Voice Control lets you control a Mac with spoken commands instead of a keyboard, mouse, or trackpad. You can open apps, click buttons, type and edit text, scroll through pages, select menu items, and perform other actions using your voice.
To turn it on, open Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control, turn on Voice Control, and complete the initial setup. After it is enabled, say commands such as “Open Safari,” “Click File,” “Scroll down,” or “Show numbers.”
Quick Answer
To use Voice Control on a Mac:
- Open Apple menu > System Settings.
- Select Accessibility in the sidebar.
- Select Voice Control.
- Turn on Voice Control.
- Choose the microphone Voice Control should use.
- Wait for the required language files to download, if prompted.
- Say “Show commands” to view available commands.
Voice Control is different from Dictation. Dictation converts your speech into text, while Voice Control can operate apps, click controls, navigate the screen, and enter text.
Turn On Voice Control
Before beginning, connect or enable the microphone you want to use. Your Mac may use its built-in microphone, but a headset or external microphone can work better in a noisy environment.
- Select Apple menu > System Settings.
- Click Accessibility.
- Click Voice Control.
- Turn on Voice Control.
- If macOS asks you to select a microphone, choose one from the Microphone menu.
- If prompted to download files for your selected language, allow the download to finish.
Voice Control may take a moment to become ready. When it is active, you can speak commands without holding down a key.
To turn Voice Control off, return to Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control, then turn off Voice Control.
Choose a language
Voice Control recognizes the language selected in its settings. To change it:
- Open Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control.
- Click the Language menu.
- Select another available language.
Additional language files may need to be downloaded. Recognition quality can vary depending on your pronunciation, microphone, background noise, and the selected language.
Pause and resume listening
You can temporarily stop Voice Control from responding without turning it off completely. Say:
- “Stop listening”
- “Start listening”
The exact behavior can depend on your Voice Control settings and language. You can also use the listening control shown in the Voice Control interface, if available.
Use “Stop listening” when you are having a conversation near your Mac and do not want ordinary speech interpreted as commands.
Use Basic Voice Control Commands
Voice Control commands generally follow a natural pattern: name an app, describe an action, or identify an item on the screen.
Open and switch between apps
Try these commands:
- “Open Safari”
- “Open Notes”
- “Quit Safari”
- “Switch to Finder”
- “Show Dock”
- “Hide Dock”
Be careful with “Quit [app name]”. Quitting an app may close windows and can cause unsaved changes to be lost if the app does not save them automatically. Save your work before quitting.
You can also say:
- “Open Spotlight”
- “Search the web for weather”
- “Open System Settings”
The available results and actions may vary by app and macOS configuration.
Click buttons and menu items
To activate a visible control, say its name:
- “Click Save”
- “Click Cancel”
- “Click Back”
- “Click the checkbox”
- “Click File”
- “Click Edit”
You can often omit “click” when the intended action is obvious, but including it makes the command clearer.
For menu navigation, you can say:
- “Click File”
- “Click New Window”
- “Click Print”
If several items have similar names, use the numbered overlay described below.
Scroll and navigate
Common navigation commands include:
- “Scroll down”
- “Scroll up”
- “Scroll left”
- “Scroll right”
- “Page down”
- “Page up”
- “Go to the top”
- “Go to the bottom”
You can often repeat a command to move farther. For example, say “Scroll down” several times while reading a long webpage.
Work with windows
Useful window commands include:
- “Minimize window”
- “Maximize window”
- “Move window left”
- “Move window right”
- “Close window”
- “Show windows”
Use caution with “Close window.” Closing a document window may discard unsaved work if the app does not ask you to save or if you choose not to save. When you are finished with a document, save it before closing the window.
Show Numbers to Select Screen Items
Voice Control can place numbers next to clickable items and controls. This is useful when a button has no obvious name, when several controls share similar names, or when you want to select a precise item.
Say:
“Show numbers”
Numbers appear beside available controls. Then say:
“Click 12”
Replace 12 with the number shown beside the item you want.
You can also say:
- “Show numbers”
- “Click 4”
- “Hide numbers”
The numbers may change when the window contents change. If the desired item is not labeled, repeat “Show numbers” after navigating or scrolling.
Use numbers for menus and toolbar controls
Numbered overlays are especially helpful for:
- Toolbar buttons with unfamiliar icons
- Links on a webpage
- Sidebar items
- Buttons in dialog boxes
- Controls that are too small to identify by name
If the numbers are difficult to read, enlarge the window or use the grid commands instead.
