Practical guide
How to voice type in any app on your Mac
Use one shortcut to speak emails, messages, documents, prompts, and notes without leaving the app you are already using. Dictro places polished text at the active cursor.
Apple Silicon · macOS 15+ · Free plan · On-device mode
Two-minute setup
Start voice typing at the cursor
- 1
Install Dictro
Download the Mac app and open it once. macOS will ask for microphone access so Dictro can hear only while you actively dictate.
- 2
Allow Accessibility access
This permission lets Dictro place the finished text into the field you selected. It does not give Dictro a copy of everything you type.
- 3
Choose a text field
Click into a message, document, browser form, prompt box, or editor—exactly where you would normally type.
- 4
Hold Option–Space
Speak normally, then release. Dictro transcribes and refines the sentence before inserting it at your cursor.
System-wide input
Use your voice across your normal workflow
Email and chat
Draft replies in Mail, Gmail, Slack, Teams, Discord, and other messaging tools.
Documents and notes
Capture longer thoughts in Notion, Notes, Pages, Google Docs, and knowledge bases.
Browsers and AI tools
Speak search queries, forms, and prompts in Safari, Chrome, ChatGPT, Claude, and web apps.
Development tools
Describe issues, comments, commit messages, and prompts in Xcode, VS Code, Cursor, and terminals.
Project management
Update tasks and write briefs in Linear, Jira, Asana, Trello, and similar tools.
Almost any text field
If a field accepts ordinary typing, Dictro can usually insert text there. Secure fields remain protected.
Better results
Speak for meaning, not like a court reporter
You can speak in phrases, pause to think, and correct yourself. For example: “Tell Maya the launch is Friday—actually, make that next Monday—and ask if design can review it tomorrow.” Dictro's cleanup pass is designed to keep the intended instruction and remove the spoken editing trail.
- Keep the microphone a comfortable distance away.
- Use a natural pace instead of separating every word.
- Say names and specialist terms clearly; add frequent ones to custom words.
- Dictate one coherent thought at a time when the exact structure matters.
If text does not appear
Check the field and macOS permissions
Make sure the insertion cursor is visible in an editable field. Then open System Settings and confirm that Dictro is enabled under Privacy & Security for both Microphone and Accessibility. Restart the target app after changing Accessibility access so macOS can apply it cleanly.
Password boxes, payment fields, remote desktops, and highly customized editor surfaces may block inserted text for security or technical reasons. Try a standard Notes field to tell whether the issue is app-specific.
See the complete Dictro for Mac overview for features, privacy, and plan details.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask about Dictro
Can I use voice typing in any app on Mac?
Yes. A system-wide dictation tool can insert text into standard editable fields in most Mac apps. Dictro works in Mail, Slack, Notion, browsers, terminals, and code editors; password fields and apps that block accessibility input are excluded.
What shortcut starts Dictro?
The default shortcut is Option–Space. Put the cursor in a text field, hold the shortcut while speaking, and release it to insert the cleaned text.
Do I need to say punctuation out loud?
Usually not. Dictro's refinement step adds normal punctuation and sentence structure. You can still be explicit when a particular symbol or layout matters.
Why is voice typing not entering text in an app?
First confirm that the cursor is in an editable field and that Dictro has Microphone and Accessibility permission in macOS System Settings. Secure fields and some specialized app surfaces intentionally reject inserted text.