

There, you can choose to dictate in a language other than English and you can even switch your shortcut to something other than double-tapping the "Fn" key the suggested options include double-tapping your left or right “Command” key, but feel free to make up your own.įor novice dictation users, Apple also has a helpful guide on how to dictate punctuation, formatting, symbols, and more. As Lifehacker explains, you can customize your settings by going to “System Preferences” and clicking “Dictation and Speech,” (or “Keyboard” and then “Dictation,” depending on which iOS system you’re using). If it’s your first time dictating on your device, a window will pop up asking you to confirm you’d like to enable dictation.

Once you’re finished, you can end your session by double-tapping the “Fn” key again, hitting the “Return” key, or clicking “Done” under the microphone icon.

A small microphone icon will appear, ready to transform your spoken words into written ones. Alternatively, click "Edit" on the application's menu, and then select "Start Dictation."Ĭlick the "Done" button or press your shortcut key or keys again to deactivate Dictation when you are finished.Whether you’re trying to keep up with your email correspondence while cooking dinner or just hoping to give your hardworking fingers a much-deserved break, you might be inclined to take advantage of dictation technology available on most computers these days.įor Mac users, here’s a handy trick: Position your cursor wherever you want to start your sentence-on any site, app, or platform where you can usually type-and double-tap the “Fn” key in the lower left corner of your keyboard. Place your cursor at the location where you want to dictate your text, press the shortcut key or keys you chose in Step 4, and then begin dictating your text. You can use any application that has text fields.

Launch the application where you want to convert voice to text. Click the "Shortcut" pull-down menu and select which key or series of keys on your keyboard you want to press to notify your Mac that you want it start converting voice to text. If you only have one microphone connected to your Mac, the internal microphone is selected automatically. Click the microphone icon and select which microphone you want to use. Click the "View" menu, and then select "Dictation & Speech."Ĭlick the "Dictation" tab if it is not selected already, and then click the "On" radio button to enable dictation.
