10 Fixes Dictation Not Working on Mac (Sequoia/Sonoma)

Dictation is a handy feature on Mac. It converts speech to text when working on Word, Notes, Pages, etc. However, often the dictation feature stops working on Mac. While many users reported that sometimes dictation not working on Mac when they press the Dictation button on Mac keyboard and the microphone icon is greyed out, for others, it may not convert what they voice to text. Whatever the issue with dictation, here are some practical solutions you must try to fix it, apart from the Best Dictation Software for Mac.

For Outlook Mac users, use the Voice command for Email Dictation in Outlook. Alternatively, we can use the Built-in mac dictation feature.

Re-Fix text to speech on Mac not working

Apple’s speech-to-text feature is quite useful just like Dictation on iPhone, but sometimes it doesn’t work as intended. To learn how to fix dictation not working on macOS

Key takeaway

1→ Open the Finder. Select Go from the menu bar. Click Go To Folder…

Find com.apple.assistant.plist file from Mac finder
Find com.apple.assistant.plist file from Mac finder

2→ Enter ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.assistant.plist and press Return.

Find com.apple.assistant.plist from Mac
Find com.apple.assistant.plist from Mac

3→ Now, locate com.apple.assistant.plist and drag it to Trash or Right-click (Control + Click) > Move to Trash.

Delete Plist for Dictation mac settings
Delete Plist for Dictation mac settings

4→ Head to the System Settings… > Keyboard > toggle off dictation.

  • For macOS Monterey & earlier: System Preferences… > Keyboard > Dictation menu > turn off Dictation.

Wait for a while, re-enable the Dictation feature, and check for the issue.

enable-dictation-on-mac-from-keyboard-settings
enable-dictation-on-mac-from-keyboard-settings

1. Restart Your Mac

The first thing you must try when voice-to-text isn’t working on your Mac is restart it. For this, select the Apple Logo > Restart… Once the procedure finish, try using it again. If it doesn’t respond to your action or voice, move forward to the following solution.

2. Check Internet Connection

Mac speech-to-text needs a stable internet connection to function properly. If your Mac isn’t connected to the internet, the microphone won’t recognize your speech. So, ensure your Mac computer is connected to stable and active internet. 

3. Turn off and on Dictation in Mac Settings 

To fix the dictation issue on your Mac, you must try restarting dictation in settings. Here’s how you can do it.

macOS Sonoma Users can Use Dictation and Keyboard Together, limited to the supported language, Apps.

For macOS Ventura & later

1→ Go to the Apple Logo from the top menu > System Settings

2→ Select keyboard > Enable “Dictation” Toggle. Select your correct language, Microphone Source, Keyboard Shortcut, and Auto-Punctuation.

enable-dictation-on-mac-from-keyboard-settings
enable-dictation-on-mac-from-keyboard-settings

Ensure your Mac Inbuit Microphone is working correctly and not connected with other Bluetooth accessories.

Still Not Working! Try after Restarting your Mac.

For macOS Monterey & earlier

  1. Go to Apple Logo. Select System Preferences…
  2. Click on Keyboard.
  3. Navigate to the Dictation Menu.
  4. Then, check the On next to Dictation.

That’s It!

4. Select Internal Microphone in Dictation

Another possibility for keyboard dictation not working on your Mac is a corrupted external microphone. In this situation, configuring the dictation to the internal Microphone is on to go. Here’s how.

macOS Ventura & later

1→ Select Apple Menu. Go to System Settings…

2→ Click on Keyboard in the left sidebar.

3→ Select the Microphone Output drop-down and select your Mac microphone. 

select-input-microphone-for-dictation-on-mac
select-input-microphone-for-dictation-on-mac

macOS Monterey & earlier

  1. Go to Apple Logo. Select System Preferences…
  2. Click on Keyboard.
  3. Navigate to the Dictation Menu.
  4. Under the Microphone Icon, select Internal Microphone.

5. Dictation Shortcut Mac Not Working

The default Keyboard Shortcut is F5 or Fn + F5. Follow the below steps to check your Mac System settings. Follow the solutions for Fn Key not working on Mac.

