# Voice

Talk to your bots instead of typing. Dictate into the message box, send a voice message, record a meeting for notes, choose a dictation engine, and set up your microphone.

Canonical page: https://themachine.myapps.ai/docs/desktop/chat/voice

You can talk to your bots instead of typing. There are two ways, and they work
differently:

| | **Dictate** (microphone icon) | **Voice message** (sound-wave icon) |
|---|---|---|
| **What it does** | Turns your speech into text in the message box. | Records you and sends the recording. |
| **Before sending** | You see the text and can fix it. | It's sent straight away. |
| **The bot gets** | Your words, as text. | The recording and a written transcript. |
| **Best for** | Writing messages faster. | Talking something through at length. |

Both buttons show only when the message box is empty and the bot isn't
working.

![The message box: the sound-wave button sends a voice message, the microphone dictates](/images/docs/desktop/composer.webp)

## Before you start

The first time, your computer needs to let Machine Desktop use the
microphone.

- **Mac:** macOS asks the first time. Click **OK**. If you said no, open
  **System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone** and turn on **Machine
  Desktop**.
- **Windows:** open **Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone** and make
  sure **Let desktop apps access your microphone** is on.

The welcome tour's **Permissions** step does this for you. See [The welcome
tour](/docs/desktop/get-started/welcome-tour).

## Dictate

### Start

Click the **microphone** in the message box. You'll see **Listening…**.
### Speak

Talk normally. Say punctuation if you like, such as "comma" or "full stop".
### Stop

Click the microphone again, or press **Esc** or **Enter**. You may see
**Transcribing…** for a moment.
### Check and send

Your words appear in the message box. Fix anything that's wrong, then press
**Enter** to send.

## Send a voice message

### Start recording

Click the **voice message** button (the sound-wave icon), or press
**Ctrl+Shift+D** (**⌘⇧D** on Mac).
### Speak

A red pill shows the recording time and a ring that moves with your voice.
### Send or throw away

- Click the button again, or press the shortcut again, to **send**.
- Press **Esc** to **throw it away**.

Voice messages can be up to **5 minutes**. At 5 minutes, the message is sent
automatically.

In the chat, your voice message appears with a player and the transcript,
starting with 🎤. If the transcript couldn't be made, it says *"Voice message
(no transcript)"*.

### Play it back

Voice messages and audio files you attach play in the chat with a waveform:

- Click **play** to listen, and click again to pause.
- Click anywhere on the waveform to jump to that point.
- Or click the waveform once, then press **←** or **→** to skip back or
  forward 2 seconds.

## Record a meeting

Machine Desktop can listen to a meeting through your microphone, write down
what was said, and have a bot turn it into notes. It works for in-person
meetings, and for calls your computer's microphone can hear.

### Start recording

Open the bot you want the notes from, and click **Record a meeting** (the
notepad icon) in the chat header. A red pill shows the running time.
### Hold your meeting

Leave it running for as long as the meeting lasts. Keep this bot's chat open
while it records: if you leave the chat, the recording can be lost.
### Stop

Click the small square **Stop** button in the red pill. It says **Writing it
up…** while it finishes the transcript.
### Check and send

The whole transcript lands in the message box, with a request for the notes:
a short summary, the decisions made, and action items with who owns each. The
bot will also ask whether anything should go to anyone. **Nothing is sent
until you press Enter**, so you can add instructions first, like *"Keep it to
half a page"*.

A few things to know:

- **Recordings can run for up to about 3 hours.** After that, the recording
  stops by itself and the transcript waits in the message box.
- **The transcript is made by Machine**, using the microphone you chose in
  **Settings → General → Microphone**.
- **Tell people you're recording.** Many places require everyone's consent.
- The **Record a meeting** button isn't in the phone layout. In a narrow chat
  column it steps aside to make room; widen the window or close the bot's
  computer to bring it back.

## Choose a dictation engine

Open **Settings → General → Dictation engine**:

| Engine | How it works | Available on |
|---|---|---|
| **On this PC (Windows Speech)** | Your computer's built-in speech recognition. Words appear live as you speak. | Windows |
| **On this Mac (Apple Speech)** | Your Mac's built-in speech recognition. Words appear live. | Mac |
| **Whisper on Machine (cloud)** | The recording is sent to Machine and turned into text when you stop. | All |

Notes:

- If you choose a **specific microphone** (not *System default*), Whisper is
  used, because the built-in engines only listen to the default microphone.
- If Windows Speech hears nothing, Machine Desktop switches to Whisper until
  you restart the app, and tells you so.

Voice messages are always transcribed by Machine.

## Set up your microphone

Open **Settings → General → Microphone**:

1. Choose a microphone from the list, or leave **System default**.
2. Click **Test** and say something. The bar moves when the microphone hears
   you.
3. Click **Stop** when you're done.

## Tips

- **Speak in full sentences** for the best transcripts.
- **Use dictation for short messages** and voice messages for long, rambling
  thoughts. The bot handles both well.
- **Names and jargon:** if dictation keeps getting a word wrong, fix it in the
  box before sending, or try the Whisper engine.
- **On the move?** In the [phone apps](/docs/desktop/mobile), use your phone
  keyboard's microphone to dictate.
- **Want a conversation, not a message?** Start a [Live call](/docs/desktop/live)
  and talk to the bot in real time. It answers out loud, and the call lands in
  the thread when you hang up.

## If it doesn't work

| Problem | Try |
|---|---|
| Nothing happens when you click | Check the microphone permission (see [Before you start](#before-you-start)). If an error shows **Open settings**, click it. |
| The level bar doesn't move in **Test** | Pick a different microphone, or check it's not muted. |
| *"That recording is too long to transcribe."* | Keep recordings shorter. |
| *"Transcription took too long."* | Try a shorter recording, or check your connection. |
| Built-in dictation is poor | Switch to **Whisper on Machine (cloud)**. |