Share via

Why Doesn’t macOS Voice Control Allow Dictation in Microsoft OneNote?

Lara H 0 Reputation points
2025-11-19T18:12:13.76+00:00

I’m using a MacBook Pro with an Apple M3 Pro chip running macOS Sequoia 15.7.1, and I’m on the latest version of Microsoft OneNote (16.103.1).

When I try to use macOS Voice Control to dictate text into OneNote, no text appears at all. Voice Control itself is active and responds to commands, but dictation doesn’t insert anything into the OneNote page.

However, if I turn off Voice Control and instead use macOS Dictation, dictation works perfectly in the exact same places within OneNote.

My question: Is this a known compatibility issue between macOS Voice Control and Microsoft OneNote? Is there a setting or workaround that would allow Voice Control dictation to work with OneNote, or is this something Microsoft is aware of and planning to address?

This issue severely affects my workflow because I rely on Voice Control for hands-free text entry. Any guidance would be appreciated.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneNote | For home | MacOS
0 comments

2 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Q&A Assist
    2025-11-19T18:12:31.4933333+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    The issue you are experiencing with macOS Voice Control not allowing dictation in Microsoft OneNote does not appear to be documented in the provided context. There is no specific mention of compatibility issues between macOS Voice Control and Microsoft OneNote, nor are there any settings or workarounds suggested in the context that could resolve this problem.

    Since macOS Dictation works perfectly in OneNote, it may indicate that Voice Control has limitations in this specific application. It might be beneficial to check for updates from both Apple and Microsoft, as compatibility issues can sometimes be addressed in newer software versions. Additionally, you could consider reaching out to Microsoft support for more detailed assistance regarding this specific issue.

    References:

    0 comments
  2. Jay Mark Dullan 5,850 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-11-19T18:49:13.4833333+00:00

    Hello Lara,

    Based on what’s known, this isn’t a bug so much as a limitation, MacOS Voice Control doesn’t currently insert text into OneNote because the app doesn’t fully support the text input method Voice Control uses. Voice Control works for navigation and commands, but dictation fails, whereas macOS Dictation and OneNote’s own Dictate feature work fine because they use different APIs.

    Unfortunately, Microsoft hasn’t announced plans to add Voice Control compatibility. Their roadmap focuses on improving OneNote’s built-in Dictate feature instead. For now, the best workaround is to use OneNote’s Dictate button for speech-to-text or combine Voice Control for navigation with macOS Dictation for text entry.

    0 comments

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.