Apple Watch dictation not working? Here's the fix!

If you're having problems with dictation on your Apple Watch, there are some troubleshooting steps you can take to get it working again.

Why isn't dictation on Apple Watch working?

There could be any number of reasons why dictation isn't working on your Apple Watch. It could be a hardware error, a software error, or something completely different. And the error can also appear in many ways, but the most common is that "Hey Siri" will not respond when you want to dictate a message or you can open dictation but when you speak, it only says "Processing ." and never actually produced the words you said.

If you're experiencing these issues, you can use the troubleshooting steps below to fix the problem.

How to fix Apple Watch dictation feature not working error

These troubleshooting steps should get dictation working again on Apple Watch. Take it step by step until you find a solution that gets you dictating again.

1. Make sure 'Hey Siri' is enabled on your iPhone and Apple Watch. "Hey, Siri," or just Siri, is the voice assistant on the Apple Watch (and iPhone, iPad, and pretty much everything Apple). It's also an important factor in dictation, so if Siri isn't enabled, you won't be able to use dictation on your watch. To enable this feature, go to Settings > General > Siri and make sure Hey Siri is turned on.

You also need to make sure that Siri is enabled on your iPhone. You can do so by going to Settings > General > Siri and making sure it's turned on.

Tip : You can do more with Siri than just dictate messages and voice notes. Take the time to learn how to use Apple Watch with Siri.

2. Make sure Restriction for Siri & Dictation is not enabled. Restrictions are controls that prevent certain apps from working on Apple devices. They are often used as part of parental controls, but you may have accidentally turned on restrictions for Siri & Dictation without knowing it. Luckily, the fix is easy. On iPhone, go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps and make sure Siri & Dictation is turned on (it will be green when enabled).

3. Make sure Dictation is enabled on your keyboard. Another place dictation can be accidentally turned off is from your keyboard. You also need to make sure it's enabled there as well. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard on your iPhone and make sure Enable Dictation is turned on .

4. Turn off Siri and then turn it back on . If you are sure that Siri is enabled, you can try turning it off, waiting 10-15 seconds and then turning it back on. To turn off Siri on Apple Watch, go to Settings > Siri and turn off all capabilities. Wait a few seconds for it to close, then turn all capabilities back on. Then try dictation again.

5. Make sure Apple Watch and iPhone are set to the same language. If your device is set to different languages, Siri will not accept dictation because it cannot translate from one language to another. You will need to check the language on your iPhone as well and then make sure the language on your Apple Watch is the same. Go to General > Language & Region and select the same language you selected on your iPhone in the Watch app. Then try reading the spelling again.

6. Remove any obstructions to the microphone. Cases or screen protectors that block the microphone port on Apple Watch can distort your voice and make it difficult for the speech-to-text engine to understand what you're saying. Remove anything that may be blocking the microphone and try again.

Tip : Obstructions can also include dirt or debris in the microphone port. Be sure to clean Apple Watch thoroughly and then try using Dictation again.

7. Restart Apple Watch and iPhone. You can power off both devices at the same time, but make sure that when you restart your iPhone, the device is turned back on and fully powered before you restart your Apple Watch.

8. Unpair Apple Watch and then re-pair the watch . Unpairing your Apple Watch will delete everything from the watch, so before you begin, make sure you have a backup of your Apple Watch in iCloud.

Once the watch is unpaired, restart both iPhone and Apple Watch, then you can restore your Apple Watch from backup and try dictation again.

9. Make sure your Apple Watch and iPhone are updated . The last thing you can try is to make sure both your iPhone and Apple Watch are fully updated. If not updated, apps may stop working properly, thereby affecting other aspects of the watch. So make sure your iPhone is updated. Updating your iPhone usually triggers an update to your Apple Watch (if applicable). If not, you can update your Apple Watch manually.

Once both updates are complete, try dictation again to see if it works.