How do I change my dictation key?

Open Settings → General and pick a key in the Shortcut row. The change takes effect immediately, with nothing to restart.

#Choices on a Mac

• Fn
• ⌘ ⇧ D
• Right ⌘
• Right ⌥
• Right ⇧

Fn is the default on a Mac, and a Mac that already has a saved choice keeps it. ⌘ ⇧ D stays registered as a backup whichever key you choose, so it always works even if you forget your own pick.

#Fn and the Globe key

macOS can also react when you press Fn: depending on a setting of its own, it may open the emoji picker, switch the keyboard language or start its own dictation. Guided setup and the Shortcut row in Settings say what your Mac does. To stop it, open System Settings, then Keyboard, and set “Press 🌐 key to” (the fn key on older keyboards) to “Do Nothing”. Until then a press of Fn can do two things at once.

#Choices on Windows

• F9
• Ctrl+Space
• Ctrl+Shift+D
• Ctrl+Alt+Space

F9 is the default: one key, easy to hold, and hardly ever used while typing. A shortcut is taken from every other program on the computer, so a program that also uses F9 (Excel uses it to recalculate) is the reason to pick another one. On many laptops the top row works as media keys first, so F9 needs the Fn key held too, or Fn Lock switched on (often Fn and Esc together). The three combinations are there for keyboards where that is awkward. If another program already holds your choice, Dictate Safe tries the others and names the one in use.