Your first dictation
Applies to: Windows, macOS, Linux
To dictate, you hold a keyboard shortcut and speak. Stenowise puts the text into the field where the cursor is.
Dictate
- Click in the field the text should go into, for example an email or a document.
- Hold the keyboard shortcut.
- Speak.
- Let go of the keys.
When you let go of the keys, Stenowise puts in the finished text.
Default shortcuts
| System | Dictate |
|---|---|
| Windows | Ctrl + Win |
| macOS | Control + Option |
| Linux | Ctrl + Super |
The Home page shows your current shortcut in the sentence “Hold … and speak.” You can change it under Settings › Dictation › Shortcuts. On macOS, Stenowise responds to the shortcut only after Accessibility is switched on for Stenowise.
The shortcuts in the table apply to new installations. Existing installations keep their previous shortcut.
The on-screen indicator
During a dictation, the on-screen indicator shows what Stenowise is doing.
| Indicator | Meaning |
|---|---|
| “One moment …” | Stenowise is starting the recording. |
| “Recording …” | Stenowise is recording. |
| “No signal” | No signal is arriving from the microphone right now. |
| “Turning into text …” | Stenowise is recognising the dictation. After three seconds, “this is taking a bit longer” appears as well. |
| “Inserted” | The text is in the field. |
| “Cancelled” | You cancelled the recording. |
| “Recognition failed” | The recording did not turn into text. A notice in the corner says what to do. |
While recording, the “Cancel” button in the indicator cancels the dictation. Stenowise then puts nothing in. On Linux, Stenowise shows no on-screen indicator by default.
Last updated 28 September 2026