How to toggle Voice Control Off and On

Software
1

Before I researched here I went to openai to see if there was a way to toggle Voice Control off and on.

Here is the method it recommended using BetterTouch Tool

To set up a keyboard shortcut to turn on Voice Control using BetterTouchTool (BTT), you’ll follow a series of steps to create a new keyboard shortcut that triggers a specific action. Since Voice Control is a macOS feature, the action we’ll aim for is to toggle Voice Control on or off. As of my last update, there wasn’t a direct action in BetterTouchTool specifically labeled for toggling Voice Control, so you might need to use a workaround, such as using AppleScript or automating the sequence of steps you’d manually take to enable Voice Control.

Here’s a generalized approach that you can adapt according to the latest features of BetterTouchTool and macOS:

  1. Open BetterTouchTool: Launch BetterTouchTool on your Mac.

  2. Create a New Shortcut:

    • Go to the Keyboard section in BetterTouchTool.
    • Click on + Add New Shortcut or a similar button to create a new shortcut.

  3. Configure the Shortcut:

    • Choose the keyboard shortcut you’d like to use for toggling Voice Control. Press the desired keys in the input field.

  4. Set the Action:

    • Since there might not be a direct toggle for Voice Control, you can use an AppleScript to do this. Select the Run AppleScript (blocking) action from the list of available actions.
    • Enter the AppleScript that toggles Voice Control.

Here’s an example AppleScript you can use. This script simulates opening the System Preferences, navigating to the Accessibility pane, selecting Voice Control, and toggling it:

tell application "System Preferences"
    reveal anchor "Dictation" of pane id "com.apple.preference.universalaccess"
end tell
tell application "System Events" to tell process "System Preferences"
    click checkbox "Enable Voice Control" of tab group 1 of window "Accessibility"
end tell
quit application "System Preferences"

Please note: This script is a conceptual example. You may need to adjust it based on the actual options available in System Preferences and the structure of the menus and buttons in the version of macOS you are using.

  1. Save Your Shortcut: After setting up the shortcut and action, make sure to save your configuration in BetterTouchTool.

  2. Test the Shortcut: Try using the shortcut you’ve configured to see if it successfully toggles Voice Control.

Remember, this approach involves simulating user interactions with the system preferences, which can be less reliable than direct actions. If macOS updates or changes the layout of the System Preferences, the script might need adjustments.

Always ensure you have the latest version of BetterTouchTool, as newer versions might offer more direct ways to interact with system features like Voice Control.

I have not tested this yet. ChatGPT can make mistakes.

I submitted the request to apple feedback for an easy way to toggle Voice Control off and on while on the Mac and iPhone and iPad. Nothing worse than having the phone call you answered entered into a note because you did not say go to sleep before answering the call.

2

Maybe I am misunderstanding, but I just ask the S Lady to “Turn on Voice Control”

3

I use Siri as well but it is awkward when you have already picked up the phone call on another device and you have to mute and say go to sleep and then unmute to talk to the person on the call.

4

Well, you have certainly created a very robust shortcut. Thanks for sharing it.