Voice Control vs Dictation on a Mac: which one you want
The short answer
Dictation types what you say and does nothing else: you start it with a key, speak, and it stops. Voice Control is an accessibility feature for running the whole Mac by voice: it listens all the time, opens apps, clicks buttons and edits text on command. They cannot both be on. Apple says that when Voice Control is on, standard Dictation is not available. If you only want to type by voice, use Dictation. Flit, a local dictation app for Mac, stands in for Dictation, not for Voice Control: hold a key, speak, and finished text lands in any app.
How to switch from Voice Control back to Dictation
- Choose Apple menu → System Settings and click Accessibility in the sidebar.
- Click Voice Control and turn it off.
- Click Keyboard in the sidebar and go to Dictation.
- Turn Dictation on, and click Enable if asked.
- Click into a text field and press the Dictation shortcut shown there, or choose Edit → Start Dictation.
To keep Voice Control but stop it acting on a conversation in the room, say "Stop listening". "Start listening" resumes it.
The names suggest one feature with two settings. They are two features, in two different parts of System Settings, built for different needs. The table sets them side by side, from Apple’s own descriptions.
Dictation and Voice Control, side by side
| Dictation | Voice Control | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is for | Entering text by voice | Operating the Mac by voice, text included |
| Where it is | System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation | System Settings → Accessibility → Voice Control |
| How it starts | A key, a shortcut, or Edit → Start Dictation | It listens from the moment it is on |
| When it stops | When you stop it, or after 30 seconds without speech | When you say "Stop listening" or turn it off |
| Punctuation | Spoken commands, plus Auto-punctuation in supported languages | Spoken commands |
| Editing by voice | No. Commands insert characters and formatting | Yes, such as "Replace cat with dog" |
| Opening apps and clicking | No | Yes: "Open Mail", "Click Done", "Scroll down" |
| Internet connection | Depends on the Mac and the language; Keyboard settings says which | Needed once, for a file download when it is first turned on |
Why they cannot both be on
Voice Control brings its own dictation. Apple’s page puts it this way: "When Voice Control is on, you use Voice Control to dictate text; standard macOS Dictation isn’t available."
This is the usual reason the Dictation shortcut stops doing anything. Someone turns Voice Control on to try it, and Dictation goes quiet. Mac dictation not working has the other causes.
What Voice Control does that Dictation does not
Voice Control treats what you say as instructions. You can open and switch apps, scroll, click anything on screen, and edit text you have already written.
- Say "Show names" or "Show numbers" to label what is on screen, then say the name or number to click it. "Show grid" puts a numbered grid over the screen.
- Say "Show commands" for what you can say right now. The full list is under Voice Control → Commands.
- It has modes you switch by name: Dictation mode (words that are not commands are typed), Command mode (only commands are heard) and Spelling mode (character by character, in some languages).
- You can add your own commands, and up to 1,000 words of custom vocabulary in languages that support it.
What Dictation does that Voice Control does not
Dictation stays out of the way. It listens only after you press a key, and stops when you press it again or go quiet, so nothing you say to a colleague or on a call is treated as a command.
In supported languages it also adds commas, periods and question marks for you. And it is simply less to learn: a short list of commands, and the rest is talking.
Which one to choose
Choose Dictation if you use the keyboard and mouse comfortably and want to get words down faster. That is most people who ask this question.
Choose Voice Control if you want or need to use the Mac without your hands. Apple builds it as an accessibility feature and groups it with its features for mobility. It asks for more learning, and it gives you the whole Mac.
Voice Control is also not VoiceOver. VoiceOver is the screen reader, which speaks what is on screen. The two can run together.
Where Flit fits
Flit stands in for Dictation, not for Voice Control. It types what you say into any app while you hold a key. Unless you turn on its voice activation, it records only while that key is down.
- Hold a key to talk and release to finish. Nothing you say afterwards is recorded.
- Finished text: punctuation, paragraphs, lists and numbers, without saying the marks.
- It records for as long as you hold the key, pauses included.
- Everything runs on the Mac, and nothing you say is sent anywhere.
- Flit is free for 7 days with every feature on, then $19 once, with no account and no subscription.
Good to know
- Flit does not control your Mac by voice: it does not open apps, click buttons, or select and delete text on command. If you need that, Voice Control is the tool.
- Apple’s Dictation is free and already on your Mac. If it does what you need, you do not need Flit.
- Flit runs on a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 14 or later, and its voice model is a download of about 0.5 to 2.3 GB that you choose once.
- Flit’s spoken commands, such as "new paragraph", are in English today.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between Voice Control and Dictation on a Mac?
Dictation types what you say after you press a key. Voice Control is an accessibility feature that listens all the time and lets you run the whole Mac by voice, including dictating and editing text.
Can I use Voice Control and Dictation at the same time?
No. Apple says that when Voice Control is on, you use Voice Control to dictate text, and standard macOS Dictation is not available.
Why did Dictation stop working when I turned on Voice Control?
Because Voice Control replaces it. Turn Voice Control off in System Settings → Accessibility → Voice Control to get standard Dictation back.
Does Voice Control need the internet?
Only the first time. Apple says the Mac must be online for a one-time file download, and that afterwards no connection is needed.
Is Voice Control the same as Siri or VoiceOver?
No. Siri is an assistant you ask for things. VoiceOver is a screen reader that speaks what is on screen. Voice Control takes spoken commands to operate the Mac.
Is there an app that only types what I say, without controlling the Mac?
Yes. Flit is a local dictation app for Mac: hold a key, speak, and release, and finished text lands in any app. With hold-to-talk it records only while the key is down. Flit is free for 7 days with every feature on, then $19 once, with no account and no subscription.