# Dictation settings on Mac

> Configure your dictation engine, microphone, and custom vocabulary in Settings › This Mac › Voice.

canonical: https://agentsky.dev/help/dictation-settings-mac
source: https://agentsky.dev/help/dictation-settings-mac.md
updated: 2026-10-21

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**Configure your dictation engine, microphone, and custom vocabulary in Settings › This Mac › Voice.**

Three recognition engines are available: Apple (uses macOS built-in speech), SenseVoice (optimised for Chinese and fast languages), and Paraformer (a local model that works without an internet connection). Switch engines in Settings › This Mac › Voice › Engine.

You can also choose which microphone to use if you have more than one connected, and add a custom vocabulary list for technical terms, product names, or people's names that the engine might misrecognise.

Where: Mac app › Settings › This Mac › Voice.

Good to know: all three engines run locally on your Mac — your audio is not sent to a cloud speech service. Changing the engine takes effect immediately. Related: [Use voice dictation in a chat](https://agentsky.dev/help/dictation-overview).