First dictation

From download to your first words

Choose your platform, finish the local setup checks, and try one private dictation before using Presspeech in another app. No account or cloud transcription is involved.

Start on macOS Start on Windows
Before installing

Choose the app for this computer

Windows prerelease

Use a 64-bit x64 PC, preferably Windows 11. The installer is currently unsigned, so follow the Windows guide to verify its published SHA-256 before running it. Smart App Control or managed policy may block it without an override; do not try to circumvent that policy.

Open the Windows requirements and verified install guide

Not supported: Intel Macs and Windows on Arm. Windows 10 x64 remains compatible, but general support has ended; use an edition with ongoing support or Extended Security Updates.

After launch

Finish setup before trying the hotkey

On macOS

  1. Open Setup Checklist

    Presspeech opens it while setup is incomplete. You can also choose Setup Checklist… from the menu-bar item.

  2. Wait for the speech model

    Keep the app open while the model downloads, verifies, compiles, and reaches Ready.

  3. Grant the three permissions

    Use the checklist buttons for Microphone, Accessibility, and Input Monitoring. Each row explains why the local macOS grant is needed.

  4. Confirm the hotkey

    In hold mode, hold the configured key briefly and release it. In toggle mode, press once to start and again to stop. The checklist changes to Done only after Presspeech detects the key. If it controls another feature or does not respond, choose a different key in Settings. The default is Right Option.

On Windows

  1. Wait for model preparation

    The first-run window shows the selected local model. Wait until preparation is complete and Try Dictation becomes available.

  2. Check the microphone

    Speak during the local input check. If no level is detected, choose Check Again after selecting or unmuting the correct input.

  3. Check the hotkey

    The default is Right Alt. If that key acts as AltGr on your keyboard, choose F8 or another available key in setup.

  4. Finish Setup

    Review the Start with Windows choice, then finish setup once the model is ready.

Safe practice

Try the first dictation in Presspeech

Both apps include a focused scratchpad so you can check the microphone, hotkey, transcription, and paste flow without sending text into another app.

  1. Open Try Dictation

    On macOS, choose Support → Try Dictation… from the Presspeech menu. On Windows, choose Try Dictation… from setup or the notification-area menu.

  2. Click in the scratchpad

    Leave the cursor in its text area so Presspeech can verify the complete delivery path.

  3. Hold, speak, release

    Use the configured key shown in Presspeech, say a short sentence, then release. The defaults are Right Option on macOS and Right Alt on Windows; use the alternative you chose during setup instead, such as F8 on an AltGr keyboard. If you selected toggle mode, press once to start and again to stop.

  4. Check the result

    Your sentence should appear after local transcription. Audio is discarded after processing, and the scratchpad is not a saved transcript history.

No recording cue? Return to Setup Checklist on macOS or Settings on Windows and recheck the hotkey and microphone. Do not keep retrying while the model still says it is preparing.

Ready to use

Dictate into a familiar text field

Use a simple first target

Start in TextEdit on macOS or Notepad on Windows. Click in a blank document, keep that window focused, then repeat the same hold–speak–release gesture. A success there makes it easier to distinguish setup trouble from a target app's paste handling.

If Presspeech copies instead

Presspeech binds each recording to the window where it began. If focus changes or Presspeech cannot verify the same destination, it leaves the transcript on the clipboard instead of risking a paste into the wrong place. Return to the intended field and paste manually. On Windows, this also happens when the target is running as administrator; reopen that target normally rather than elevating Presspeech.

Start cueRecording has started.
Stop cueRecording has stopped and local transcription has begun.
EscapeCancel an active recording and discard its buffered audio.
Clipboard fallbackPaste manually whenever Presspeech reports that it copied the transcript.

Clipboard privacy: Presspeech itself does not sync transcripts, but enabled operating-system clipboard services or third-party clipboard managers can retain or sync copied text. Review the clipboard privacy boundary before dictating sensitive text.

If you get stuck

Reopen the controls

macOS item is hidden

Open Presspeech.app again from Applications, Finder, or Spotlight. The running app opens Setup Checklist instead of starting another copy. Enable Show in Dock there if you need a persistent alternative.

Windows icon is hidden

Check the notification-area overflow first. You can also launch Presspeech again from the Start Menu to restore its window or controls without starting a second dictation process.

For model, permission, audio, or hotkey recovery, use the troubleshooting guide. If the problem remains, create a privacy-safe report with Copy Diagnostics, then choose Report a Problem… in the app or use the bug report form. For a recurring unmet need, choose Suggest an Improvement… or use the feature request form; describe the problem and a measurable result. Never post dictated text, audio, references, or dictionary contents to a public issue.