Getting Started with Dicta

Welcome to Dicta! This guide will help you set up the app and start dictating in minutes.

Installation

1. Download Dicta from the Mac App Store
2. Open the app from your Applications folder
3. Follow the onboarding wizard to complete setup

Initial Setup

Grant Permissions

Dicta requires two permissions to function:

1. Microphone Access: Required to capture your voice for transcription
2. Accessibility Access: Required to type text directly into other applications

You’ll be prompted to grant these permissions during the onboarding process. You can also manage them later in System Settings > Privacy & Security.

Configure Your Hotkey

Choose a keyboard shortcut that works for you. The default is Option + Space, but you can customize it to any combination that doesn’t conflict with other apps.

Select a Recording Mode

• Push-to-Talk: Hold the hotkey while speaking, release to finish
• Toggle: Press once to start recording, press again to stop

Your First Dictation

1. Open any text field in any app (email, document, chat, etc.)
2. Press your hotkey to start recording
3. Speak naturally and clearly
4. Release the hotkey (push-to-talk) or press it again (toggle) to stop
5. Your transcription will be typed into the text field automatically

Download a Model

Before you can start dictating, you’ll need to download an AI model:

1. Open Dicta settings
2. Navigate to Models
3. Choose a model (we recommend WhisperKit Small for most users)
4. Click Download and wait for it to complete

See AI Models for more details on choosing the right model.

Tips for Better Results

• Speak clearly at a moderate pace
• Use a good microphone for best accuracy
• Add custom words to your dictionary for technical terms
• Enable text processing to automatically fix grammar and remove filler words

Next Steps

• Configure recording modes for your workflow
• Add custom words to improve accuracy
• Set up text snippets for common phrases
• Choose an AI model that fits your needs

Common Questions

Q: Why can’t I start dictating? A: Make sure you’ve downloaded at least one AI model and granted microphone permissions.

Q: Why isn’t text appearing in my app? A: Check that you’ve granted Accessibility permissions in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility.

Q: Can I use Dicta offline? A: Yes! All processing happens on your Mac. Once you’ve downloaded a model, you can dictate without an internet connection.

Q: Is my voice data sent to any servers? A: No. Dicta processes everything locally on your Mac. Your voice and transcriptions never leave your device.