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Stenowise

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Install and set up Stenowise

Applies to: Windows, macOS, Linux

Download Stenowise and install it. On first start, Stenowise takes you through the setup.

Download and install

  1. Open stenowise.com/en/download and download Stenowise.
  2. Open the downloaded file and follow the installer.
  3. Start Stenowise.

The website offers the download for Windows. The downloads for macOS and Linux will follow.

The setup

The “Setup” step bar shows which step you are on. On Windows the steps are Account, Microphone access, Microphone, Recognition and Dictation. macOS adds the Accessibility step. On Linux there is no Microphone access step.

  1. In the Account step, click “Create account” or “Sign in”. Stenowise opens your browser for this.
  2. Grant the permissions Stenowise asks for (see below).
  3. In the Microphone step, start the test and read the sentence shown aloud. If the result is not good or no microphone is connected, “Continue anyway” takes you on.
  4. In the Recognition step, choose where your dictation is recognised. “Through Stenowise” is preselected. With “On this device” you then choose a recognition tier. Until the tier is downloaded, Stenowise recognises through the server.
  5. In the Dictation step, click in the trial field and dictate a sentence. With “Change shortcut” you set a different shortcut.
  6. On the “Setup complete” page, click “Done”.

The last page shows when your free month ends. “Start with the computer” is switched on there. If you leave it on, Stenowise starts when you sign in to your computer. You can change this later under Settings › App.

Windows

If microphone permission is missing, Stenowise shows the “Microphone access required” step.

  1. Click “Open Windows settings”.
  2. Switch on microphone access there, for desktop apps too.

As soon as the permission is in place, Stenowise moves on to the next step. If the microphone is already allowed, the step does not appear.

macOS

  1. In the Microphone access step, click “Allow access” and confirm the macOS prompt.
  2. In the Accessibility step, click “Open System Settings”.
  3. Switch on Stenowise there under Privacy & Security, Accessibility.

Without Accessibility, Stenowise cannot put the text into other programs.

Linux

On Linux, Stenowise asks for no permissions. To paste text, a typing tool must be installed. The list is in Which systems does Stenowise support?

Last updated 28 September 2026