How does Hold to Talk work?

Hold to Talk is a macOS menu bar app. Press and hold the Fn key (or a custom hotkey), speak naturally, and release. Your speech is transcribed in approximately 300 milliseconds and pasted directly where your cursor is — in any app.

What permissions does the app request?

Hold to Talk asks for Microphone access to capture speech and Accessibility access so it can paste the transcript into the active app. It does not install browser extensions or bundled helper software.

Does Hold to Talk store my audio or transcriptions?

No. Audio is sent over HTTPS to the transcription server, converted to text, and immediately discarded server-side — nothing is stored or logged on our servers. Hold to Talk does not use dictated audio or transcript text to train models. Recent transcript text may be kept locally on your Mac only, and never leaves your device.

What macOS version does Hold to Talk require?

Hold to Talk requires macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later. It runs natively on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.

How fast is the transcription?

Approximately 300 milliseconds. You release the key and the text is already there. It's significantly faster than Apple's built-in Dictation.

How is Hold to Talk different from Apple Dictation?

Hold to Talk is faster (~300ms vs seconds), uses a hold-to-record model (no toggle on/off), supports custom vocabulary for technical jargon and names, and works reliably in every app including code editors and terminals.

Is Hold to Talk a Wispr Flow or Superwhisper alternative?

Yes, for people who want a simpler Mac-only hold-to-talk dictation workflow. Hold to Talk focuses on fast dictation into the current app, not meeting recording, a separate notes workspace, or heavy AI rewriting.

Can I use Hold to Talk in any app?

Yes. Hold to Talk works in any text field on your Mac — Slack, VS Code, your browser, email, notes, terminals, and more. If you can type there, you can speak there.

Hold to Talk

Hold a key on your Mac, say the whole thought, and release. Your words land in ChatGPT, Cursor, Slack, email, docs, and any app you're already using.

Download free Mac app Watch 20-second demo

Mac only · Free to start · No browser extension

This app is for Mac.
Send yourself the link and open it on your Mac.

See it work

Hold. Talk. Release.

The transcript lands in the app you were already using, ready to review before you send.

Demo animation: hold the key, speak the prompt, release, then review the pasted text. Open the demo page.

How it works

Three steps. That's it.

Step 01

Hold the key

Press and hold the Fn (Globe) key. It starts listening right away.

Step 02

Talk

Just say what you want to write. Talk how you normally do — it understands.

Step 03

Your words show up

Let go of the key. The words pop in right where you were typing.

Features

Fast, quiet, out of the way.

Super fast

Under 1 second from your last word to text on screen. Let go of the key and the words are already there.

Lands in the right spot

Your words drop in wherever you were typing. No copying, no clicking around. Just talk.

Learns your words

Add names, work words, or weird spellings to a list. It uses your list so it gets them right every time.

Tiny, lives up top

Sits at the top of your screen, out of your way. One key away when you need it. No dock icon, no windows.

Works in every app

Slack, your browser, email, notes, code editors — if you can type into it, you can talk to it.

Use cases

Built for the places where typing slows you down.

Developers

Dictate coding-agent prompts, code reviews, bug reports, commit messages, and docs.

AI prompts

Speak longer ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and Codex prompts with the context they need.

Terminal

Paste dictated instructions into Claude Code, shell notes, and terminal text fields.

Slack

Dictate longer replies, standups, incident notes, and thread updates.

Speak Gmail replies, customer responses, follow-ups, and internal updates.

Notion

Capture project notes, task descriptions, planning docs, and meeting follow-ups.

Launch facts

A small Mac utility for people who write everywhere.

Built for fast everyday text, not recordings.

Hold to Talk is a native Mac menu bar app. Hold the shortcut, speak, release, and the transcript is pasted into the active app for review.

Best for: AI prompts, code editors, terminals, Slack replies, email drafts, browser fields, docs, notes, and code review comments.
Not for: Meeting recording, call summaries, a separate notes workspace, browser-only dictation, strict offline use, or automatically submitting commands.
Recording style: Optimized for repeated short dictation bursts. If you prefer tap once to start and tap again to stop for long sessions, a local tool like Handy may fit better today.
Plan: Free plan with about 2,000 words each week. Pro is $10/month for 30 hours of transcription.
Privacy: Default hosted transcription uses Groq Whisper Large v3. Audio has zero server-side retention, Hold to Talk does not train models on dictated audio or transcript text, and recent transcript history stays local on the Mac.
Availability: Direct Mac download today. A Mac App Store and TestFlight path is in progress for users who prefer App Store install and updates.

