MacWhisper dictation: how to turn it on, add AI prompts, and fix apps where it does nothing

By Ryleigh Newman · Published October 10, 2026

MacWhisper is best known for transcribing files, but it can also dictate: you set a keyboard shortcut, press it anywhere, speak, and the text goes into whatever field you are in. One thing surprises people first. Dictation is only in the version sold on macwhisper.com, not the App Store version, because of the rules Apple sets for Mac App Store apps.

I built YapToText, a different dictation app for the Mac, so read what I say about MacWhisper with that in mind. Every fact about MacWhisper here comes from its own help center, read on October 10, 2026.

This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.

This guide in other languages: العربية, Čeština, Dansk, Deutsch, Ελληνικά, Español, Suomi, Français, עברית, हिन्दी, Magyar, Bahasa Indonesia, Italiano, 日本語, 한국어, Norsk, Nederlands, Polski, Português, Română, Русский, Slovenčina, Svenska, ไทย, Türkçe, Українська, Tiếng Việt, 简体中文, 繁體中文

Turning dictation on

1. Click Dictation on MacWhisper's home screen. The help center recommends this way, because it walks you through setup.
2. Or open Settings, Dictation.
3. Set the keyboard shortcut.
4. Click into any text field, use the shortcut and speak.

If you bought MacWhisper on the App Store, there is no Dictation option to find. The MacWhisper pricing page covers the versions.

AI dictation prompts

MacWhisper can run your dictated text through an AI prompt before it types it. The help center's examples: fix spelling and grammar, translate into another language, or expand a casual sentence into a full customer support email. You make your own prompts in Settings, Dictation.

• You need Pro. An active MacWhisper Pro license.
• You need your own API key. From an AI provider, with a payment method on that account. The help center stresses that a consumer chat subscription is not the same thing.
• Your text goes to that provider. The prompt runs on the provider's servers, not on your Mac.

A different prompt for each app

1. Open Settings, the Dictation tab, App Specific Prompts.
2. Add an app. It must be running to appear under the + button.
3. Choose a prompt from your dictation prompts for that app.

The help center's examples: always translate into Spanish in a chat app you use with Spanish speakers, generate code in your code editor, and keep work emails correct and professional.

When dictation does nothing in one app

MacWhisper checks that a text field is active before it types, to avoid typing somewhere unintended. Some apps do not follow standard macOS practice, so MacWhisper cannot see their text field. The fix the help center gives: Settings, Advanced, turn on Allow dictation everywhere, which skips the check. It also asks you to tell [email protected] which app it was. The MacWhisper not working page covers other problems.

Dictation with YapToText

MacWhisper from its help center, read October 10, 2026. YapToText from its own settings.

If you already use MacWhisper for files and only want dictation, the two can sit side by side. The MacWhisper alternative page compares them in full.

This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.

The short version

• Which version. Dictation is only in the macwhisper.com version.
• Turn it on. Home screen, Dictation, then set the shortcut.
• AI prompts. Pro plus your own API key from an AI provider.
• Per app. Settings, Dictation, App Specific Prompts.
• Nothing typed. Settings, Advanced, Allow dictation everywhere.

If MacWhisper changes its dictation feature, open an issue on GitHub and I will update this page. Every one gets read.

This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.

About the author. Ryleigh Newman is a developer whose hands make typing difficult and who dictates every day with YapToText, the app this site describes. Facts about other apps come from their own sites, with the date they were read. More about the project.

Related

• MacWhisper guides: every page on this site about MacWhisper, by topic
• MacWhisper languages: what it transcribes, how it translates, and its limits with mixed audio
• MacWhisper vs Apple Dictation: a file transcriber against the Mac's built-in typing by voice
• MacWhisper not working: what each symptom means, and the fix
• A free MacWhisper alternative built for dictation first
• MacWhisper pricing: what the free version does and what Pro adds for €64
• MacWhisper keyboard shortcuts: the full list, and how to set the dictation key
• How to use MacWhisper: transcribe a file, export it, and dictate
• MacWhisper vs superwhisper: recordings or dictation, and a free app that does both
• Dictate into any app on your Mac, from Slack to Notion

Sources

• https://docs.macwhisper.com/article/14-how-to-use-the-dictation-feature (checked 2026-10-10)
• https://docs.macwhisper.com/article/31-app-specific-dictation-prompts (checked 2026-10-10)
• https://docs.macwhisper.com/article/44-dictation-not-working-in-specific-apps (checked 2026-10-10)
• https://github.com/ryleighnewman/YapToText (checked 2026-10-10)
• https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaptotext/id6786382289 (checked 2026-10-10)

Questions