-[macOS] VOICE CONTROL-

If you’re turning on Voice Control for the first time, your Mac might complete a one-time download from Apple.* Voice Control becomes available after the download

When Voice Control is turned on:

In macOS Sonoma or later, a Voice Control menu appears in the menu bar.

From this menu, you can stop or start listening, change the language and microphone, and open Voice Control settings.

To stop or start listening, you can also say “Go to sleep” or “Wake up.”

In macOS Ventura or earlier, a microphone icon appears on screen.

It represents the mic selected in Voice Control settings.

To stop listening, click Sleep under the microphone.

To start listening, click “Wake up.”

You can also say “Go to sleep” or “Wake up.”

Get to know Voice Control by reviewing the list of voice commands available to you:

Say “Show commands.”

The list varies based on context, and you may discover variations not listed

If you’re using macOS Sonoma or later, you can learn and practice Voice Control commands using an interactive guide:

Choose Apple menu  > System Settings.

Click Accessibility in the sidebar,

then click Voice Control on the right.

Click the Open Tutorial (or Open Guide) button.

To make it easier to know whether Voice Control heard your phrase as a command, you can turn on “Play sound when command is recognized” in Voice Control settings.

Voice Control recognizes the names of many apps, labels, controls, and other onscreen items, so you can navigate by combining those names with certain commands

Here are some examples:

Open Pages:

“Open Pages.”

Then create a new document:

“Click New Document.”

Then choose one of the letter templates:

“Click Letter. Click Classic Letter.”

Then save your document:

“Save document.”

Start a new message in Mail:

“Click New Message.”

Then address it:

“John Appleseed.”

Restart your Mac:

“Click Apple menu.

Click Restart”

(or use the number overlay and say “Click 8”)

You can also create your own voice commands.

Use number and name overlays to quickly interact with parts of the screen that Voice Control recognizes as clickable, such as menus, checkboxes, and buttons

To turn on item numbers, say “Show numbers.”

Then just say the number to click it

To turn off item numbers, say “Hide numbers”

To turn on item names, say “Show names.”

To click a name, say “Click” and the name.

To turn off item names, say “Hide names.”

This feature requires macOS Sonoma or later.

These overlays make it easy to interact with complex interfaces, such as web pages.

For example, in your web browser you could say “Search for Apple stores near me.”

Then use the number overlay to choose one of the results: “Show numbers. Click 64.”

(If the name of the link is unique, you might also be able to click it without overlays by saying “Click” and the name of the link.)

Voice Control automatically shows numbers in menus and wherever you need to distinguish between items that have the same name.

macos-sonoma-macbook-pro-voice-control-show-numbers

Open Voice Control settings, such as by saying “Open Voice Control settings” or “Open Voice Control preferences.”

Click Vocabulary, or say “Click Vocabulary.”

Click the add button (+) or say “Click add.”

Type a new word or phrase as you want it to be entered when spoken.

Starting with the latest version of macOS Monterey, you can also import or export custom vocabulary.

For the best performance when using Voice Control with a Mac laptop computer and an external display, keep your laptop lid open, use an external mic, or use a display with a built-in mic.

If you’re using a Mac mini, Mac Studio, or Mac Pro, you must use an external mic or display with a built-in mic.

All audio processing for Voice Control happens on your device, so your personal data is always kept private.

Use Voice Control on your iPhone or iPod touch.

Learn more about accessibility features in Apple products.

If you’re on a business or school network that uses a proxy server, Voice Control might not be able to download.

Have your network administrator refer to the network ports used by Apple software products.

Published Date: November 20, 2024

support.apple.com /en-us/102225

Use Voice Control on your Mac – Apple Support

14-17 minutes

Requires macOS Catalina 10.15 or later

**SKETCHES**