Guide

How to Voice Type on Mac

Everything you need to know about using speech to text on your Mac or MacBook. We'll cover the built-in option, what it can't do, and better alternatives.

Option 1: Apple's Built-in Dictation

Every Mac has dictation built in. Here's how to turn it on:

Open System Settings
Go to Keyboard
Scroll down to Dictation and toggle it on
Choose your language and shortcut key (default is pressing Fn twice)

Once enabled, you can press your dictation shortcut in any text field and start speaking. Your Mac will transcribe your speech and insert the text.

The catch: Apple's dictation has two modes. The basic mode runs on-device but has limited accuracy. The enhanced mode (called "Enhanced Dictation" in older macOS, now the default in Sequoia) sends your audio to Apple's servers for processing. You get better accuracy, but your voice data leaves your Mac.

If privacy matters to you, this is a significant tradeoff.

Option 2: Use a Dedicated Dictation App

If you want better accuracy, privacy, or features like vocabulary learning, a dedicated dictation app is the way to go. Here's how they compare:

Arugula — Free, local AI speech recognition, hold-to-talk, learns your vocabulary. Runs entirely on your Mac. See full comparison.
Dragon NaturallySpeaking — The former gold standard, but discontinued on Mac. Windows only, $150+/year.
Whisper (CLI) — Open source, powerful, but command-line only. No real-time dictation or cursor insertion.

Why Arugula?

Arugula gives you the accuracy of cloud-based dictation with the privacy of on-device processing. Hold a key, speak naturally, release — your words appear at the cursor in any app. It's free, it works offline, and it learns your vocabulary from your corrections. Learn more.

Tips for Better Voice Typing

Regardless of which tool you use, these tips will help you get better results:

Speak naturally

Don't over-enunciate or speak in a monotone. Modern speech recognition works best with natural speech patterns.

Use a good microphone

Your Mac's built-in mic is fine for quiet rooms. For noisy environments, a headset or external mic makes a big difference.

Correct mistakes right away

If you're using an app like Arugula that learns from corrections, fixing errors immediately helps it improve faster.

Dictate in chunks

Rather than dictating an entire document at once, work in paragraphs. It's easier to edit and catches errors while they're fresh.

Voice Typing for Specific Tasks

Voice typing isn't just for writing documents. People use it for:

Email — Dictate replies in half the time. Works in Gmail, Apple Mail, Outlook.
Messaging — Quick replies in Slack, Messages, Discord without touching the keyboard.
Note-taking — Capture thoughts in Apple Notes, Obsidian, Notion as fast as you think them.
Accessibility — Essential for anyone with RSI, arthritis, or other conditions that make typing painful.

See our full guide on use cases for voice typing on Mac. Want to understand how the technology works? Read how speech recognition works on Mac.

System Requirements

For the best voice typing experience on Mac:

macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later — required for Arugula, recommended for best built-in dictation
Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) — required for Arugula's local AI model, significantly faster than Intel for on-device speech recognition
Microphone access — grant the permission when prompted

Ready to try voice typing?

Arugula is free, private, and gets smarter the more you use it.

Get Arugula