Why does dictation stop working

Hey Grumpy.grandad,

Let's try the following steps:

•Be sure Dictation is turned on in the Keyboard settings.

Note: If you can’t turn on Dictation, Screen Time Content & Privacy Restrictions may be preventing you from using it. A family organizer for a Family Sharing group can set up Screen Time for a child and restrict access to Siri & Dictation. See Change App Restrictions settings in Screen Time. Also, when Voice Control is on, you can’t use Dictation.

•Choose the correct language and dialect. See Dictate messages and documents.

•Be sure you’re using the correct dictation keyboard shortcut.

•Be sure your system has a valid internet connection—choose Apple menu  > System Settings, then click Network  in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)

You can find this information from the user guide this: If Dictation on Mac doesn’t work as expected

We hope this helps!

Best regards.