1→ Go to the Apple Logo from the top menu > System Settings.

2→ Next, Keyboard > Shortcut > Select the Key, and That’s it.

dication-keyboard-shortcut-on-mac
dication-keyboard-shortcut-on-mac

6. Download another language

It’s eccentric behavior from macOS; many users found downloading different languages has reset their native language too. So let’s try it out on your Mac.

1→ Go to Apple Logo from Apple Menu.

2→ Select System Settings… > General (System Preferences… for macOS Monterey & earlier).

3→ Click on Language & Region.

change-language-region-on-mac
change-language-region-on-mac

4→ Select + Icon and choose a convenient language, for instance, English Australia.

add-a-new-language-to-mac-for-dictation
add-a-new-language-to-mac-for-dictation

5→ Click on Add Button > Use English (Australia) or Select your Local Language > Restart Now.

7. Disable Low Power Mode 

The speech-to-text could stop working if Low Power mode is enabled on your MacBook. You must turn it off and see if it fixes the issue.

macOS Ventura and later

  1. Go to System Settings…
  2. Click on Battery in the left sidebar.
  3. Select the Lower Power Mode drop-down and choose Never.

macOS Monterey and earlier

  1. Go to Apple Logo > System Preferences…
  2. Click on Battery > Battery in the left sidebar. 
  3. Uncheck the box next to the Lower Power Mode. 

8. Check Screen Time Restriction 

Does your Mac screen keep showing “Do you want to enable dictation”? Pop-up even when the dictation is enabled in your Mac settings? It’s because Siri and Dictation is restricted in Screen Time Restriction. You must turn it off on screen time settings, as shown below. 

macOS Ventura and later

1→ Go to Apple Logo from Top Menu. Select System Settings…

2→ Navigate to Screen Time > Content & Privacy.

screen-time-restriction-settings-for-mac-dictation
screen-time-restriction-settings-for-mac-dictation

3→ Select App Restrictions.

app-restrictions-for-dictation-on-mac
app-restrictions-for-dictation-on-mac

4→ Enable toggle next Allow Siri & Dictation. 

allow-siri-dictation-on-mac
allow-siri-dictation-on-mac

macOS Monterey and earlier

  1. Select Apple Menu.
  2. Click on System Preferences…
  3. Go to Screen Time.
  4. Select Content & Privacy from the left sidebar.
  5. Click on App Menu and then check the box next to Siri & Dictation.

9. Try Turning off antivirus

Regular dictation is blocked when using the Antivirus on Mac. If you are currently using it, turn it off and check if dictation on your Mac works. If not, move to a further solution. 

10. Update macOS Software

Often, dictation does not work on Mac due to a bug within the current macOS. You must update the macOS to the latest version. Here’s how.

macOS Ventura and later 

  1. Go to Apple Menu.
  2. Select System Settings…
  3. Click on General.
  4. Select Software Updates. Now let your Mac check for updates, if available, tap on Install Now. 

macOS Monterey and earlier

  1. Select Apple Logo.
  2. Click on System Preferences…
  3. Then, select Software Update
  4. Now let your Mac, check for updates, and if available, click Upgrade Now. 

Final Thought!

If the dictation is still not working on your Mac, try contacting the Apple Support Team and ask for further assistance.

  • Available on Mac computers with the M1 chip. Requires download of speech models. Available in Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Cantonese (Hong Kong), English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, U.S.), French (France), German (Germany), Italian (Italy), Japanese (Japan), Korean (Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Taiwan), Russian (Russia), Spanish (Mexico, Spain, U.S.), Turkish (Turkey), and Yue Chinese (China mainland) and more….keep your MacOS updated.

Cover Supported language etc.

Photo of author

Karly Wood

Karly Wood is a journalist based in Ohio who specializes in covering Apple and technology trends. With a varied experience in reporting on public safety, government, and education, her insights bridge multiple disciplines, providing readers with a well-rounded perspective on today's technological advancements. If you need to contact me, you can reach me at [email protected] or through (Facebook)

Leave a Comment