A dictation app for Mac that tidies what you say

The short answer

DanDin (dandin.com) is a dictation app for Mac. Click where you want text, hold the Fn key (the Globe key), and talk. When you let go, an AI step takes out the ums and repeats, adds commas and full stops, and types the words at your cursor in the app you were using, from Mail to Slack to a browser. It writes English, Arabic, or both in one dictation, and one dictation can last 30 minutes. It runs on macOS 12 or newer, on Apple silicon and Intel. Every Mac also has Apple Dictation for free, in System Settings under Keyboard. Apple lists Arabic for it, but not for automatic punctuation. DanDin is ours. It needs the internet and three permissions: Microphone, Accessibility and Input Monitoring. It will not type into a password prompt. The free plan is 2,000 words every 7 days, and Pro is USD 16.99 a month.

DanDin is our product. The Apple facts on this page come from Apple's own pages, read on 8 October 2026 and linked at the end. If you spot one that changed, write to support@dandin.com.

What does Apple Dictation already do on a Mac?

More than many people think, so start here. Apple's steps to turn it on: "On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar." Then "Go to Dictation, then turn it on or off."

Apple is also clear that it varies: "Dictation is not available in all languages or regions, and features may vary." Its macOS feature page shows what that means for each language:

Apple's macOS feature availability page, read on 8 October 2026

Feature on that page	Arabic listed?
Dictation	Yes: Arabic (Saudi Arabia) and Arabic (United Arab Emirates)
Dictation: On-Device and Modeless Dictation	Yes: Arabic
Dictation: Auto-Punctuation	No
Dictation: Dictate Emoji	No

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If you write English and you are happy to fix a few words by hand, Apple Dictation is free and already on your Mac. Use it.

Where does a separate dictation app help on a Mac?

Three places, in the order people tend to hit them:

1. Tidy text, not just words. Apple Dictation types what you said. DanDin's AI step cleans it before it lands: false starts and repeats go, numbers become digits, and it adds the punctuation.
2. Mixing two languages. Apple says that with more than one dictation language "you can switch languages as you dictate by clicking the language next to the cursor", or with the Globe key. DanDin's default mode, Arabic + English, picks the language of each sentence for you, so you can switch mid-dictation without touching anything.
3. Arabic punctuation. Apple does not list Arabic under Auto-Punctuation. DanDin adds commas and full stops in Arabic too.

How do you use DanDin on a Mac?

1. Download and open it

   Get it from the download page. It is signed and notarized by Apple, so macOS opens it without a warning.

2. Allow three permissions

   Microphone, so it can hear you. Accessibility, so it can type into other apps. Input Monitoring, so the Fn key can start it. DanDin walks you through each one.

3. Hold Fn and talk

   Click into any text box first. Press Esc while talking if you want to cancel.

4. Let go

   The text appears at your cursor. It is also kept in the app's History.

What if the Fn key is already taken?

Apple also uses the Globe key, so you may already have it set to something. In DanDin's Settings you can choose another start key: Control, right Option, right Command or right Control. If your Fn key cannot reach DanDin, for example on some external keyboards with the MacBook lid closed, DanDin moves the start key to Control for you. Command + Shift + D works as a backup until you grant Input Monitoring.

For long messages, you do not have to hold the key. With Hands-free on (it is on by default), tap the start key twice, or hold it and press Space, and DanDin keeps listening. Or switch to Toggle in Settings: one press starts, the next one stops. A single dictation can run up to 30 minutes.

Where will DanDin not type on a Mac?

Password prompts and protected terminals. When an app is protecting typing, DanDin types nothing. It copies the text and says: "This app is protecting typing right now. Text copied, press ⌘V."

Without Accessibility. If the permission is off, DanDin says: "Turn on Accessibility so DanDin can paste. Text copied, press ⌘V."

Nowhere to type. In Finder or on the desktop, a small card lets you copy the text instead.

What does DanDin need on a Mac?

DanDin on a Mac, as shipped today (version 1.3.1)

Item	What you need
macOS	macOS 12 or newer
Chip	Apple silicon or Intel, one app for both
Where from	Our download page. It is not in the App Store
Permissions	Microphone, Accessibility and Input Monitoring
Internet	Required. There is no offline mode
Microphone	The one built into your Mac is enough

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What can it not do?

How much is it on a Mac?

Free gives you 2,000 words every 7 days. The window rolls, so words come back a little each day. No card, no end date, and the same quality as Pro. Pro is USD 16.99 a month or USD 149 a year, with no word limit. In Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar it is 59 a month or 529 a year in local money. If you have never had Pro, monthly Pro started from the app comes with 7 free days. More on the pricing page.

Mac dictation app or Apple Dictation?

• English, short notes, and fixing a word now and then is fine: Apple Dictation.
• You want the text clean before it lands, in every app: a dictation app like DanDin.
• Arabic, or Arabic and English in the same message: DanDin was built for exactly that. Read how it handles Arabic voice typing and switching between Arabic and English.

Comparing more tools? Our dictation app comparisons quote each company's own pages, with dates. And what happens if the Wi-Fi drops is in does DanDin work offline.