The Mac keyboard shortcut for Voice Control is Option-Command-F5, or a quick triple-press of Touch ID on a Mac or Magic Keyboard that has it. That opens the Accessibility Shortcuts panel, where you tick Voice Control on or off. If you make Voice Control the only feature in that panel, the same shortcut turns it on or off straight away. You can also use System Settings → Accessibility → Voice Control, the menu bar, Control Center, or ask Siri.
The steps below follow Apple's Mac User Guide for macOS 27. On macOS 13 and earlier, the settings are in System Preferences → Accessibility. On any version, typing "Voice Control" or "Accessibility Shortcuts" into the settings search field finds them.
What are all the ways to turn Voice Control on or off?
| Method | How | Source |
|---|---|---|
| System Settings | Apple menu → System Settings → Accessibility → Voice Control, then use the switch | Turn Voice Control on or off |
| Keyboard shortcut | Option-Command-F5 opens the Accessibility Shortcuts panel | Quickly turn accessibility features on or off |
| Touch ID | Press Touch ID three times quickly, on a Mac or Magic Keyboard with Touch ID | Same page |
| Menu bar or Control Center | Add Accessibility Shortcuts, then click Voice Control | Same page |
| Siri | Ask "Turn on Voice Control" | Turn Voice Control on or off |
| Vocal Shortcut | Teach the Mac a spoken phrase that turns on an accessibility feature | Quickly turn accessibility features on or off |
Apple's Mac keyboard shortcuts article, published 14 September 2026, lists the same keys under Other accessibility shortcuts: "Option-Command-F5 or triple-press Touch ID: Show the Accessibility Shortcuts panel."
The first time you turn Voice Control on, Apple says the Mac must be online for a one-time download. A Voice Control icon appears in the menu bar and changes when it is ready to listen.
How do you make Option-Command-F5 toggle Voice Control directly?
By default the shortcut opens a panel with several features. To skip the panel:
- Choose Apple menu → System Settings, click Accessibility in the sidebar, then click Shortcut. You may need to scroll down.
- Deselect every feature except Voice Control.
- Press Option-Command-F5 to test.
Apple's wording: "If you select only one feature, the Accessibility Shortcuts panel isn't displayed when you press the keyboard shortcut; instead, the feature is immediately turned on or off."
On many Apple keyboards the top-row keys have special functions. Apple's shortcuts article says that to use them "as F1, F2, F3, or other standard function keys, combine them with the Fn (Function) or Globe key." So if Option-Command-F5 does nothing, try Fn-Option-Command-F5. The Touch ID triple-press avoids the question.
If you want a different key combination, Apple says additional accessibility shortcuts "you can use and customize" are under System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Accessibility. Look there for what your macOS version offers.
How do you add Voice Control to the menu bar or Control Center?
Apple's steps for macOS 27:
- Choose Apple menu → System Settings, then click Menu Bar in the sidebar.
- Click Add Controls, find Accessibility Shortcuts, and click the button on the right.
- Choose Add to Control Center or Add to Menu Bar, then click Done.
- Click the new Accessibility Shortcuts item and click a feature to turn it on or off.
If your System Settings has no Menu Bar item, your macOS version keeps these options under Control Center in the sidebar. Search the settings for "Accessibility Shortcuts".
How do you turn Voice Control off?
Use the same routes in reverse:
- System Settings → Accessibility → Voice Control, and turn it off.
- Option-Command-F5 or the Touch ID triple-press, then untick Voice Control (or press once, if it is the only feature in the shortcut).
- The Accessibility Shortcuts item in the menu bar or Control Center.
- Siri: Apple's macOS 11 guide gives "Turn off Voice Control" as a request. The current page gives only the "Turn on" example, so test it.
With Voice Control off, standard Dictation and its shortcut work again. Apple says: "When Voice Control is on, you use Voice Control to dictate text; standard macOS Dictation isn't available."
Do you need to turn it off, or just pause it?
Often you only want it to stop listening for a minute, for a phone call or a conversation. Apple's Voice Control commands page gives two spoken commands:
| Say | Result |
|---|---|
| Stop listening | Voice Control stays on but ignores what you say |
| Start listening | It listens for commands and dictation again |
Pausing keeps your setup and avoids a trip to settings. Apple's macOS 11 guide used "Go to sleep" and "Wake up" for the same thing, so try those on an older Mac.
If Voice Control keeps typing things you say near the Mac, say "Command mode". Apple says it then "responds only to commands" and words that are not commands "aren't entered as text."
Why does Voice Control turn on by itself?
Apple does not describe Voice Control switching itself on. The documented ways it can be switched on without you opening settings are the shortcuts above, so check them:
- A Touch ID triple-press. If Voice Control is the only feature in Accessibility → Shortcut, three quick presses of Touch ID toggle it immediately. Add a second feature so the panel appears instead.
- Option-Command-F5. The same applies to the keyboard shortcut.
- A Vocal Shortcut or Siri request. Look in Accessibility → Vocal Shortcuts for a phrase that turns on an accessibility feature. Apple's Vocal Shortcuts page says they are available on Apple silicon Macs and that an orange dot next to Control Center shows when Vocal Shortcuts is listening.
If none of these explains it, and the Mac belongs to an employer or school, ask your IT administrator.
Is there a shortcut that starts dictation instead?
Yes, and it is a different feature. Standard Dictation starts with the Microphone key, Fn-D, or the shortcut set in Keyboard → Dictation. The Mac dictation shortcut guide covers it. If what you want is to type by voice, not to control the Mac, Dictation is simpler; Mac Voice Control vs Dictation explains the difference.
Third-party dictation apps also set their own keys. SuprFlow, which publishes this guide, uses a held Fn key or a custom hotkey to dictate, but it has no voice commands for controlling the Mac and no way to turn Voice Control on or off. It is relevant here only as another way to dictate plain text.
Questions people ask
What is the keyboard shortcut for Voice Control on a Mac?
Option-Command-F5, or triple-press Touch ID. Both open the Accessibility Shortcuts panel, or toggle Voice Control directly if it is the only feature selected under Accessibility → Shortcut.
How do I turn off Voice Control on a Mac quickly?
Press Option-Command-F5 and untick Voice Control, or turn it off in System Settings → Accessibility → Voice Control. To pause without turning it off, say "Stop listening".
Can I turn on Voice Control by voice?
Yes. Apple says you can ask Siri, "Turn on Voice Control." A Vocal Shortcut can also turn on an accessibility feature.
Why does Option-Command-F5 not work on my MacBook?
The top-row key may be acting as a special-function key. Apple says to combine it with Fn (or Globe) to use it as F5. Or use the Touch ID triple-press or the menu bar item.
Related guides
- Mac Voice Control commands: a list grouped by task
- Mac Voice Control not working? Causes and fixes
- Mac Voice Control vs Dictation
- Mac dictation shortcut: default keys and how to change them
- How to turn off Dictation on a Mac
- Dictation for RSI and typing fatigue on a Mac
Sources
- Apple — Turn Voice Control on or off on Mac
- Apple — Quickly turn accessibility features on or off on Mac
- Apple — Mac keyboard shortcuts
- Apple — Use Voice Control commands to interact with your Mac
- Apple — Control your Mac and apps using Voice Control
- Apple — Use Vocal Shortcuts on Mac
- Apple — Dictate messages and documents on Mac