Use Grid Navigation
Grid navigation divides the screen into numbered sections. It allows you to reach an item that Voice Control cannot identify by name or that is not exposed as a standard control.
Say:
“Show grid”
A numbered grid appears over the screen. Say the number of the section containing the item you want. Voice Control then divides that section into smaller numbered areas. Continue selecting sections until the pointer is close to the target.
For example:
- Say “Show grid.”
- Say the number of the large section containing the target.
- Say the number of the smaller section containing the target.
- Continue until the pointer is positioned over the item.
- Say “Click.”
To remove the grid, say:
“Hide grid”
You can use grid navigation to reach areas that are difficult to select with ordinary commands, including blank areas of a window, image controls, and interfaces with unclear labels.
Move and click with the grid
Grid commands are useful for pointer control, but they may require several steps. If the target is a standard button or link, try “Show numbers” first. Numbers are usually faster when Voice Control can identify the item.
Type and Edit Text With Your Voice
Voice Control can enter text in apps such as Notes, TextEdit, Mail, and many web forms.
- Click a text field or document.
- Say the words you want to enter.
- Use commands to edit or format the text.
Common commands include:
- “New line”
- “New paragraph”
- “Select all”
- “Delete that”
- “Undo that”
- “Copy that”
- “Cut that”
- “Paste that”
- “Go to the beginning”
- “Go to the end”
- “Move left”
- “Move right”
- “Capitalize that”
- “Spell [word]”
To dictate punctuation, speak it as part of the sentence. For example, say “Hello comma how are you question mark.”
Voice Control can interpret ordinary speech as either dictation or a command depending on the context. If it enters a command as text, pause and make sure the cursor is in the intended text field.
Select text by voice
You can select text with commands such as:
- “Select word”
- “Select sentence”
- “Select paragraph”
- “Select all”
Some commands may work differently depending on the app. If a selection command does not produce the expected result, use “Show commands” to check commands available in the current context.
Be careful with “Select all” followed by “Delete.” This can remove all text in the current document or field. Confirm that the correct app and text field are active before deleting.
See Available Commands
Say:
“Show commands”
Voice Control opens or displays a list of commands that are available. The list can include general commands, text-editing commands, navigation commands, and commands specific to the current app.
You can also open the command settings manually:
- Open Apple menu > System Settings.
- Select Accessibility.
- Select Voice Control.
- Click Commands.
Review the list when a command does not work as expected. Some actions require a particular app, an active text field, or a visible control.
Create Custom Voice Commands
Custom commands let you assign your own spoken phrase to an action. This can be useful for repetitive tasks or commands that are easier for you to remember in a different form.
- Open Apple menu > System Settings.
- Select Accessibility.
- Select Voice Control.
- Click Commands.
- Click the add button.
- Enter the phrase you want to say.
- Choose what the command should do.
- Choose whether it should work in all apps or only a selected app.
- Save the command.
Depending on the available options, a custom command may perform an action such as:
- Opening an app
- Pressing a keyboard shortcut
- Pasting text
- Running a workflow or automation
- Performing a menu action
Use a distinctive phrase that is unlikely to appear in ordinary conversation. For example, “Start meeting notes” is easier to trigger intentionally than a common word such as “Open.”
Create custom vocabulary
Custom vocabulary helps Voice Control recognize words that are unusual, specialized, or frequently misheard.
- Open Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control.
- Open the vocabulary settings.
- Add words or phrases you use often.
- Save the changes.
This can help with names, technical terms, product names, medical terms, and other words that are not recognized reliably.
Review your custom vocabulary occasionally. Remove entries you no longer use to keep recognition more predictable.
Voice Control and Privacy
Voice Control uses the microphone to hear spoken commands. When Voice Control is active, be aware that speech near the Mac may be interpreted as an instruction.
For greater control:
- Use “Stop listening” when Voice Control is not needed.
- Turn Voice Control off from System Settings when you are finished.
- Check the selected microphone in Voice Control settings.
- Use a headset or external microphone if other people are speaking nearby.
- Avoid custom commands that perform destructive actions without confirmation.
- Review custom commands and remove any you no longer trust.
Voice Control may require language data to be downloaded during setup. The download can affect setup time and storage use. For details about how a particular macOS release handles speech processing and data, review Apple’s current privacy information and the settings displayed on your Mac.
