The text does not appear

Or the Action Bar shows Inserted, but nothing is in the program. Check these causes in order.

Get the text back

A dictation that did not arrive is not lost. It is in the dictation history on the Home page, as long as the dictation history is on. That is the default.

• Copy next to the message in the Action Bar puts the text on the clipboard.
• The right-click menu of the Action Bar has Paste last dictation and Copy last dictation.
• On Windows, Alt+Shift+Z puts the last dictation where the cursor is.

The bar shows "Copied"

If the Action Bar shows Copied. Ctrl+V to paste, the cursor was not in a text field at the start, or Dictate did not recognise the field as one. The text is on the clipboard. Click into the field and press Ctrl+V, on a Mac Command+V.

Before the next dictation, click into the text field first until the cursor blinks, then start.

Whether Dictate puts the text on the clipboard in this case is set by Settings›Dictation›Insertion›Copy to the clipboard when no text field is active.

The program does not accept pasting

Some older programs ignore pasting through the clipboard.

More about the methods is in How text reaches the program.

The program runs as administrator

This applies to Windows. Windows does not let a normal program send input to a program that runs as administrator. Dictate runs without administrator rights. Start the target program without administrator rights, or ask your IT.

The text is in the wrong window

Dictate inserts into the window where the cursor was when the dictation started, not into the window in front when you let go. So click into the right field before you start.

Dictate does not react to the key at all

If nothing helps

Save or send a problem report right after the error. In your description, name the program you dictated into and its version.