GUIDE · SHORTCUTS

Change the Mac dictation shortcut, or switch to hold-to-talk.

First where to change Apple Dictation's shortcut, then how to pick keys in a hold-to-talk tool. The difference: dictation starts on one press and ends on another; hold-to-talk records while the key is down and stops when you let go.

Short answer:Change Apple Dictation's shortcut in System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation. For hold-to-talk, VoiceInput gives you three keys: Direct Insert (Right Option by default), AI Tidy (Left Option) and Flash (Right Command). All three can be changed, but no two can be the same.

Apple Dictation: change it in System Settings

STEP

Apple menu, then System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation, and find the Shortcut pop-up.

Choose a built-in option or create your own, then press the keys you want. If your keyboard has a Microphone key, it starts dictation as well.

Dictation is a toggle: press once to start, then press again, Esc, or the Microphone key to stop. If it does nothing at all, start with Mac dictation not working.

VoiceInput: three keys, one job each

In VoiceInput open Settings → Recording and scroll to Hotkeys. Each job has its own key. The defaults:

Direct Insert key, default Right Option: hold and speak, release, and the recognized text lands at the cursor with no AI step.
AI Tidy key, default Left Option: also hold-to-talk, but AI removes filler words, fixes homophones and adds punctuation before inserting. If no AI connection is set up, it falls back to direct insert.
Flash key, default Right Command: press once to start, press again to stop. It is for moments with no text field; the note is saved to the Flash list. You can turn it off.

Which keys you can pick

All three jobs choose from the same set of single modifier keys: Caps Lock, Left Shift, Fn, Left Control, Left Option, Right Command, Right Option, Right Control and Right Shift, or "None". A few are easy to hit by accident, and the settings page warns you:

Right Command: ⌘ is a frequent modifier, so it misfires easily.
Left Control: Ctrl+C and Ctrl+R in a terminal can occasionally collide; if you code all day, prefer Option.
Fn: some Mac models treat Fn specially, so it can feel unreliable.
Right Shift: you press it often while typing capitals; Left Shift is safer.
Caps Lock: it toggles caps lock, so set Caps Lock to "No Action" in System Settings first.

Nothing happens: three checks

The three keys cannot repeat. If the Flash key collides with another key, it is not installed and Settings tells you to change it.
Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Input Monitoring and confirm VoiceInput is on. If you just granted it, quit and reopen the app. Details in Permissions.
If another tool owns the key (BetterTouchTool, Karabiner, Raycast and similar register global keys), pick a different key in VoiceInput.

FAQ

Can I change the Mac dictation shortcut?

Yes. Open System Settings, then Keyboard, then Dictation. The Shortcut pop-up lets you pick one of the built-in options or create your own.

Which key does VoiceInput use to record?

By default you hold Right Option to speak and release to insert. Left Option is the AI Tidy key, also hold-to-talk. Right Command is the Flash key: press once to start, press again to stop. All three can be changed in Settings.

Can two VoiceInput keys share the same physical key?

No. Each of the three jobs gets its own key. If the Flash key collides with the other two, the Flash key is not installed and the app asks you to pick another one.

I press the VoiceInput key and nothing happens. Is it a key conflict?

More often it is the Input Monitoring permission, which can be off or can reset after a macOS upgrade. Open System Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Input Monitoring, confirm VoiceInput is listed and on, and restart the app if you just granted it.

VoiceInput key defaults match v0.91.0 (checked 2026-10-13). Apple Dictation details: Apple, "Use Dictation on Mac", checked 2026-10-13.