The macOS Catalina update brings a lot of cool features, such as the ability to control your Mac (Book) with your voice. iPhone explains exactly how to use it.
This is how you use voice control on the Mac
With the macOS Catalina update, Apple has introduced many different new features. One of these is controlling your Mac with your voice. But how exactly does it work? We explain how to use voice control.
Turn on voice control
To use voice control, you must first enable it. That’s how you do that:
- Go to ‘System Preferences’ via the Apple menu ;
- Click on ‘Accessibility’;
- Scroll down in the left pane and click on ‘Voice Control’;
- Click the tick next to ‘Activate Voice Control’. When you do this for the first time, your Mac will perform a one-time download. You can also choose to play a soft sound when a command is recognized. This is especially advisable in the beginning;
- Now a microphone will appear on your screen.
Command list
Curious about what you can say? Say “Show commands” and you will see a list of all commands that are already known. Just try to say something on the list! If the microphone has heard you correctly, it will show you the command you have given and it will be executed.
The voice control recognizes the names of apps you have installed. For example, if you installed the WhatsApp app, say “Open WhatsApp”. If you want to close the window again, say “Hide WhatsApp”.
You can also dictate your entire text in text programs. Say, “Type [zin]”. Then you can also navigate in the writing program or select something with your voice. For example, say “Select last word” or “Scroll up”.
This is how you create your own commands
You can also create your own commands. That’s how you do that:
- Say “Open Voice Control Preferences”;
- Say “Click on commands”;
- Say “Click Add”;
- Then you can type in exactly what you want to say for this command at “when I say”. For example “Open iPhoned.nl”;
- At “When using” you can set a specific app that should be active when you give this command, such as Safari;
- You set the action at “do”. For example “open url”;
- Then you can type in a url, for example iPhoned.nl;
- If you now say “open iPhoned.nl” Safari will open the website;
Word list
In ‘Voice control preferences’ you can also create your own glossary of words that are not yet known. Simply click on ‘Glossary’ and press the plus sign to add a new word.
It is important that you speak loud enough and articulate well. Otherwise the microphone will not hear you and nothing will happen. Only when you see your command above the microphone will the Mac hear you.
Pause or turn off voice control
If you want to delete a command, you can easily do this in the command list in ‘Voice control preferences’. Simply make sure that there are no check marks in the boxes of commands you do not want by clicking them.
To pause voice control and listening, say “Snooze” or click “Snooze On”. If you want to turn off voice control completely, just uncheck the box ‘Activate voice control’ in ‘Voice control preferences’.
More Catalina tips
Do you want to know more about the new Catalina update? For example, read this tip about how Screen Time works, how you can use Sidecar or how to switch on dark mode automatically.
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