Dictation in Outlook: how to turn it on (Windows, Mac and web)

Option 1: Outlook's Dictate button

Outlook for Microsoft 365 has its own dictation. The steps change a little depending on your version.

In new Outlook for Windows and in Outlook on the web:

1. Start a new email or reply to one, and click in the body of the message.
2. On the Message tab, click Dictate.
3. Wait for the button to turn on and start talking. The text appears on screen as you dictate.

In classic Outlook for Windows: the same steps, signed in to Microsoft 365 and with a microphone connected.

In Outlook for Mac: start an email or a reply and go to Message › Dictate, or use the shortcut Option + F1.

Microsoft says dictation is only for Microsoft 365 subscribers and needs a microphone and a reliable internet connection. It also says the service doesn't store your audio or the transcribed text: your voice is sent to Microsoft only to give you the text back.

Pick your language. By default, dictation is set to English (United States). Click the gear on the dictation toolbar and choose another option under Spoken Language, such as English (United Kingdom), Spanish (Mexico) or Spanish (Spain). In the same menu you can turn on Auto Punctuation (if it's available for your language), change the microphone and mask profanity with asterisks.

Dictate punctuation. If you don't use Auto Punctuation, say it out loud. These are some of Microsoft's English commands:

Good for: dictating emails without installing anything, if you already pay for Microsoft 365. Missing: working outside the Microsoft apps that have the button, removing filler words, and understanding when you correct yourself mid-sentence.

Option 2: Windows or Mac dictation

It's already on your computer, and it types in Outlook and in any other app, even without Microsoft 365.

• On Windows: click in the body of the email and press Windows + H. To stop, click the microphone on the voice typing bar. It uses Microsoft's online speech recognition, so it needs the internet. In the bar's gear menu you can turn on auto punctuation. How to use Windows voice typing.
• On a Mac: turn it on in Apple menu › System Settings › Keyboard › Dictation. With your cursor in the email, press the Microphone key or your shortcut; to stop, press it again. In supported languages it adds commas, periods and question marks on its own. Depending on the language and your Mac, it may need the internet; that same setting tells you. How to use Mac dictation.

Good for: dictating without installing or paying for anything. Missing: removing filler words. It types exactly what you say: the "um"s and "uh"s end up in the email. The exception is Windows "fluid dictation", which cleans them up, but only in English and only on Copilot+ PCs.

Option 3: Loro

Loro types the email you meant to send, not what you said word for word.

1. Download Loro for free for Windows or Mac.
2. Click in the body of the email, in whichever Outlook you use.
3. Hold Ctrl + Win (fn on a Mac) and talk the way you talk.
4. Let go. The email appears, with periods, commas and capitals.

An example. You say: "um, hi Carla, uh, confirming our meeting on Tuesday, no, Wednesday, and I'll send the proposal before then, thanks". Loro types: "Hi Carla, confirming our meeting on Wednesday, and I'll send the proposal before then. Thanks". With an internet connection, it understands that "no, Wednesday" corrects the day.

With Loro Pro you can also:

• Reply without dictating it all. With the email on screen and your cursor in the reply, hold Ctrl + Alt (Control + Option on a Mac) and say "reply to this email" or "tell her yes, but on Thursday". Loro looks at your screen and writes the reply the way you would, where your cursor is. It needs the internet and the screenshot isn't stored.
• Rewrite by voice. Select a paragraph, hold Ctrl + Win and say "make it more formal" or "make it shorter".

And if you add your clients' and company's names to your dictionary, Loro spells them the same way every time. If you also write emails outside Outlook, our guide to dictating emails covers the rest.

Good for: clean emails in Outlook and in any other app, with or without Microsoft 365. Missing: it doesn't come installed (you have to download it), and self-corrections and replying from your screen need the internet; offline, it still types and removes filler words. The free plan dictates 2,000 words a week.

What about your phone?

Microsoft announced that dictation was being retired from Outlook for iPhone and Android starting in September 2024. On your phone you still have the keyboard's microphone, which types in Outlook like in any other app: on an iPhone you turn it on in Settings › General › Keyboard › Enable Dictation, and on Android it's at the top of the Gboard keyboard. Loro is for computers only, for now.

The three options, compared

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Frequently asked questions

How do I turn on dictation in Outlook?›

While writing an email or a reply, go to the Message tab and click Dictate. It works in new and classic Outlook for Windows, in Outlook for Mac (also with Option + F1) and in Outlook on the web. You need Microsoft 365, a microphone and an internet connection.

Why don't I see the Dictate button in Outlook?›

The button is on the Message tab of the email you're writing. If it still isn't there, the most common reason is not having Microsoft 365: Microsoft says dictation is only for subscribers. Also check that you're signed in and that you have a microphone and an internet connection. In the meantime, Windows + H, Mac dictation and Loro type in Outlook just the same.

Does Outlook dictation work in Spanish?›

Yes: Spanish from Mexico and from Spain. It's set to English (United States) by default, so change it in the dictation toolbar's gear menu, under Spoken Language.

How do I add question marks when dictating in Outlook?›

With the Dictate button, say "question mark", or turn on Auto Punctuation in the gear menu. Loro adds them on its own: if you ask something, it types the question mark.

Can I dictate in Outlook offline?›

Not with the Dictate button, and not with Windows + H either. On a Mac, it depends on the language. With Loro, yes: it turns your voice into text on your computer. Understanding self-corrections and replying from your screen need the internet.

Can I dictate in Outlook on my phone?›

Not with Outlook's own dictation: Microsoft announced it was being retired from Outlook for phones starting in September 2024. Use your iPhone keyboard's microphone or Gboard's on Android, which type in Outlook like in any app.

Sources

• Microsoft, Dictate your emails in Outlook, checked on October 28, 2026.
• Microsoft, Dictate your emails in Outlook Mobile, checked on October 28, 2026.
• Microsoft, voice typing in Windows, checked on October 28, 2026.
• Apple, dictation on Mac, checked on October 28, 2026.
• Apple, dictation on iPhone, checked on October 28, 2026.
• Google, type with your voice in Gboard, checked on October 28, 2026.