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Workflows / Guide 05

Record From the Menu Bar and Use Push-to-Talk

Use TypingVoi from the menu bar, start and stop recordings with a hotkey, and understand what happens before final text is delivered.

This guide is for people who want the fastest everyday TypingVoi workflow: start from the menu bar or a global shortcut, speak, stop, and get text into the app you are already using.

What this workflow does

The core dictation workflow is built around four things:

  • A menu bar panel for quick control
  • A Record/Stop action for each capture
  • A global hotkey so you do not need to click the app first
  • A transcript card that shows what was captured and what happens next

Once this flow is set up, you can dictate short notes, replies, and drafts without leaving your current app.

1. Open the menu bar panel and check the active profile

Click the TypingVoi menu bar item before you start recording. This is the fastest way to confirm that the app is ready and that the right profile is active for the task.

Screenshot placeholder: TypingVoi menu bar panel open, showing the main actions and the current profile picker

Before you speak, check these items:

  • The active profile matches the kind of work you are doing.
  • The profile picker shows the setup you want to use.
  • The main action is ready to record.

If you need a different setup for writing, support, or another language, switch profiles first so the recording uses the right language, model, and output behavior.

2. Watch for model warmup before you start

Some profiles may need a brief warmup state before the model is ready for live use. If you start too early, the first seconds of a capture can feel slower than normal.

Warmup is usually a short wait. In practice:

  • Let the app finish warming up when you first open it or switch into a heavier profile.
  • If the menu bar panel shows that the model is still getting ready, wait for it to become ready before dictating something important.
  • After warmup, repeated captures usually feel faster and more predictable.

3. Start and stop a recording

Use the primary action in the menu bar panel when you want a visible, explicit workflow.

  1. Open the text field, note, or document where you want the result to go.
  2. Open TypingVoi from the menu bar.
  3. Click Record.
  4. Speak naturally.
  5. Click Stop when you finish.

Screenshot placeholder: TypingVoi during an active recording, with the Stop state visible

This Record/Stop flow is useful when you want to confirm the profile, see the app state, or avoid triggering the wrong shortcut.

4. Use the global hotkey for push-to-talk capture

The faster option is to start from anywhere with the global recording shortcut. That lets you keep focus in your current app instead of switching back to the menu bar.

Typical usage looks like this:

  1. Place the cursor where you want text to appear, or prepare the app that should receive the result.
  2. Trigger the global hotkey.
  3. Speak your draft.
  4. Trigger the hotkey again to stop, or use your configured hold-to-record behavior if that is how your shortcut is set up.

This is the workflow most people use for quick capture because it removes almost all UI friction.

If the shortcut does not feel reliable yet, fix that first in the permissions and shortcuts setup guide rather than working around it manually.

5. Understand the primary menu bar actions

The menu bar panel is not just a launch point. It is also the quickest place to check what TypingVoi is about to do.

The primary actions usually help you:

  • Start recording
  • Stop the current recording
  • Check whether the app is busy or ready
  • Change the active profile from the profile picker
  • Review the latest captured result from the transcript card

That makes the panel useful even if you mostly rely on the hotkey.

6. Read the transcript card after each capture

After you stop recording, TypingVoi shows the result in the transcript card. This is where you confirm that the text was captured correctly and whether it is still being processed.

The transcript card helps you:

  • Review what was transcribed
  • Notice whether the app is still finalizing the result
  • Check whether the final text was delivered to the target app or copied for you

Use it as a quick confidence check, especially when you are testing a new profile or changing models.

7. Know the difference between realtime preview and final output

Realtime preview and final output are not the same thing.

  • Realtime preview is the live, in-progress text you may see while speaking.
  • Final output is the completed result after recording stops and TypingVoi finishes transcription and delivery.

The preview is helpful when you want live feedback, but it can still change. The final output is the version to judge for accuracy.

This matters most when:

  • You speak in longer phrases
  • You switch languages
  • The model needs a moment to finalize punctuation or wording
  • You care more about the final delivered text than the live preview

If the preview looks rough but the final output is good, the workflow is still working correctly.

When to use the menu bar vs the hotkey

Use the menu bar when:

  • You want to switch profiles first
  • You want to confirm warmup or readiness
  • You are testing a new setup

Use the global hotkey when:

  • You already know the right profile is active
  • You want the fastest push-to-talk flow
  • You are capturing short notes, replies, or thoughts throughout the day

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