Speech to text in Chrome on Mac: every way that works

Chrome on a Mac doesn't have a voice typing button of its own. To get speech to text in Chrome, use the Mac's built-in Dictation, which types into any text field in any web page, or Google Docs' voice typing when you're in a Doc. If you write in Chrome all day, a Mac dictation app like Sayburst gives you cleaner text on a single key.

Which one to use depends on where you're typing. Here's each route, how to set it up, and what to do when it doesn't respond.

#Option 1: macOS Dictation, in any Chrome text field

This is the quickest way to start, and it's already on your Mac.

1. Open System Settings › Keyboard and scroll to Dictation. Turn it on.
2. Check the Shortcut menu. Pick something you'll actually press; a custom shortcut is often easier than the default if you use an external keyboard.
3. Set Microphone source to the mic you use.
4. In Chrome, click into a text field: Gmail, a form, a chat box, a comment.
5. Press your shortcut, or choose Edit › Start Dictation from Chrome's menu bar, and speak. Press Esc or the shortcut again to stop.

Apple's Dictation guide says you can dictate "anywhere you can type", adds punctuation automatically in supported languages, and stops after 30 seconds without speech. Because Dictation is a macOS feature, it doesn't depend on the website's microphone permission. Steps checked October 31, 2026, for macOS 14 Sonoma and later.

#Option 2: Google Docs voice typing

Inside a Google Doc, Google has its own tool.

1. Open the document and choose Tools › Voice typing.
2. Click the microphone, or press ⌘ShiftS. Google's shortcut list marks that shortcut as available in Chrome.
3. Allow docs.google.com to use the microphone when Chrome asks.
4. Speak, using "period", "comma" and "new paragraph" for punctuation.

It only works inside Docs (and Slides speaker notes). Our guide to voice typing in Google Docs on Mac covers it in detail, and the Google Docs use case shows the alternative.

#Option 3: websites with their own microphone button

Some sites have a mic icon in their own search or chat box. Those use the site's microphone permission in Chrome, so the first time you click one, Chrome asks. Extensions that add speech to text work the same way; check where each one sends your audio before installing it. If you're shopping for extensions anyway, our Chrome productivity extensions roundup is a good start.

#When speech to text in Chrome doesn't work

A website's mic button does nothing

The site is blocked from the microphone. Open Chrome › Settings › Privacy and security › Site settings › Microphone, find the site under the blocked list, and change it to Allow. Google's microphone permissions help has the same steps.

Chrome can't hear anything at all

macOS hasn't allowed Chrome to use the microphone. Go to System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone, switch Chrome on, and quit and reopen Chrome with ⌘Q. Google says to restart Chrome after changing it.

Dictation's shortcut does nothing in Chrome

Check that Dictation is on and that Chrome or an extension isn't using the same key combination. Try Edit › Start Dictation from the menu bar; if that works, it's the shortcut.

It's hearing the wrong microphone

Pick the right device in System Settings › Sound › Input, then in Dictation's Microphone source. A muted headset or a display without a mic gives you silence.

Work or school Chrome

Google notes that administrators can manage camera and microphone settings on managed Chrome. If a setting is locked, it's theirs to change.

#On a Chromebook or Windows

Chromebook: turn on Dictation in Settings › Accessibility › Keyboard and text input, then press SearchD or LauncherD in any text field. Say "cancel" to stop. Google's Chromebook dictation help lists the editing commands.

Windows: press WindowsH in any Chrome text box to start Windows voice typing. It needs an internet connection. Sayburst is a Mac app, so it isn't an option on either of these.

#When the built-in way is enough

For a quick search, a short reply or one form field, macOS Dictation is all you need. It's free and works in every page.

If Chrome is where you do your real writing (Gmail, Docs, Notion, Linear, a CRM), the friction adds up: spoken punctuation, every "um" left in, names spelled wrong, and a toggle you have to remember to switch off.

#Speech to text in Chrome with Sayburst

Sayburst is a Mac app, not an extension, so there's nothing to add to Chrome and no website to trust with your audio. Click into any field, hold fn, talk, and let go. Speech is transcribed on your Mac, cleaned up, and inserted at the cursor. Punctuation is automatic.

A bug report typed into a web issue tracker in Chrome, with Notes mode:

"The export button does nothing in, um, the reports page. Steps. Bullet point open any saved report. Bullet point click export, uh, CSV. Bullet point nothing downloads and there's no error."

What lands in the field:

The export button does nothing in the reports page.

Steps:

• Open any saved report.
• Click export CSV.
• Nothing downloads and there's no error.

It works the same in Arc, Edge, Brave, Safari and Firefox, because it types into the Mac, not into Chrome. Set a mode per app if you like: Message for Slack in the browser, Email for Gmail. If you switch apps before the text goes in, Sayburst keeps it, and ⌃⌥⌘V pastes your last dictation anywhere.

How does it compare with Apple's tool? Our Sayburst vs Apple Dictation comparison goes through it point by point, and the Chrome use case shows more examples.

#Quick reference

Questions people ask

How do I turn on voice typing in Chrome?

Chrome on a Mac doesn't have its own voice typing. Turn on macOS Dictation in System Settings › Keyboard › Dictation and it works in any text field in Chrome. In Google Docs, use Tools › Voice typing or Command-Shift-S.

Is there Siri for Chrome?

No. Siri isn't built into Chrome. What most people want is to type by voice, and on a Mac that's Dictation, which types into text boxes on any web page in Chrome.

What is the Chromebook speech to text shortcut?

On a Chromebook, turn on Dictation under Settings › Accessibility › Keyboard and text input, then press Search + D or Launcher + D to start. Say cancel to stop.

How do I set up voice texting in my browser?

Set up dictation in your operating system rather than the browser: Dictation on a Mac, Windows key + H on Windows, or the microphone key on your phone's keyboard. They all type into web pages.