Is Apple Dictation the same as Voice Control?

Apple Dictation and Voice Control are different tools. Dictation types what you say: tap the mic on the keyboard, speak, get text. Voice Control operates the entire device by voice, an accessibility feature that taps, swipes, opens apps, and edits text through spoken commands.

Dictation understands a small command set while you speak, mostly punctuation: comma, period, new line, new paragraph. Voice Control understands hundreds of commands and shows numbered labels on screen so you can say "tap 7."

If you just want to write by voice, Dictation is the one you use, and you can leave Voice Control off. People with limited mobility often run both together.

For writing specifically, a voice to text keyboard adds the cleanup Apple's Dictation skips.