How to dictate on Apple Watch and send the text to your Mac
Short answer: Apple Watch dictation only types into apps on the Watch itself. To get the text onto your Mac you need either a manual route (Messages, Notes, email) or an app like SayWire, which sends what you say on your Watch to the Mac clipboard or cursor in one to two seconds.
The built-in ways
- Notes or Reminders. Dictate into a note on your Watch, wait for iCloud to sync it, then open Notes on your Mac and copy the text. It works, but syncing can take a while and you still have to copy and paste.
- Messages to yourself. Dictate a message to your own number or Apple Account and open Messages on your Mac. Fast, but it clutters your conversations.
- Universal Clipboard. This copies between iPhone, iPad and Mac, but Apple Watch is not part of it.
The fast way: SayWire
- Install SayWire on your iPhone (the Watch app comes with it) and the Mac app from the download page.
- Open SayWire on your Mac, choose Pair iPhone and Watch, and scan the code with your iPhone.
- Raise your wrist and say “Send with SayWire”, then say your message.
The text appears on your Mac in a second or two. Turn on Copy and paste into the active app in SayWire’s Mac settings and it goes straight to your cursor.
Tips
- Keep the app open between dictations: on your Watch, go to Settings, General, Return to Clock, SayWire, and choose After 1 hour.
- Add a complication to your watch face for one-tap dictation.
- On café Wi-Fi, SayWire switches to its encrypted relay automatically when devices cannot see each other.