VS Code has its own speech to text. On a Mac, click in the chat input and press ⌘I, or press ⌥⌘V in an editor, then speak; hold the shortcut for push-to-talk. Microsoft says desktop dictation uses an on-device speech model by default on Apple silicon Macs, and it inserts text without sending the request. It is marked experimental. Apple Dictation and system-wide dictation apps also work in VS Code's text fields.
Publisher note: SuprFlow publishes this guide and is one of the products discussed. Competitor details come from each company's own pages, checked on 1 October 2026. Prices and features change; confirm before you buy.
How does VS Code's built-in dictation work?
Microsoft's Voice support page, updated 30 September 2026, documents it. It says: "Built-in dictation is experimental and might change or be removed."
| Where | macOS shortcut or command | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Chat input (Copilot Chat or an agent session) | ⌘I with the chat input focused | Speech becomes text in the input |
| Editor | ⌥⌘V | Speech is inserted at the cursor, for comments or prose |
| Integrated terminal | Voice: Start Dictation in Terminal from the Command Palette | Speech is adapted for command-line input |
| Any of these | Hold the shortcut | Push-to-talk: speak while held |
Points from the same page that matter for coding:
- Nothing is sent for you. "Dictation inserts text in the input but does not submit the request." You review, then press Enter.
- Terminal dictation rewrites for the shell. "It removes ordinary punctuation, converts spoken symbol names, and adjusts initial capitalization." Read the result before running it.
- The setting.
dictation.enabled, on by default. - Microphone. The command Chat: Dictate: Select Microphone picks the input device.
Where does VS Code process your voice?
Microsoft's page is specific:
- Desktop app: "dictation uses an on-device speech recognition model by default". The supported list includes macOS on Apple silicon.
- VS Code for the Web: "dictation streams audio to the Microsoft AI voice service for cloud transcription."
- Intel Macs: the on-device model is listed for Apple silicon only. Microsoft points Intel Mac users to the VS Code Speech extension. Its Marketplace page says: "No internet connection is required, the voice audio data is processed locally on your computer." Its language setting is
accessibility.voice.speechLanguage.
What is VS Code Voice Mode, and is it the same as Copilot voice?
Voice Mode is a separate, also experimental feature: "a hands-free, spoken conversation with an agent while it works on your code." Microsoft lists three requirements: an "eligible individual GitHub Copilot plan" (not Copilot Business or Enterprise), GitHub sign-in, and the agents.voice.enabled setting. Toggle it with ⇧⌘Space and mute with ⇧⌘M. The setting agents.voice.speakResponses controls whether the agent reads replies aloud.
Microsoft's page does not say where Voice Mode audio is processed. If that matters, use dictation, where the page does say.
For careful prompts, dictation is the better fit: you see the whole instruction before Copilot acts on it.
Can you use Apple Dictation in VS Code?
Yes. Apple's Dictation guide for macOS 27 says you can "speak to enter text anywhere you can type it". Click in the chat input, editor or terminal, press the Microphone key or your Dictation shortcut, and speak. Apple says to check Keyboard settings to see whether your Dictation is processed on the device. See how to use voice to text on a Mac and the Mac dictation shortcut guide.
VS Code's own dictation has one advantage here: its terminal mode adapts speech for commands. Apple Dictation types what it hears.
When does a push-to-talk app make sense in VS Code?
When you also dictate into a terminal agent, a browser and chat apps, and want the same key everywhere. SuprFlow is one example: a menu-bar app for Apple Silicon Macs on macOS 14 or later. Hold the Fn key, speak, release, and it pastes the text at the cursor in the focused field. Speech recognition runs on the Mac after a one-time model download; see https://suprflow.app/requirements. Default formatting is local cleanup of punctuation, capitalization and numbers. It costs $125 once (as of 1 October 2026), with no free tier or trial.
It should work wherever you can paste text; test it in the chat input with a harmless prompt. In VS Code's integrated terminal, Microsoft's terminal basics page says there is "a warning when pasting multiple lines" by default, controlled by terminal.integrated.enableMultiLinePasteWarning, and only when the shell does not support bracketed paste mode. If you only work in VS Code on an Apple silicon Mac, its built-in dictation is free and may be all you need.
What is dictation good and bad at in VS Code?
Good: long Copilot Chat prompts, explaining a bug, code comments, docstrings, commit messages and pull-request descriptions.
Needs review: identifiers (getUserById), file paths, flags (--force) and symbols. Describe the code in words and let the agent find it, type the exact name, or add recurring names to a personal dictionary. See teaching SuprFlow names and acronyms.
What should you check before pressing Enter?
An agent session works on your code, so a misheard word can turn into a change.
- File names, symbol names and flags.
- Negations: "don't", "without", "only".
- That the text is in the chat session you meant, not another tab.
- Anything about deleting, migrating or production. Type those parts.
- No secrets spoken aloud.
- In the terminal, the full command line, including anything terminal dictation converted.
Where does your prompt go?
| Route | Audio | Prompt text |
|---|---|---|
| VS Code desktop dictation | On-device model by default | To the chat provider when you send |
| VS Code for the Web | Microsoft AI voice service | To the chat provider when you send |
| Voice Mode | Not stated on Microsoft's page | To the agent session |
| Apple Dictation | Check Keyboard settings | To the chat provider when you send |
| SuprFlow | Recognised on the Mac | To the chat provider when you send |
A prompt can carry proprietary code context whichever way you speak it. Microsoft notes organisations can restrict Copilot features by policy; follow yours.
Questions people ask
What is the shortcut for voice dictation in VS Code on a Mac?
⌘I in the chat input and ⌥⌘V in an editor. Hold either for push-to-talk.
Does VS Code speech to text work offline?
Microsoft says desktop dictation uses an on-device model by default on supported platforms, including Apple silicon Macs. The web version streams audio to a Microsoft cloud service.
Do I need the VS Code Speech extension?
On an Apple silicon Mac, Microsoft's page lists built-in on-device dictation. The extension is for unsupported platforms such as Intel Macs.
Does VS Code dictation send my Copilot prompt automatically?
No. Microsoft says dictation "inserts text in the input but does not submit the request."
Related guides
- Vibe coding by voice on a Mac
- Dictate to Claude Code and Cursor
- Voice dictation for Windsurf
- Voice to text in the Mac terminal
- Voice dictation for Zed