Your first WhisperJot dictation
Hold the hotkey, speak, and release to insert text into the focused app. The HUD shows Listening… and live partials with local engines. Push-to-talk is the default recording mode on Mac and Windows.
How do I dictate with WhisperJot the first time?
On macOS the default shortcut is Option-Space (⌥Space). You can also hold the fn key for push-to-talk, or tap fn for 0.4 seconds or less to toggle recording. On Windows the default chord is Ctrl+Alt+Space. Linux uses the desktop portal, evdev, or a trigger socket instead of one built-in default chord.
Push-to-talk is the default: hold, speak, release to insert. Each dictation has a 30-minute hard cap. The HUD warns one minute before that limit. Sound cues for start, stop, inserted, error, and cancelled are on by default.
- Focus the app and text field where the words should land.
- Hold the hotkey (or fn on a Mac) and start speaking.
- Watch the HUD for Listening… and, with local engines, live partial text.
- Release the hotkey so WhisperJot transcribes and inserts.
What does the WhisperJot HUD show while I speak?
Live partial text appears while you speak with local engines. The opt-in Jot Cloud engine transcribes once at the end, so it does not show live partials. Partials pause when the system is overloaded.
HUD captions you may see include Listening…, system busy — audio may drop, finishing in 1 minute — 30-minute limit, low disk space…, and no Accessibility — text will be copied, not typed (macOS, when Accessibility is missing).
Straight answers.
Why don't I see live captions while I dictate?
Live partial text is produced only with local engines. If the opt-in Jot Cloud engine is selected, WhisperJot sends one upload at the end of the dictation and does not stream partials. Partials also pause when the system is overloaded; the HUD may show system busy — audio may drop. Switch to Jot Local, Jot Local Pro, or Auto if you want words on screen while you speak.
How long can one WhisperJot dictation last?
Each dictation is capped at 30 minutes. The HUD warns one minute before that limit with finishing in 1 minute — 30-minute limit. If a key-up is lost, macOS re-checks the key every 0.5 seconds so the mic cannot stay stuck on. Crash recovery still saves in-flight audio if the app quits mid-dictation. Split longer work into several takes.
What should I hear when a dictation starts or finishes?
Sound cues are on by default for start, stop, inserted, error, and cancelled. You can toggle each cue and change volume in settings. If you hear nothing, check those toggles and the system volume. The HUD still shows Listening… even when sounds are off, so you can confirm capture from the overlay alone.
Updated 2026-09-01
Keep reading.
Choose a WhisperJot speech engine
WhisperJot offers Jot Local for short utterances, Jot Local Pro for long-form accuracy, opt-in Jot Cloud, and Auto, which picks Local or …
Read article →Push-to-talk, toggle, and wake word
Push-to-talk is the default on Mac: hold, speak, release to insert. Toggle starts and stops with a tap. Always-on wake word uses …
Read article →Spoken commands and punctuation
Light cleanup (the default) applies punctuation, capitalization, and filler removal. Say new paragraph to split text. Optional spoken press enter, off by …
Read article →Ready to dictate?
Download WhisperJot for Mac, Windows, or Linux and start with a hotkey.