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Voice typing in Obsidian on a Mac
Use macOS Dictation to dictate into Obsidian notes, or use Voice Type for a dedicated hold‑to‑dictate hotkey.
← Back to Learn  |    Mac Dictation guide

Obsidian doesn’t need a special dictation mode on macOS. If you can place a cursor in a note, you can dictate using system-wide Dictation (speech-to-text).

Enable Dictation (once)

Open System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation.

Switch Dictation to On.

Confirm your Dictation shortcut (often Fn twice).

Dictate into an Obsidian note

Open Obsidian and click into a note where you want text.

Start Dictation (microphone key if present, or the Dictation shortcut).

Speak. Use punctuation like “comma” and “new line”.

Stop Dictation to insert the text.
Tip: dictation is best for drafts and prose. For editing markdown syntax and short tweaks, typing is still faster.

Troubleshooting (mic permissions)

Make sure Obsidian is allowed in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone.

Test mic input in System Settings → Sound.

If Dictation doesn’t start anywhere, see:  Dictation not working on Mac .

If you dictate daily (workflow)
If you want a consistent hold‑to‑dictate hotkey across Obsidian, email, docs, and Slack, Voice Type adds a dedicated workflow and stays on-device:  voice typing for Mac .

Sources

Apple: Dictate messages and documents on Mac

Apple: Control access to the microphone on Mac


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