Skip to main content
mBornbach
Known Participant
January 20, 2026
Question

FEATURE REQUEST: Built‑in Dictation button in Adobe InDesign.

  • January 20, 2026
  • 2 replies
  • 59 views

I’d like to request a built‑in Dictation button in Adobe InDesign.

Currently, macOS Voice Control and system dictation do not reliably work inside InDesign’s text frames. Dictation works in other macOS apps (Notes, TextEdit, Mail, etc.), but InDesign does not consistently expose text fields in a way that Voice Control can recognize. This creates a major accessibility barrier for users who rely on voice input for typing or navigation.

 

A simple Dictation button in the Control bar or Properties panel — similar to what many native macOS apps offer — would provide:

  • A guaranteed, app‑level way to trigger dictation

  • Better compatibility with macOS accessibility tools

  • A more inclusive workflow for users with motor disabilities

  • A fallback when system‑level dictation fails to activate inside text frames

This would make InDesign significantly more accessible and usable for voice‑only users.

Thank you for considering this accessibility improvement.

2 replies

Barb Binder
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 20, 2026

Hi @mBornbach:

 

I see you're new here and welcome. The community forums are moderated by expert-level InDesign users who are here to explain features. 

 

That said, this is a great idea and one I would welcome. When I try to dictate an InDesign, I always save first because I often experience instant crashing. 

 

I know there's a Feature Request tag here on the community forums, but that's because at some point we'll be able to take features requests here. For now, please copy and paste this to the InDesign user voice page (https://indesign.uservoice.com/), which will ensure that the Adobe InDesign engineering team will see it and allow others to vote for it.

 

Come see us next time you get stuck in InDesign.

 

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
mBornbach
mBornbachAuthor
Known Participant
January 20, 2026

Voice Control no longer dictates text into InDesign. This is on all versions of MacOS Sequoia while being inside an active text frame. The only way I’ve been able to get it to work is to open gmail, open a new message, dictate into the gmail message and then focus back on an active text frame in InDesign. A few seconds later, it loses focus again and I have to go back to gmail again. I’m using this accessibility feature due to an injury. Would really appreciate help getting it working.

leo.r
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 20, 2026