Skip to main content
Pipit types what you say into whatever app you’re in. You need the Microphone and Accessibility permissions first; see Permissions.

​
Dictate

1

Click into a text field

Any app works: a message, an email, a document, a search box.
2

Hold your Dictate key and speak

The Dictate key is Fn/Globe by default. Keep holding it while you talk.
3

Release the key

Pipit transcribes what you said and pastes it where your cursor is.
For longer dictations, give the key a quick tap instead of holding it. Pipit keeps listening hands-free until you tap the key again.

​
What the overlay shows

A small pill appears on screen while Pipit is listening. It moves with your voice, so you can tell Pipit hears you. When you stop, the pill shows transcribing… until your text is pasted. On first use you may also see model downloading… or initializing model… while the voice model gets ready. See Voice model and languages.

​
Cancel a dictation

Press Esc while Pipit is listening. Nothing is pasted, and a Transcript cancelled card appears. Click Undo on the card if you change your mind: Pipit transcribes that recording and pastes it after all.

​
Paste your last dictation again

Press ⌃⌘V to paste your latest dictation again, in any app. This also works when a paste went to the wrong place. You can also choose Paste Last Dictation from the Pipit menu bar icon.

​
When the text couldn’t be pasted

If Pipit can’t paste, for example because no text field was selected or you switched apps, a card shows your text instead of losing it. It says what happened, such as No text field to paste into.
  • Click Copy to put the text on your clipboard, then paste it yourself.
  • Or click where the text should go and press ⌃⌘V later.
If the card says Pipit needs Accessibility to paste, click Open Settings and turn Pipit on. See Permissions.

​
Choose your microphone

Go to Home > Audio Input > Input Device. System Default uses whatever microphone macOS is set to. Pick a specific microphone to have Pipit always use it. If that microphone is disconnected, Pipit goes back to System Default.

​
Move the overlay

Go to Home > App Preferences > Overlay position and choose Bottom center, Bottom right, Bottom left, Top right, or Top left. You can also drag it: while the overlay is showing, move your pointer near it and drag the handle that appears. It settles in the nearest of the five positions, and Pipit remembers it. Right-click the handle to pick a position from a menu.

​
Change the overlay’s look

Click the theme menu at the bottom of Home. Under Overlay, choose Standard, a dark, mostly solid overlay, or Glass, a see-through overlay that follows what’s behind it. Glass needs macOS 26 or later; on earlier versions both look the same.

​
Sounds and media

Both are in Home > App Preferences and are on by default.
  • Sound Effects: a soft chime when dictation starts and stops.
  • Pause Media While Dictating: pauses music and video while you talk, then resumes it. When it’s off, Pipit lowers the volume instead.

​
Next

  • Change your Dictate key, or add Enhance and Draft keys: Shortcuts.
  • Teach Pipit names and words it gets wrong: Dictionary.