Editor & Tools
Voice Dictation
Use macOS speech-to-text to dictate messages to Claude.
Voice Dictation lets you speak your messages to Claude instead of typing, using macOS's built-in speech recognition.
Enabling Voice Dictation
Voice Dictation requires macOS speech recognition permissions:
- Click the microphone icon in the chat input toolbar
- If prompted, grant ChatML access to speech recognition in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Speech Recognition
- Once permitted, click the microphone icon again to start dictating
Voice Dictation uses macOS's built-in speech recognition — no audio is sent to third-party services. All processing happens on your device.
How It Works
When dictation is active:
- An animated waveform indicator appears showing real-time audio levels
- Your speech is transcribed and inserted into the chat input in real time
- Click the microphone icon again or press Escape to stop dictation
- Edit the transcribed text before sending if needed
Permission States
| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Granted | Ready to use — click the microphone to start |
| Not Determined | First use — you'll be prompted for permission |
| Denied | Permission was denied — enable in System Settings |
| Restricted | Device policy prevents use |
| Unavailable | macOS speech recognition not available on this device |
Tips
- Speak clearly and at a normal pace for best accuracy
- Pause briefly between sentences for better punctuation
- You can edit the transcribed text before sending
- Works with all conversation types (Task, Review, Chat)
- Dictation automatically stops if you switch sessions or conversations