Perplexity voice to text works in the iPhone and Android apps, in the Perplexity desktop app for Windows and Mac, and in the Comet browser. For the plain website, Perplexity’s help pages do not document a dictation button, so on a desktop browser the reliable route is your system’s own dictation: Windows voice typing or Mac Dictation.
Can you use Perplexity voice to text? Mobile, desktop and Comet
Yes, but “voice” means several things in Perplexity, and only some of them give you Perplexity voice to text you can edit. This is where each one lives.
| Where you use Perplexity | Voice feature | How to start it |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone app | Voice assistant (voice mode) | Tap the voice icon in the input box |
| Android app | Perplexity Assistant, voice-activated | Make it your default assistant, then use the swipe or button gesture |
| Desktop app (Windows and Mac) | Speak a request instead of typing it | Windows: Ctrl + Shift + X. Mac: hold Fn, then speak |
| Comet browser | Voice Mode panel | Toolbar icon, Alt + Shift + V (Windows) or Option + Shift + V (Mac) |
| Website in a desktop browser | Not documented in the help centre | System dictation: Windows logo key + H or Mac Dictation |
On iPhone, Perplexity’s iOS voice assistant guide says to tap the voice icon in the input box and make sure Microphone access is on in your iPhone Settings. The September 2025 changelog also lists a “New Voice Dictation Input” in the iOS redesign, but only as a heading, so look for it in the app rather than a help page.
On Android, the Perplexity Android Assistant guide says the assistant must be your default assistant. You then open it with a swipe from the bottom-left corner or by holding the power or home button, depending on your device. For Perplexity dictation into one prompt, use the microphone on your phone’s keyboard instead.
Voice input on Perplexity in a desktop browser
This is where most people get stuck. Perplexity’s help centre has no article about a microphone button on perplexity.ai. TechPP’s guide to Perplexity icons, a third-party explainer, describes a voice input button and a separate waveform icon for voice mode in the prompt box, and Perplexity’s changelog says Voice Mode reached Perplexity Computer on the web in March 2026. If your prompt box shows a microphone, try it. If not, these options give you Perplexity voice to text on a desktop browser either way.
Windows: voice typing
- Click inside the Perplexity prompt box so the cursor is in it.
- Press Windows logo key + H and wait for the Listening… alert.
- Speak, then say “Stop listening” or press the microphone button on the voice typing menu.
Microsoft’s voice typing guide says it uses online speech recognition, so Perplexity voice to text on Windows needs an internet connection and a working microphone.
Mac: Dictation
- Open System Settings > Keyboard, turn on Dictation and click Enable if asked.
- Click in the prompt box, then press your Dictation shortcut or choose Edit > Start Dictation.
- Stop with Escape or your shortcut. Dictation also stops by itself after 30 seconds without speech.
Apple’s Dictation guide adds that Voice Control replaces standard Dictation while it is on, so turn Voice Control off if the shortcut does nothing.
The Perplexity desktop app and Comet
The desktop app has its own voice shortcut. Perplexity’s Work with Browsers and Apps page says to press Ctrl + Shift + X on Windows, or hold Fn on a Mac and speak the task, and that you can change either under Settings > Shortcuts. If the Mac shortcut clashes with your Dictation shortcut, change one of the two.
Comet’s Voice Mode starts listening as soon as the panel opens. It is a conversation rather than dictation: you can ask about the page in your current tab, have Comet open pages for you, and choose a Conversation Language (36 supported) and a Voice Style (10 voices) in the panel’s settings.
Dictating long research prompts
Perplexity voice to text suits long research prompts, because speaking is the fastest way to get the detail out of your head. The risk with plain Perplexity speech to text is rambling, because dictation types every false start into the box.
Say the prompt in a fixed order, then read it back before you press Enter:
- The question, in one sentence.
- The scope: time period, country and the kinds of source you trust.
- The output you want, such as a table, a short summary or options with a recommendation.
- Line breaks between the parts. Apple Dictation understands “new line” and “new paragraph”, and Windows voice typing has its own command list.
Compare the three most used ways for a small UK shop to take card payments. Cover fees, contract length and how fast the money arrives. Use official provider pages where possible. Give me a table, then a two-line recommendation.
For a big question, pick Research in the mode selector of the search box. Perplexity’s Research mode guide says it works autonomously and writes a full report, that it is available on mobile, in the web browser and in the Mac app, and that free users get limited access.
Perplexity voice mode vs dictation
The two get mixed up because both start with a microphone. Dictation turns what you say into text. Voice mode is a live spoken conversation in which Perplexity talks back.
| Feature | Dictation | Perplexity voice mode |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | Text in the prompt box | A spoken answer |
| Edit before sending | Yes | No, you steer by speaking |
| Best for | Long, precise prompts | Quick questions and hands-free follow-ups |
| Where to find it | Windows voice typing, Mac Dictation, your phone keyboard | iPhone voice icon, Android Assistant, Comet Voice Mode |
Voice typing in Perplexity is mostly a system feature, while voice mode is Perplexity’s own.
A faster way: tell Genie 007 what you want asked
Perplexity voice to text has a ceiling. Dictation records your words, false starts included, and voice mode gives you an answer without a prompt you can tweak and reuse. Neither knows what you are trying to find out.
Genie 007 is built around think-to-text: you give the order, not the wording. In Genie Mode you might say, “Ask Perplexity to compare the biggest UK card payment providers on fees, contract length and payout speed, official sources only, in a table.” Genie 007 understands the context and writes the finished prompt in the box in your tone, ready to send:
Compare the biggest UK card payment providers for small shops on fees, contract length and payout speed. Use official provider pages only. Present the result as a table, then add a two-line recommendation.
When you want your own words, voice typing mode adds punctuation and grammar automatically, so you never say “comma”. It works inside any website, so it covers Perplexity in your browser, and you can speak in one language and get text in another, across 140+ languages. It is private by design and nothing is stored. Learn what think-to-text means, read our guides to dictating to ChatGPT, dictating to Claude and voice typing in Google Gemini, or browse all voice typing guides.
Related guides: ChatGPT voice dictation not working, Copilot dictation not working and DeepSeek voice input.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Perplexity have voice input on desktop?
Yes, in some forms: the Perplexity desktop app for Windows and Mac lets you speak a request (hold Fn on a Mac, press Ctrl + Shift + X on Windows), and the Comet browser has Voice Mode, but the plain website is not documented, so use Windows voice typing or Mac Dictation there.
How do I talk to Perplexity?
On iPhone, tap the voice icon in the input box and allow microphone access in Settings; on Android, make Perplexity your default assistant and open it with your device gesture or button; in Comet, press Alt + Shift + V (Option + Shift + V on a Mac); in the desktop app, use its voice shortcut.
What is the difference between Perplexity voice mode and dictation?
Dictation turns your speech into text in the prompt box, so you can edit it before you send it, while voice mode is a live spoken conversation in which Perplexity answers aloud, which makes dictation better for long, precise prompts and voice mode better for quick, hands-free questions and follow-ups.
Why is Perplexity not hearing my voice?
Check microphone access first: Perplexity says the iPhone app needs Microphone access switched on in Settings, and Comet’s voice panel shows Microphone muted until you click the microphone icon again to unmute.
Try Genie 007 Free
Perplexity voice to text gets your words into the box. Genie 007 does your work, not your words: say what you want to find out and it writes the prompt for you.
Free to try, no card needed. Start with the browser extension or mobile, and request access to the desktop apps for Windows and Mac.
Written by Bill Kiani, founder of Genie 007.
