Mac dictation guide

Speech to text on Mac.

If you want to speak a message and see it appear as text, your Mac already has a place to start: Apple Dictation. Try it in the field you actually use before installing another app. A separate dictation tool can make sense when you want a consistent hold-to-talk shortcut, optional cleanup or a source-build workflow.

When is speakeasy. a useful Mac dictation option?

speakeasy. fits English writing in ordinary editable fields on an Apple Silicon Mac with macOS 14 or later. Hold a configurable key, speak and release, then review the text. It requires internet and supports optional Polish before paste. Hosted use starts with five successful dictations per week; paid plans are $5/month for 12 audio hours or $9/month for 30. Choose another tool if you need offline transcription, other languages or audio-file uploads.

1. Turn on built-in Mac dictation

Open System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation and turn it on.
Check the language, microphone source and shortcut shown there.
Click a text field, then use that shortcut or Edit → Start Dictation.
Speak a short sentence. Stop with the shortcut or Escape, then review the text.

Language and feature availability vary. Apple says Keyboard settings show whether general text dictation is processed on your device; check that notice rather than assuming every input is offline. Dictation enters text. Voice Control is Apple's separate option for controlling the Mac by spoken commands.

Apple setup and processing guidance checked October 3, 2026: Apple's Mac Dictation guide. Choose your macOS version in that guide for matching controls.

2. Match the tool to what you want to write

Your task	Where to start	What to check
Occasional messages or notes	Built-in Apple Dictation	Language, microphone and the target field.
Prompts in a coding agent	The agent's native voice controls, if available	Whether voice inserts a draft or submits it; exact code symbols.
One hold-to-talk key across writing apps	A dedicated app such as speakeasy.	Supported Mac, permissions, processing and paste recovery.
An existing audio file or a recorded meeting	A file-transcription or meeting tool	File support, speaker labels and recording consent.

speakeasy. is for live dictation into ordinary editable fields. It is not an audio-file uploader, meeting recorder or voice-command system. If Apple Dictation already fits your use, you can keep using it. Our Apple Dictation comparison explains the tradeoffs without an invented accuracy score.

3. Set up hold-to-talk with speakeasy.

Use an Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 14 or later, English speech, a working microphone and internet access. Downloading from this website does not require an email or account; hosted setup happens inside the app. You can also build the open-source Groq BYOK edition.

Open the app and complete setup. Allow Microphone access to record and Accessibility access for the global key.
Use Practice to try a short sentence before using another app. Automatic paste may request Automation → System Events access.
Click your destination field. Hold Right Option, speak, then release. The key is configurable in Settings → Dictation.
Keep the original field available while the text is processed. Review the result before sending or saving it.

Optional Polish removes filler and tidies wording before delivery. You can turn it off; failed cleanup preserves the raw transcript. Each recording has a five-minute maximum. Speak a paragraph at a time and check names, numbers, punctuation and any code identifiers yourself.

4. If speech to text is not working

No words are captured: check the microphone input level, the selected device and Microphone access in macOS Privacy & Security.
The shortcut does nothing: check the configured key and Accessibility permission. Choose a different key if another app uses it.
Text is ready but missing from the field: when speakeasy. confirms it is on the clipboard, click the correct field and press Command-V. Check Automation access for System Events, then compare with a plain text editor.
Cloud processing fails: check internet access and the error shown. BYOK source builds also depend on your provider key and limits.

Compatibility varies by app and field. A successful Practice sentence does not prove insertion in every editor or terminal. If the problem continues, send a sanitized support report with the app, macOS version and error; keep private text and keys out.

5. Understand the cost and cloud processing

Hosted Free includes five successful dictations each week plus unlimited Practice. Standard costs $5/month for 12 hours of recorded audio; Pro costs $9/month for 30 hours. See plan details. The AGPL source build has no speakeasy. subscription, but Groq provider usage may cost money.

speakeasy. requires internet: hosted streaming sends audio through our service to Deepgram; non-streaming transcription and optional Polish use Groq. Source-built BYOK sends processing requests to Groq with your own key. Open source does not mean on-device transcription. Read the privacy and processing notice before choosing a workflow for sensitive content.

For coding prompts, add context after dictating

Speech is useful for describing an issue, constraints and acceptance criteria. Add files, screenshots and exact commands using your coding agent's own controls, then review the draft before submitting. Start with the guide for Cursor, Claude Code or Codex for the input you use.