How to Use Dictation on iPad

Step by step

1. 45 sec

   Enable the Dictation feature

   Open the Settings app and navigate to General. Select Keyboard and toggle the switch for Enable Dictation to the On position. Confirm the prompt if a pop-up appears.

   Note: Ensure your iPad language matches your spoken language for maximum accuracy.
2. 15 sec

   Access the microphone input

   Open any text-input field in an application like Notes, Mail, or Safari. Tap the microphone icon located in the bottom-right corner of the virtual keyboard or the bottom-right corner of the screen.

3. 30 sec

   Speak your text

   Begin speaking clearly after the microphone icon pulses. The iPad will transcribe your speech in real-time as you speak.

   Note: Speak at a natural pace; the engine automatically adds punctuation if you pause slightly or dictate punctuation marks.
4. 30 sec

   Use punctuation and commands

   Speak punctuation marks explicitly, such as comma, period, or question mark, to control sentence structure. You can also say new line or new paragraph to force formatting changes.

   Note: Example: Speak 'Hello comma new line How are you question mark'.
5. 15 sec

   Terminate the dictation session

   Tap the keyboard icon or the microphone icon again to stop recording. Review the transcribed text for accuracy and make manual corrections if necessary.