Free voice typing for Mac, in supported apps.
Cue is free to start on Mac and Windows. Focus an editable field in a supported app, use your Dictation shortcut, speak, and check the inserted text before continuing. Try a short draft in Slack, Gmail, Notion, Google Docs, Cursor, Linear, or a browser form.
Featured in Google DeepMind's Gemmaverse: a published May 2026 benchmark measured 44% lower median latency for Cue’s local Gemma 4 text-polish step, while cloud speech-to-text remained in the path. See the case study →
Need Mac's built-in Dictation?
Apple’s own guide explains how to enable Dictation on Mac. Voice Control is a separate accessibility feature that can control parts of the Mac. Start there when a built-in feature is what you need; try Cue when you want a spoken request to continue into the task in the app already open.
Open Apple’s Dictation setup guide →
Try Apple’s Dictation. After enabling it in System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation, place the cursor in an editable field and choose Edit → Start Dictation. Speak when the cursor pulses or you hear the ready tone. Press Escape to finish, then check the text. The Dictation shortcut configured in macOS Keyboard settings belongs to Apple’s feature; Cue has its own shortcut settings.
If it does not start, check Apple’s configured shortcut, selected language and microphone. For an external microphone, check its input volume in System Settings → Sound → Input. Follow Apple’s troubleshooting guide before switching tools.
Steps vary by macOS version; select your version in Apple’s guide.
Setting up voice typing on a new MacBook (MacBook Neo or M5)
Cue supports current Apple Silicon Macs, including the MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 2026) and the M5 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, on macOS 13 or later; Intel Macs are supported too. On a fresh Mac you have two paths, and they can coexist.
Built-in Dictation. Apple’s guide says to choose Apple menu › System Settings, click Keyboard, go to Dictation and turn it on, then click Enable. Apple also notes that Dictation is not available in all languages or regions, and that Voice Control is a separate feature: while Voice Control is on, standard Dictation is not available. Read Apple’s Dictation guide →
Cue. Download the Mac build, sign in, and allow the microphone access the app asks for. Focus a text field in a supported app, use the Dictation shortcut shown in your installed version (Option by default on macOS), speak, wait for processing, then check the inserted text. The voice typing tutorial adds a checkable practice sentence and recovery steps for when text does not appear.
No performance figure is published here for a specific chip. The only measured dictation result Cue publishes is the Gemma 4 case study, which reports a latency change for one processing step, not a device benchmark.
Mac dictation checklist
Opens a reference draft. You control recording, Dictation and sending.
Open checklist in CueRequires a Cue version that supports task import.
For you to follow, not an Agent command. Prepare a short, non-sensitive draft and focus an editable field in a supported Mac app. Sign in to Cue and allow requested microphone access. Use the Dictation control shown in your installed version; confirm recording is active, speak, then wait for processing. Check inserted names, numbers and meaning before sending anything yourself. For an Agent revision, first select only the text you want to share and make a separate request. Check existing text before retrying.
If Cue only opens, copy this checklist or download or update Cue.
What makes it useful at work
New to Cue? Follow the step-by-step voice typing tutorial for setup, a checkable practice sentence and recovery when text does not appear.
Supported apps
Use voice typing in supported, editable text fields for chat, email, documents, issue trackers, code editors, and forms. Focus the field first and allow the permissions requested by Cue; insertion depends on the app, field and installed version.
Context-aware tone
A Slack message should not read like a formal memo. Cue helps shape dictated text for the place it lands.
Fast cleanup
Turn rough speech into readable punctuation, paragraphs, and concise phrasing before it is inserted.
Free dictation, plus the option to do more
Dictation inserts spoken text; Agent handles an explicit request such as rewriting a reply, summarizing a paragraph, or translating selected text. On macOS, the defaults are Option for Dictation and Fn for Agent. Follow the shortcuts in your own settings and installed version.
For an email, dictate a draft first and check names, numbers and meaning. To revise it, select only the text you want to share and make a separate Agent request. Review the result before sending; dictating a draft does not authorize sending it.
Free voice typing FAQ
Is Cue free for voice typing on Mac?
Cue is free to start, so you can try voice typing for Mac with messages, notes, emails, and documents before choosing Cue Plus.
Can I dictate in supported apps?
Cue supports voice typing in compatible, editable text fields, including supported fields in Slack, Gmail, Notion, Google Docs, Cursor, Linear, and browser forms. Focus the field and allow the permissions requested by Cue. Test a short sentence first; support depends on the app, field and installed version.
How is Cue different from built-in dictation?
Apple Dictation and Voice Control are separate macOS features. Cue is a free-to-start desktop Voice Agent with separate Dictation and Agent modes: dictate text, or explicitly ask Agent to work from selected content. Use the shortcuts shown in your settings and installed version, and review results before taking the next action.
Does Cue work on the MacBook Neo?
Yes. Cue supports current Apple Silicon Macs, including the MacBook Neo with the A18 Pro chip and the M5 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, on macOS 13 or later. Download the Mac build, sign in, and start with free voice typing. Cue is free to start; Cue Plus is $19.99/month.
Dictate where you already work.
Cue is free to start on Mac and Windows. Press a hotkey, speak, and keep working in the app you already have open.