How to use voice input
Dictate text into an email, message or document.
Voice input lets you write in apps on your computer by speaking. Oudden recognises your speech and pastes the text into the selected field when you stop dictating.
Choose a text field
Open an email, document or message and click where you want the text to appear. Make sure you can edit the field and see the cursor inside it.
Oudden must be running. If you have not installed it yet, start with installation and first launch.
Start speaking
- Click the floating Oudden button or press your configured hotkey.
- Wait for recording to start. The button shows a recording indicator; you will also hear a tone if dictation sounds are enabled.
- Speak naturally. For example: “Hi Anna! Could you send the updated presentation before lunch?”
Stay in the same text field while dictating: the result is pasted into the active app. You can see your current hotkey in Voice input in the main window or in Hotkeys in settings.
Finish dictating
Click the stop button on the floating panel. When using a hotkey, follow your activation mode: press again to stop in tap mode, or release the key in hold mode if it is available for your shortcut.
Wait for processing to finish. With Automatic pasting enabled, the text appears in the field. Read it and make any corrections in the same app: names and specialised terms may be recognised incorrectly.
If you prefer to paste manually, set up clipboard delivery.
Cancel an unwanted recording
While recording, click the cancel button on the panel or press Esc. This cancels the current dictation instead of inserting its result.
If something goes wrong
- The button is hidden: check that Oudden is running. If auto-hide is enabled, start dictating with your hotkey to bring the panel back.
- The hotkey does not start recording: open Hotkeys in settings, check the saved shortcut and any error message. Try the floating button to check whether recording itself works.
- Your voice is not recognised: check the selected microphone, its mute switch and microphone permission.
- Text was recognised but did not appear: follow the pasting checks.
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