Accessibility Uses for Voice Control
Voice Control can make a Mac easier to use for people who have difficulty operating a mouse, trackpad, keyboard, or touch controls. It can also help users who need to reduce repetitive hand movements or temporarily cannot use their hands comfortably.
Common accessibility uses include:
- Opening and switching between apps without a mouse
- Selecting controls with numbered overlays
- Navigating complex interfaces with grid navigation
- Entering and editing text without typing
- Performing keyboard shortcuts by voice
- Controlling the pointer without physically moving a mouse
- Creating personalized commands for recurring tasks
Voice Control can also be used alongside other accessibility features. For example, you may use it with a larger display, pointer settings, keyboard accessibility options, or screen-reading tools. Because features can interact differently across apps, test the combination with noncritical documents before relying on it for important work.
Voice Control vs. Dictation
Voice Control and Dictation both use speech, but they serve different purposes.
| Feature | Voice Control | Dictation |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Operate the Mac with spoken commands | Convert speech into typed text |
| Opens apps | Yes | No |
| Clicks buttons | Yes | No |
| Scrolls pages | Yes | No |
| Enters text | Yes | Yes |
| Uses numbered overlays | Yes | No |
| Uses grid navigation | Yes | No |
| Designed primarily for writing | No | Yes |
Use Dictation when you want to write an email, document, or message by speaking. Use Voice Control when you want to control the interface, navigate apps, and perform actions without touching the Mac.
You can use both features during the same workflow. Voice Control can open an app and select a text field; then you can speak the content you want to enter.
Troubleshooting Voice Control
Voice Control does not respond
Check the following:
- Confirm that Voice Control is turned on in Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control.
- Check the selected microphone.
- Make sure the microphone is not muted or being used incorrectly by another device.
- Move to a quieter location.
- Speak clearly and at a normal pace.
- Try “Show commands” to confirm the command format.
- Turn Voice Control off and on again.
Voice Control misunderstands commands
Try saying the command with a clear action word, such as “Click,” “Open,” or “Scroll.” Avoid speaking while music, videos, or other people are talking near the microphone.
If a particular word is repeatedly misunderstood, add it to your custom vocabulary. For controls with unclear names, use “Show numbers.”
The wrong item is selected
Say “Show numbers” and select the correct number. If the item is not available, scroll it into view and show the numbers again.
You can also use “Show grid” when Voice Control cannot identify the item.
Text is entered incorrectly
Make sure the cursor is active in the intended text field. Use shorter phrases and speak punctuation explicitly. If you accidentally issue a command while dictating, say “Undo that” and try again.
Commands work in one app but not another
Apps expose controls differently. A command that works in Safari may not work in a specialized third-party app. Use the app’s visible labels, numbered overlays, or grid navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I control a Mac entirely with my voice?
For many everyday tasks, yes. Voice Control can open apps, navigate windows, select controls, scroll, enter text, and perform shortcuts. Some apps and controls may not expose enough information for reliable voice operation, so a keyboard, mouse, or trackpad may still be useful.
Does Voice Control work when the Mac is offline?
Voice Control setup may require a language download. Whether it can continue working without an internet connection depends on the language files and macOS configuration on your Mac. Complete setup while connected to the internet, then test the commands you need before working offline.
How do I click an item that has no name?
Say “Show numbers” and then “Click [number].” If Voice Control cannot label the item, say “Show grid” and navigate to its location.
Can I use Voice Control to type passwords?
You can use voice input in a password field only if the field accepts it and the app permits the action. For security, avoid speaking sensitive passwords aloud, particularly in shared or public spaces. A password manager or manual entry may be safer.
How do I stop Voice Control from listening?
Say “Stop listening,” or turn off Voice Control in Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control.
Can I create a command that deletes files?
Custom commands may be able to trigger powerful actions, depending on the available options. Avoid commands that immediately delete files or close apps without confirmation. Before creating or testing any destructive command, save your work and use a test file or folder.
What should I use for writing: Voice Control or Dictation?
Use Dictation when your main goal is to turn speech into text. Use Voice Control when you need to operate the Mac, select controls, navigate an app, or combine speech with interface commands.
Final Thoughts
Voice Control provides a practical way to control a Mac with voice commands. Start by learning “Show commands,” “Show numbers,” and “Show grid.” These features cover most situations: Voice Control can identify an item, label it with a number, or help you reach it precisely on the screen.
For the best results, use a clear microphone, keep background noise low, save work before closing or deleting anything, and create custom commands only for actions you can trigger safely.