Dictation on Mac stopping to work drives me nuts

Question

Level 1

47 points

Dictation on Mac stopping to work drives me nuts

3 out of ten times using Dictation, it stops working on the Mac; you get the audio clue that the mic is on, but no cursor and you can't record. This is bad as I heavily rely on it due to RSI. Don't get me started with the inability to custom spell words and have your own vocabulary. Apple's 1/2 haphazard approaches to their implementation nowadays are just super frustrating. Has anyone found a way to get dictation working again without a restart? And yes, everything is set up correctly as it works 7 out of 10 times.

Mac Studio (2022)

Posted on Jun 7, 2024 7:10 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Old Toad

Level 10

208,463 points

Jun 8, 2024 10:36 AM in response to oxmox11

Have you tried the "first responder" fix: boot into Safe Mode according to How to use safe mode on your Mac and test to see if the problem persists. Reboot normally and test again.

NOTE 1: Safe Mode boot can take up to 3 - 5 minutes as it's doing the following;

• Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed

• Loads only required kernel extensions (prevents 3rd party kernel/extensions from loading)

• Prevents Startup Items and Login Items from opening automatically

• Disables user-installed fonts

• Deletes font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files

NOTE 2: if you have a wireless keyboard with rechargeable batteries connect it with its charging cable before booting into Safe Mode. This makes it act as a wired keyboard as will insure a successful boot into Safe Mode.

Reply

Answer 2

oxmox11 Author

Level 1

47 points

Jun 8, 2024 8:01 PM in response to Old Toad

hello I will give thesea go however it's a fairly fresh (2month) from scratch installation of the OS and it only happens intermittently but will do a safe mode boat and see what happens

Reply