1. Check the shortcut configured on this Mac
Open System Settings, choose Keyboard, scroll to Dictation, and read the Shortcut pop-up menu. That value—not a shortcut remembered from another Mac or an older article—is the authoritative combination for the machine in front of you.
Apple lets you choose a listed shortcut or select Customize and press your own combination. Apple uses Option-Z as one example of a custom shortcut, but it is not a universal default.
- Open System Settings → Keyboard.
- Confirm Dictation is enabled.
- Read the current Shortcut value before changing it.
2. Start Dictation from a text field
Place the insertion point where you want text, then use the configured shortcut. If your Mac has a Microphone key in the function row, Apple says you can press it to start Dictation. You can also choose Edit → Start Dictation in an app that exposes that menu command.
When the cursor highlights and pulses, or the Mac plays its ready tone, begin speaking. If the shortcut works in TextEdit but not in one custom editor, the shortcut itself has passed; isolate that app or field next.
3. Stop Dictation without guessing
Apple documents three direct ways to stop: press the Dictation shortcut again, press Escape, or press the Microphone key when it is available. Dictation also stops automatically after 30 seconds without detected speech.
A session ending after a long pause is therefore different from a shortcut that never started listening. Record which behavior you see before changing settings.
4. Understand the Microphone, Fn and Globe keys
On a keyboard with a Microphone key, press and release starts Dictation; pressing and holding can activate Siri when Siri is enabled. Those two gestures have different results.
Apple also notes that selecting a Dictation shortcut can automatically change the “Press Fn key to” or “Press Globe key to” setting on some Mac models. For example, choosing Press Fn Key Twice can make the corresponding Keyboard setting show Start Dictation. This is why checking the live setting is more reliable than assuming Fn twice is active.
5. Avoid conflicts with Voice Control and app shortcuts
Apple states that standard macOS Dictation is unavailable while Voice Control is on; Voice Control handles text entry in that mode. If the Dictation shortcut appears inactive, check System Settings → Accessibility → Voice Control before treating the key as broken.
Apps can also define their own voice or keyboard shortcuts. Test the macOS shortcut in TextEdit, then compare the failing app. If TextEdit works, resolve the app-level conflict rather than repeatedly changing the system microphone or language.
6. Choose a shortcut that matches the writing habit
Apple Dictation uses a start-and-stop session. That is the right free first step for occasional voice typing. A held-key workflow is different: recording exists only while the chosen key is held, which can make short insertions feel more deliberate.
IraVoice 0.7.1 uses Right Option for held-key dictation and Globe for Voice-to-Spec on macOS 26+ Apple-silicon Macs. Its local speech-recognition and supported formatting workflow does not change or repair Apple’s configured Dictation shortcut.