Your iPad has speech to text built in, and it does more than most people realize. Apple calls it Dictation. It works with the onscreen keyboard, with a Magic Keyboard or Smart Keyboard attached, and alongside Apple Pencil. This guide covers how to turn it on, how to dictate with and without a hardware keyboard, the voice commands that punctuate and edit, what to check when the microphone disappears, and what to use when the built-in tool is not enough.
The short answer: to use dictation on iPad, open Settings, tap General, then Keyboard, and turn on Enable Dictation. Tap in any text field, tap the microphone on the onscreen keyboard, and speak. With a Magic Keyboard or Smart Keyboard attached, press the Switch Keyboard key and D together instead. Tap the microphone again or say "Stop dictation" to finish.
How to turn on dictation on iPad
Dictation is a keyboard setting. According to Apple's iPad User Guide for iPadOS 27:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap General, then tap Keyboard.
- Turn on Enable Dictation. If a prompt appears, tap Enable Dictation again.
Apple says Dictation is processed on the iPad in many languages, with no internet connection required. Two caveats from the same page: text you dictate into a search field may be sent to the search engine to run the search, and cellular data charges may apply. About Dictation & Privacy, below the switch, explains what Apple does with your audio.
To turn Dictation off later, go back to the same screen and turn off Enable Dictation.
How to dictate on iPad with the onscreen keyboard
- Tap in a text field to place the insertion point where you want the words to go.
- Tap the microphone on the onscreen keyboard (Apple calls it the Dictate button). It also appears inside some text fields.
- When the microphone shows near the insertion point, start talking.
- To stop, tap the microphone again, say "Stop dictation", or stay quiet: Dictation turns itself off after 30 seconds of silence.
The keyboard stays open while you talk, so you can mix speaking and typing in one message. On iPad the tools palette can stay open too, which means you can select text with your finger or Apple Pencil and replace the selection by voice. That is the best iPad dictation habit: talk the draft, then touch the one word that came out wrong and say it again.
How to dictate with a Magic Keyboard or Smart Keyboard
This is where iPad differs from iPhone. When an Apple external keyboard is attached, the onscreen keyboard hides, and its microphone goes with it. Dictation moves to the Shortcuts bar at the bottom of the screen. Apple's steps for dictating with an external keyboard:
- Check that Enable Dictation is on under Settings > General > Keyboard.
- Tap the Dictation button in the Shortcuts bar, then speak. iPad inserts punctuation for you as you go.
- When you finish, tap the Keyboard button at the bottom of the screen.
The faster route is the shortcut. On a Magic Keyboard for iPad or a Smart Keyboard, press the Switch Keyboard key (the globe key) and D together, and Dictation starts without touching the screen. Apple's tip names those two keyboard families; its keyboard compatibility table shows which model fits which iPad.
Apple documents these steps for its own keyboards. With another Bluetooth keyboard, the Shortcuts bar button is the route to try, because the shortcut needs a Switch Keyboard key that third-party keyboards may not have.
iPad dictation commands
In supported languages, Dictation adds commas, periods, and question marks on its own. You can turn that off under Settings > General > Keyboard > Auto-Punctuation, and you can always say punctuation out loud when you want control. The commands in Apple's list for iPad include:
Say | You get |
|---|---|
"period", "comma", "question mark", "exclamation point" | . , ? ! |
"colon", "semicolon", "dollar sign", "hashtag" | : ; $ # |
"open parenthesis" / "close parenthesis" | ( ) |
"quote" / "end quote" | quotation marks |
"new line" / "new paragraph" | a line break or a new paragraph |
"cap" | capitalizes the next word |
"all caps" | makes the next word uppercase |
"caps on" ... "caps off" | capitalizes each word in between |
"no caps on" ... "no caps off" | makes the words in between lowercase |
"no space on" ... "no space off" | runs the words together (not in every language) |
Dictation also edits by voice. Apple says these commands work in U.S. English on supported iPad models:
- "Change [text] to [text]" replaces a word or phrase, for example "Change tea to T-E-E."
- "Insert [text] before [text]" and "Insert [text] after [text]" add words in place.
- "Select [text]" and "Delete [text]" act on a phrase you name, and "Delete all" clears the field.
- "Undo" and "Redo" reverse or repeat the last command.
To spell a name, say it and then spell it: "Let's invite Steven S-T-E-P-H-E-N." In some languages you can also say an emoji's name, like "heart emoji" or "smiley emoji."
How to dictate in another language
Dictation follows your keyboard. Apple says that when you use a keyboard for another language, you can dictate in that language too. To add one, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards and tap Add New Keyboard. For some language pairs, such as English (U.S.) and Spanish (Latin America), Apple offers a bilingual keyboard that switches between your two most-used languages on its own.
To change keyboards, touch and hold the emoji button or the Switch Keyboard key on the onscreen keyboard and pick one. On an external keyboard, hold Control and press the Space bar to cycle through them.
Not every language or region gets Dictation. Apple keeps the current list on its iOS and iPadOS Feature Availability page.
What Apple Intelligence changes in iPadOS 27
With Apple Intelligence in iPadOS 27, Apple says Dictation uses an on-device model to improve spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. The requirement is narrower than Apple Intelligence itself: Apple lists the dictation model in English on iPad models with M4 or later and at least 12GB of unified memory. On other iPads, Dictation works the way it always has.
Voice Control: when you want the whole iPad hands-free
Dictation enters text. If you also want to open apps, tap buttons, and scroll by voice, Apple's accessibility feature Voice Control does that. Set it up under Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control > Set Up Voice Control. It needs Wi-Fi for a one-time download from Apple, then works without a connection.