Reviewer links

Useful pages for launch listings, Mac newsletters, sponsorship review, and product comparisons.

Demo videoWatch Press kitAssets Developer workflowUse case Prompt examplesCopy Privacy detailsRead Structured media kitJSON

Guides

Practical dictation guides for Mac workflows.

Best voice-to-text app for developers on Mac Read How to dictate into Cursor Read Best dictation app for writing ChatGPT prompts Read Private dictation apps for Mac Read Voice dictation examples for prompts and messages Examples Developer AI prompt examples for voice dictation Copy Compare Hold to Talk alternatives Compare Apple Dictation alternative for Mac Read Mac Dictation not working? Try this Read Wispr Flow alternative for Mac dictation Read Superwhisper alternative for simple Mac dictation Read Handy alternative for productized Mac dictation Read

Answers

Short answers for common Mac dictation questions.

What is Hold to Talk? Answer Is Hold to Talk free? Answer What is Hold to Talk best for? Answer What is the best voice-to-text app for developers on Mac? Answer Can you dictate into Cursor? Answer Can you dictate into Claude Code? Answer What is the best dictation app for writing ChatGPT prompts? Answer Can you dictate terminal prompts on Mac? Answer Does Hold to Talk store audio? Answer What is a private dictation app for Mac? Answer Can you dictate GitHub issues and PR reviews? Answer Can you dictate Linear or Jira tickets? Answer How is Hold to Talk different from Wispr Flow? Answer How is Hold to Talk different from Superwhisper? Answer Is Hold to Talk a WhisperFlow alternative? Answer Is Hold to Talk a Superwhisper alternative? Answer

Privacy

Clear model disclosure. No server-side audio retention.

Mic

Only listens while you're holding the key. Never sits in the background.

Paste

Only used to drop your words into the app you're typing in. That's all.

Hosted transcription

Default hosted transcription uses Groq Whisper Large v3. Audio has zero server-side retention; Hold to Talk does not train models on dictated audio or transcript text; recent transcript history stays on your Mac.

Hold to Talk is not fully offline. If audio can never leave your Mac, choose a local speech-to-text app. More on Privacy, Download, and Handy comparison.

Stop typing. Start talking.

Free to start. Pro is $10/month if you use it a lot.

Download free Mac app Watch 20-second demo

Mac only · Free to start · No browser extension

FAQ

Quick questions

How does it work?

Hold the Fn key (or another key you pick). Talk. Let go. Your words show up in whatever app you were typing in — in less than a second.

What does it ask my Mac for?

Two things: the mic (so it can hear you) and a Mac setting that lets it paste your words into other apps. No browser stuff, no extra software.

Is it really free?

Yep, there's a free plan with about 2,000 words each week. Pro is $10/month for 30 hours of transcription each month.

Do you save what I say?

No. Your voice gets turned into text and thrown away right after. Nothing is saved or logged on our side. Recent text may stay on your Mac only.

What Macs work with it?

Any Mac on macOS 14 or newer. Works on every kind of Mac you can buy today.

How fast is it?

Under a second. Let go of the key and the words are already there. Way faster than the dictation already on your Mac.

How is this different from the dictation already on Mac?

Faster (under 1 second vs several seconds). You hold a key down instead of turning it on and off. You can teach it your own words. And it works in every app, even code editors and Terminal.

Can I use it with Cursor, Claude Code, ChatGPT, and terminal agents?

Yes. Hold to Talk pastes into the active Mac text field, so it works for Cursor prompts, Claude Code instructions, ChatGPT prompts, Codex prompts, terminal-agent instructions, GitHub issues, and code review comments.

Is it a Wispr Flow or Superwhisper alternative?

Yes, if you want a simpler Mac-only hold-to-talk dictation workflow. It focuses on fast dictation into the current app, not meeting recording, a separate notes workspace, or heavy AI rewriting.

Does it work in every app?

Yes. Slack, your browser, email, notes, code editors, Terminal — anywhere you can type, you can talk.