How to use dictation on Mac

Start with Whynote dictation

Install Whynote on your Mac and open Settings → Permissions. Allow microphone and Assistive Voice Input access so the app can record your speech and insert the recognized text. For the first test, open a blank note and place the cursor there.

Choose your shortcut in Settings → Keyboard Shortcuts. Speak a complete thought, stop recording and wait for the text. Read the draft before sending, because names and figures may need a correction.

Check where the first test failed

If the shortcut does not start a recording, check the configured key and recording mode. If the audio is silent, check the selected microphone and its access. If a transcript appears in history but not in the editor, check the active text field and insertion permission.

Try the workflow in a blank note before changing several settings at once. The troubleshooting table below separates recording, recognition and insertion so you can fix the step that needs attention.

When to use Whynote dictation

Dictation helps you write a reply or draft while the thought is clear in your head. In Whynote you can choose a shortcut, return to dictation history and add Auto-Replace rules for recurring corrections. The recognized text is inserted into a supported field after recording stops.

For a longer conversation, use Whynote meeting recording; for offline work, prepare the local model first. On iPhone, you can record a voice note inside the app instead. That workflow keeps the recording rather than inserting text into another app.

Dictation is a writing workflow

Voice dictation is useful when you already know what you want to say but typing interrupts the thought. You might draft an email, capture a project update or write an outline before refining it. In Whynote, you record a spoken passage, stop the recording, let the chosen provider recognize the words and insert the result into a suitable text field.

This is different from recording a meeting. A dictation is usually a short piece of writing addressed to the app you have open. It is also different from an always-on live caption stream: the workflow processes a recorded passage after you stop. Speak a complete thought, wait for processing and review the result before sending it.

Prepare the app and a text destination

The current Whynote Mac download supports Apple silicon and macOS 14 or later. Download it from the official link, open the disk image, move the app to Applications and launch it. Check Settings → Permissions before your first dictation.

Microphone access lets Whynote record your voice, while Assistive Voice Input uses macOS Accessibility access to insert text into another app. If the words appear in history but not in your editor, check insertion rather than recording. Open Settings → Permissions in Whynote to reach the relevant access control.

Open a simple editable text field and place the cursor where the draft belongs. A blank note is a good first test because an unexpected result cannot send a message or overwrite an important document. Leave the target field active while the recorded passage is processed. After changing permissions, reopen Whynote if macOS asks you to do so.

Choose your microphone in Settings → Audio. When you switch headphones or plug in a new input device, repeat a short test. A connected device name is not enough: verify that its audio is captured and that your voice is clear. If you are using a managed work Mac, check whether your administrator permits Accessibility access for the app.

What keyboard shortcut starts dictation on Mac?

In Whynote, open Settings → Keyboard Shortcuts and check the Dictation command. You can assign a combination that suits your keyboard. The shortcut for built-in macOS Dictation is configured separately, so it may not start Whynote.

Single-key Option and Control shortcuts use hold mode: keep the selected key down while speaking, then release it to stop. For other combinations, check whether Tap or Hold or Hold is selected. Learn the stop action with a short passage before dictating a longer draft.

1. Place the cursor in a blank note and start dictation with your configured shortcut.
2. Speak a short passage and stop using the selected recording mode.
3. Wait for recognition while keeping the destination field active.
4. Read the inserted text, or find the result in dictation history.

If your shortcut triggers a browser or editor command, choose another combination in Whynote. Repeat the check in the app where you plan to write. A blank note helps you avoid sending an unintended message during the first attempt.

Choose recognition separately from enhancement

Open Settings → Transcription → Dictation Provider to choose Cloud or Local. This is separate from Note Transcription Provider, which controls recordings attached to notes. Changing the meeting provider alone does not configure dictation.

Raw recognition aims to represent what you said. LLM Text Enhancement can clean up grammar and formatting, and is a Pro feature for dictation. That enhancement uses online processing even when speech recognition is local. Review the rewritten text to make sure the tone, numbers and meaning remain yours.

For offline dictation, download the model, choose Local for the dictation provider and disable dictation LLM enhancement. Check the offline setup guide for the distinction between recognition and other connected services. Read the privacy policy before speaking material that you would not want processed online.

How to dictate an email or a Word document on Mac

Open a draft in Mail or Outlook, or a document in Word, and place the cursor in the body text. Start dictation with your Whynote shortcut, speak a complete thought and stop using the configured mode. Keep the destination field active while recognition finishes.

For a first check, use an email without recipients or a blank document. Read the draft for names, figures and meaning before sending it. Fill the subject and recipients separately so the dictated passage goes into the message body.

If the words appear in Whynote history but not in the editor, copy them from history and check insertion permission. A protected or custom field may not accept automatic insertion. The troubleshooting section explains how to isolate that case.

Use Auto-Replace for repeated corrections

Open Dictation → Auto-Replace. Under Add Rule, enter the recognized wording in Find text... and the intended wording in Replace with..., then press the plus button. For example, a rule from why note to Whynote can correct that phrase in later dictations. Add this rule if that spelling actually occurs in your dictations.

New rules match whole words and ignore letter case by default. Use the pencil control to edit a rule; Case sensitive and Whole word adjust matching, and Save keeps the change. The checkmark toggles a rule, and the trash control deletes it. Enabled rules are applied to recognized text before insertion into the destination app.

Test one rule in a blank note before adding more. Whole-word matching helps avoid changing part of another word. If an unexpected replacement appears, disable the rule and repeat the short test; inspect the final draft before sending.

Fix the step that failed

Dictation recognizes words but does not type them

Open Whynote dictation history first and check whether the result is there. If it is, recognition worked, so changing the microphone will not fix insertion. Copy the draft from history to keep it, then check Assistive Voice Input in Settings → Permissions.

Put the cursor in an ordinary blank note and repeat a short dictation without switching apps. If insertion works there, inspect the original field: a protected or custom control may not accept automatic input. You can copy the result from history into the destination manually when needed.

No recognized text appears in history

If the recording is silent, check microphone access and the selected input. If your voice is present, check Dictation Provider, local model readiness or the cloud connection. Keep the available audio while resolving the cause and retrying recognition.

If you are unsure where to start, use the dictation troubleshooting checks. They separate a launch problem from missing audio or failed insertion.

Try Free, then choose the tools you need

Whynote offers a Free starting plan and a Pro upgrade. Check Settings → Subscription for the current transcription allowance and note history access on your account. The available allowance applies to local recognition too.

Pro includes dictation LLM enhancement along with AI summaries, chat and workflows for notes. The purchase screen gives the applicable price, billing period and renewal terms. Test raw dictation with the kind of writing you actually do, then decide whether optional rewriting helps. You can keep speech recognition and editing separate when you want direct control over the final wording.

Common questions

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