# Dictate Anywhere — Dictate text into any app on Mac

Press ⌃⌥⌘D in any app, speak, and your words are typed in with punctuation. On-device. Part of OneMacTools, 151 private tools in one native Mac app (macOS 26 or later); category: Utilities. Runs on your Mac; nothing is uploaded.

Press ⌃⌥⌘D wherever you type (an email, a chat, a code editor, a form), speak, and press it again: your words appear where the cursor was, with punctuation, from Apple's on-device speech recognition. A small bar shows what's been heard as you talk. Optionally Apple Intelligence removes the “um”s and false starts first. Or hold Right ⌥ while you talk. Your clipboard is put back as it was afterwards.

Page: https://www.onemactools.com/tools/dictate-anywhere · Download: https://www.onemactools.com/download · Pricing: https://www.onemactools.com/pricing

## How to use it
1. **Choose how to start.** ⌃⌥⌘D to start and stop, or hold Right ⌥ while you talk. Then click Save.
2. **Click where you want the text.** An email, a chat, a document, a form or a code editor.
3. **Press ⌃⌥⌘D and speak.** A bar at the bottom of the screen shows what's been heard as you talk.
4. **Press ⌃⌥⌘D again.** The words are typed in where the cursor was, with punctuation.

## Options
- **Start and stop with:** ⌃⌥⌘D (press to start, press again to finish), Hold Right ⌥ while you talk, or Off.
- **Language:** The language you'll speak. The first time, macOS may download its speech model.
- **Tidy up with Apple Intelligence:** Removes “um”s, false starts and repeated words before typing it in, keeping your own words. Needs Apple Intelligence.

## Tips
- Allow OneMacTools under Accessibility so it can type into other apps; without it the text is copied for you to paste.
- Say punctuation naturally by pausing; full stops and commas are added for you.
- Speak in whole sentences: recognition is better with more context.
- Use Hold Right ⌥ for short replies and ⌃⌥⌘D for longer dictation.
- Click the × on the bar to cancel without typing anything.

## Questions
**How do I dictate into any app on a Mac?**
Turn on Dictate Anywhere, click where you want the text, press ⌃⌥⌘D, speak, and press it again. Your words are typed in with punctuation.

**How is it different from macOS dictation?**
It shows what it heard as you talk, can tidy up filler words with Apple Intelligence, and works with a hold-to-talk key.

**Is my voice sent to a server?**
No. Recognition runs on your Mac with Apple's speech models.

**Does it change my clipboard?**
It uses the clipboard for a moment to type the text in, then puts back what was there.

**Which languages work?**
English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and more, as supported by Apple's on-device speech recognition.

**Why is the text only copied, not typed?**
Typing into other apps needs the Accessibility permission. Allow OneMacTools under Privacy & Security › Accessibility.