You can make your computer listen for spoken commands all the time or only after you press a "listening key." Your listening key (or attention phrase) appears under the character in the feedback window.

Note: The feedback window is only visible when Speakable Items is turned on.

Setting the listening key

The default listening key is Esc. To change the listening key, use the Listening section of the Speech control panel.

Open the Speech control panel for me.

Note: You cannot use the key combination Command-Option-Esc, and you cannot use the Command key in combination with any key on the numeric keypad.

Selecting the listening method

To have the computer listen for commands only while you're pressing the listening key:

•	Click the button labeled "Listen only while key(s) are pressed."

This method gives you the greatest control over when the computer listens and helps prevent the computer from interpreting noise in the background as commands.

To have the computer listen for commands continuously after you press the listening key once:

•	Click the button labeled "Key(s) toggle listening on and off."

If this method is selected, you press the listening key once to turn listening on. After that, the computer listens any time you speak a command, or only after you speak the computer's name.

If you want the computer to listen only after you speak its name, enter the name you want it to respond to in the Name text box.

To turn listening off, press the listening key again.

Tips

•	If the computer is set to listen all the time, you can turn listening off temporarily by saying "Turn on push to talk." When you say "Listen continuously," the computer is ready to hear your commands again.
•	To reduce the possibility of error, especially when other people are near the computer, require that the computer's name be spoken before every command.
	Use a name you're not likely to use in general conversation around the computer.
•	Long names work better than short names.
	For example, use "Hey computer" instead of "Computer."

Related topic

Using spoken commands to work with your computer