead; set it to Start Dictation.
- On a non-Apple keyboard, Fn often never reaches macOS. Pick another shortcut, or use Edit > Start Dictation in the menu bar.
Using the top-row Microphone key instead? If Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys is on (Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Function Keys), hold Fn while pressing it.
The dictation key opens Siri
If the dictation key opens Siri, you are holding it. Apple’s rule for the Microphone key: press and release to start Dictation, press and hold to activate Siri.
- Tap the key, lift your finger straight away, then wait for the tone or pulsing cursor.
- Confirm Dictation is on in System Settings > Keyboard; with it off, the key has nothing to start.
- Open System Settings > Siri (on Tahoe, Apple Intelligence & Siri on Macs that support Apple Intelligence) and make sure Siri’s keyboard shortcut does not share keys with your Dictation shortcut.
- If you never use Siri, click Turn Off Siri. Holding the key only opens Siri when Siri is enabled.
No Microphone key? Then Siri opening from your Dictation shortcut means the two overlap; step 3 fixes it.
You hear the tone but no text appears
This version of dictation not working on Mac nearly always points to the microphone. Dictation is listening to a device that cannot hear you: AirPods in their case, a monitor microphone across the room, or a virtual audio device left by a meeting app.
- Under Dictation, set Microphone source to the built-in microphone or the headset you are wearing, not Automatic.
- In System Settings > Sound > Input, select that device and speak. If the level barely moves, raise the input volume.
- Click Edit next to Languages. Speak a language that is not selected and you get nothing or nonsense.
- Check your connection: the note under the Dictation switch shows whether your Mac processes speech on the device.
For long sessions, a headset beats any setting: see the best microphone for dictation. If Dictation types and then switches off, it stopped after 30 seconds without speech; our guide on how to dictate on Mac covers that auto-end behaviour, and voice typing that keeps stopping covers other platforms.
Not working in Google Docs or Chrome on a Mac
Mac dictation not working in Google Docs is a long-running complaint on Apple’s forums. Two tools are involved: Apple Dictation types into whatever has focus, while Google Docs Voice typing is Google’s own feature, which Google lists as working in the latest Chrome, Edge and Safari.
| Tool | How to start | Microphone controlled by |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Dictation | Your shortcut or Edit > Start Dictation | Microphone source in Keyboard settings |
| Google Docs Voice typing | Tools > Voice typing, or Command + Shift + S in Chrome | Browser site permission and macOS microphone access |
Apple Dictation does nothing inside a document
- Click inside the document body, then press the shortcut again.
- Open the document in Safari. If Dictation works there, the problem is Chrome.
Google Docs Voice typing cannot hear you
- Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone, turn on your browser, then quit and reopen it.
- In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Microphone and allow docs.google.com.
Still stuck? Quit other voice apps, then see Google Docs voice typing not working.
Stopped working after a macOS update
macOS Golden Gate (macOS 27) arrived on 14 September 2026 and runs only on Apple silicon, so Intel Macs stay on macOS Tahoe 26. A major release can move settings and break utilities that hook into the keyboard or audio. If you find dictation not working on Mac straight after updating:
- Install any pending fix in System Settings > General > Software Update, backing up first as Apple recommends.
- Recheck the Dictation switch, Shortcut, Languages and Microphone source.
- Restart, then quit keyboard remappers and virtual audio drivers and test again.
If Dictation now fails in only one app, that app probably needs its own update.
Voice Control clashes with Dictation
A common cause of dictation not working on Mac is Voice Control, Apple’s hands-free system for clicking, scrolling and typing by voice. Apple’s Dictation guide is explicit: when Voice Control is on, standard macOS Dictation is not available. Try it once, leave it on, and your shortcut looks dead.
To get Dictation back, turn off System Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control. If you rely on Voice Control, keep it and say “Dictation mode” to type with it.
Still broken: reset Dictation
macOS has no reset button for Dictation, but these steps do the same job, quickest first. None of them deletes anything.
- Turn Dictation off, restart, turn it back on and click Enable.