Two details matter if you are here for dictation:
- It has a vocabulary. Voice Control lets you teach it words and phrases, and how you pronounce them, or import a vocabulary list (not every Voice Control language supports this). Standard Dictation has no equivalent setting.
- It replaces Dictation while it is on. Apple says standard iPadOS Dictation is not available while Voice Control is on; you dictate through Voice Control instead. Its Dictation mode is on by default, "Spelling mode" enters text character by character, and "Command mode" stops commands from landing as text. Say "Stop listening" to pause it.
Scribble: when talking is not an option
Sometimes you cannot talk out loud. On supported models, Scribble turns Apple Pencil handwriting into typed text in any text field, with the conversion done on the iPad. Scratch out a word to delete it, circle text to select it, and touch and hold to open space for new words. It pairs well with Dictation: speak the draft, then fix individual words with the Pencil.
iPad dictation not working? Check these first
- Dictation is off. If there is no microphone on the keyboard, go to Settings > General > Keyboard and turn on Enable Dictation. This is Apple's own first fix.
- A hardware keyboard is attached. With a Magic Keyboard or Smart Keyboard connected, the onscreen keyboard and its microphone are hidden. Use the Dictation button in the Shortcuts bar, or the Switch Keyboard key and D.
- Voice Control is on. Voice Control replaces standard Dictation. Turn it off under Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control (or from Control Center, if you added it there).
- A third-party keyboard is showing. The Dictate button belongs to Apple's keyboard, and other keyboards may not have it. Touch and hold the Switch Keyboard key and pick Apple's keyboard.
- The language is not supported. Dictation listens in the current keyboard's language. If that language or your region is missing from Apple's Feature Availability page, switch to a keyboard that is supported.
- It stopped on its own. That is the 30-second silence rule. Tap the microphone to start again.
- Edit commands come out as words. "Change ... to ..." and the other editing commands are U.S. English only. In other languages, select the text by touch and dictate over it.
- The iPad is managed. A school or work iPad, or one with Screen Time restrictions, can have features limited by whoever manages it. If a setting is missing or dimmed, ask that person.
If none of these apply, restarting the iPad and installing the latest iPadOS update are sensible next steps.
Where iPad dictation falls short
Apple Dictation is free, private by default, and good for messages, searches, and short notes. It gets harder when you write at length by voice:
- No personal dictionary. Dictation has no setting for adding names, product terms, or jargon. Voice Control's vocabulary is the closest thing, and turning Voice Control on replaces Dictation.
- You get your words, not a draft. Dictation transcribes and punctuates. It does not drop the "ums", tighten a rambling paragraph, or format an email.
- Voice editing is narrow. The change, insert, and delete commands are U.S. English only, and they act on phrases you name, not on instructions like "make this shorter."
- The improved model needs new hardware. The on-device model that sharpens spelling and punctuation needs an M4 or later iPad with at least 12GB of memory, in English.
- It stops when you pause. Thirty seconds of silence ends the session, which trips up people who think before they speak.
For a quick reply none of this matters. For essays, reports, long emails, or anything full of technical terms, it adds up.
Where Aqua Voice fits
We build Aqua Voice, so weigh this section accordingly. Aqua is a dictation app for people who write a lot by voice. It runs on our own speech model, Avalon, and it covers the gaps above: a personal dictionary that syncs across your devices, custom instructions for tone and format, filler words removed, and Edit Mode, where you select text and say how it should change ("make this a list"). The guide covers each feature.
To be plain about the iPad: Aqua Voice does not have an iPad app. At the time of writing, its App Store listing is for iPhone only (iOS 26 or later). On an iPad, Apple Dictation is the tool to use, and the steps above get the most out of it.
Where Aqua does help iPad owners:
- If you also write on a computer. Aqua runs on Mac and Windows and types into any app, so the long drafting can happen there. In 9to5Mac's August 2025 test, built-in Mac dictation made 17 errors on one passage where Aqua made 1 (one passage and one speaker, so an anecdote rather than a benchmark). Our Aqua vs Mac dictation page compares the two in detail.
- On your iPhone. Aqua for iPhone is a keyboard: switch to it with the globe key, tap the mic, and your words land at the cursor in apps that allow third-party keyboards. Our iPhone voice to text guide covers Apple's side of that phone.
- On Android tablets. Aqua for Android runs on Android phones and tablets on Android 10 or later, as a floating button above the keyboard you already use. The launch post has the details, and it is on Google Play.
One subscription covers Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android. Your first 2,000 words are free, and Pro is $10/mo billed annually or $12/mo month to month for unlimited words. See pricing. If you are weighing free options first, our roundup of free speech to text tools covers them across every platform, and the best speech to text apps for iPhone compares the paid keyboards. On a Mac, see how to use dictation on Mac.
FAQ
Does iPad have speech to text?
Yes. iPadOS includes Dictation, which turns speech into text anywhere you can type. Turn it on under Settings > General > Keyboard > Enable Dictation, then tap the microphone on the onscreen keyboard. For full hands-free control, Apple's Voice Control accessibility feature goes further.
Can you dictate on iPad without internet?
Yes, in many languages. Apple says Dictation is processed on the iPad with no internet connection required, though text dictated into a search field may be sent to the search engine. Voice Control needs Wi-Fi once, for a download, and then works offline.
What is the keyboard shortcut for dictation on iPad?
On a Magic Keyboard for iPad or a Smart Keyboard, press the Switch Keyboard key (the globe key) and D together. With an Apple external keyboard attached, you can also tap the Dictation button in the Shortcuts bar at the bottom of the screen.
Is there an Aqua Voice app for iPad?
Not at the time of writing. Aqua Voice's App Store listing covers iPhone, on iOS 26 or later. Aqua also runs on Mac, Windows, and Android phones and tablets, all on one subscription.
