Option 1 — Apple Dictation (built-in, free)
Every Mac running macOS 10.14 or later has a built-in dictation engine. On Apple Silicon Macs (M1 and later), it runs on-device with no internet connection required. Here's how to enable it.
Open System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation
Click the Apple menu → System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS) → Keyboard. Scroll to find the Dictation section.
Toggle Dictation on
Flip the Dictation toggle on. If prompted to enable Enhanced Dictation (on Intel Macs), click Enable — it allows offline use.
Choose your shortcut
The default shortcut is double-pressing the Fn / 🌐 key. You can change this to any shortcut in the Shortcut dropdown. Some users prefer ⌘⌘ (double Command) or a function key.
Click in a text field, press your shortcut, speak
A microphone icon appears near the insertion point. Speak naturally. Press the shortcut again, press Return, or click Done to end dictation.
Tip: Say "new line" to insert a line break, "new paragraph" for a blank line, or "period / comma / question mark" to insert punctuation. Apple Dictation understands these commands in English.
Limitations of Apple Dictation
- Transcribes verbatim — filler words ("um", "uh") appear in the output.
- Punctuation must be spoken explicitly ("comma", "period") or added manually.
- No voice history, no saved clips, no AI rewrite.
- macOS / iOS only — doesn't work on Windows.
Option 2 — AiType (AI cleanup, 250ms, all platforms)
AiType installs as a small menu bar app on macOS. Hold a shortcut, speak, release — clean polished text hits your clipboard in ~250ms. No manual punctuation commands, no filler words.
Download and install AiType for Mac
Download the DMG, open it, drag AiType to Applications, and launch it.
Sign in and grant microphone permission
Create a free account or sign in. macOS will ask for microphone permission the first time you dictate — click Allow.
Hold ⌥ Option (or your chosen shortcut) and speak
AiType listens while you hold the key. Release when you're done. Clean text is placed in your clipboard and optionally auto-pasted into the active field.
Paste — you're done
No editing required. Filler words are removed, punctuation is added, and phrasing is polished automatically.
Tip: Works in any app — Mail, Slack, Notion, Cursor, VS Code, Safari, Terminal — anything with a text field. You never have to switch to a separate dictation window.
Which should you use?
- Use Apple Dictation if you want zero setup, offline capability, and don't mind editing the transcript.
- Use AiType if you want AI-polished output, cross-platform support (including Windows), or you find editing every dictation tedious.
- Use both — Apple Dictation for quick offline notes, AiType for anything that goes to another person.
Dictation tips for Mac (both tools)
- Speak in full sentences. Shorter fragments produce worse cleanup quality in any tool.
- Don't slow down artificially. Natural conversational speed works better than deliberate slow speech.
- Use a good microphone. Built-in Mac mics are fine in a quiet room. With background noise, a $30 USB cardioid mic dramatically improves accuracy.
- Stay consistent. Train your brain to dictate first and edit never — it takes about a week to feel natural.
Quick start recommendation
Enable Apple Dictation in 30 seconds to try it free. If you find yourself correcting every result, switch to AiType's 14-day free trial — the AI cleanup pass changes the experience entirely.
Try AiType for Mac
14-day free trial. No credit card. Download and start dictating in under 2 minutes.