- Remove your language under Languages > Edit, restart, then add it back.
- Test in safe mode. On Apple silicon, shut down, hold the power button until startup options load, select your disk, then hold Shift and click Continue in Safe Mode. On Intel, hold Shift during startup.
- Test in a second account from System Settings > Users & Groups > Add User. If it works there, the cause is in your own account.
Forums suggest Terminal commands or deleting preference files; Apple does not document them, so we left them out. If you still have dictation not working on Mac in safe mode and a fresh account, record a clip in Voice Memos. Silence points to the microphone, a job for Apple Support.
When the built-in tool keeps failing
Once it works, Apple Dictation is a good free tool. It is still dictation, though: it writes down what you say, word by word, and you do the composing and editing.
Genie 007 goes further. Voice typing mode handles punctuation and grammar, so you never say “comma”. Genie Mode skips dictation altogether: you say what you want done. In Gmail, you might say “Reply to Tom, thanks for the draft, I can’t do Thursday, offer Friday at ten.” Genie 007 understands the context and writes the finished reply in your tone.
It works inside Gmail, Google Docs, Slack, Notion and any website, and you can speak in one language and get text in another, across 140+ languages. It is private by design and nothing is stored. See think-to-text or Genie 007 for Mac.
Related guides: Windows 11 voice typing commands, voice typing shortcut keys for every app, speech to text not working with AirPods and sending text messages from your computer by voice
Dictation Not Working on Mac in Word
Dictation not working on Mac in Word often comes from mixing up two different tools: Apple Dictation, built into macOS, and the Dictate button, which is Microsoft’s own feature inside Word. Each has its own requirements, so check which one you are pressing.
- Microsoft’s Dictate needs a subscription and a sign-in. Microsoft says dictation is “only available to Microsoft 365 subscribers”, so make sure you are signed in to Microsoft 365. Then go to Home > Dictate, or press Option + F1, per Microsoft’s Dictate page.
- Give Word microphone access. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and turn on the switch next to Microsoft Word, then restart Word.
- Try Apple Dictation instead. Click in the document, then choose Edit > Start Dictation or press your Dictation shortcut. If that works, only Microsoft’s button is at fault.
- Button greyed out or missing? Our guide to the Dictate button missing in Word covers licence, account and ribbon causes.
For whole paragraphs rather than word-by-word dictation, Genie 007 on a Mac lets you press Q (or any key or combination you choose), say what you want, and it writes it in Word.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Mac dictation not working?
Dictation not working on Mac usually means Dictation is switched off in Keyboard settings, the shortcut you press does not match the one set there, macOS is listening to the wrong microphone, or Voice Control is on, which replaces standard Dictation.
Why does the dictation key open Siri?
The Microphone key on Mac keyboards does two jobs, because a quick press and release starts Dictation while pressing and holding it activates Siri, so resting your finger on the key for a moment opens Siri instead of the dictation tone.
Why won’t Mac dictation work in Google Docs?
Apple Dictation sometimes fails inside Google Docs in Chrome even when it works elsewhere, so click into the document body, try the same document in Safari, quit other voice apps, or use Google Docs Voice typing from the Tools menu, which needs microphone permission for your browser.
Does Mac dictation need the internet?
Sometimes, because Apple says Dictation may need an internet connection, and the note under the Dictation switch in Keyboard settings tells you whether your Mac processes general dictation on the device, while dictating into a search box is not covered by on-device processing.
How do I reset dictation on a Mac?
There is no reset button, but you get the same effect by turning Dictation off in Keyboard settings, restarting the Mac, turning it back on, and choosing your language and microphone source again, then testing in safe mode or a second user account if it still fails.
If the problem only shows up in Apple’s word processor, our guide to Pages dictation not working covers the Edit menu, placeholder text and iPad fixes.
Try Genie 007 Free
Fixing dictation not working on Mac gets your words back on the page. Genie 007 does your work, not your words: tell it what you want done and get the finished message.
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Written by Bill Kiani, founder of Genie 007.
