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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://vowen.mintlify.app/llms.txt

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Understand the recording and transcription pipeline.
Voice transcription pipeline

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Recording Modes

Vowen offers two ways to record:

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Push-to-Talk (Default)

Hold your shortcut to record, release to transcribe. This is the fastest way to dictate short phrases and sentences.
PlatformDefault Shortcut
macOSFn
WindowsCtrl + Shift
You can pick your own shortcut. See different setups here.

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Hands-Free

Toggle recording on or off without holding a key. Ideal for longer dictation sessions.
PlatformDefault Shortcut
macOSFn + Control
WindowsCtrl + H
You can pick your own shortcut. See different setups here.
Hands-free recording can be stopped by:
  • Pressing the shortcut again
  • Clicking the stop button in the indicator
  • Auto-deactivate on mouse or keystroke (optional setting)
All of these stop the recording and send your audio through transcription. To cancel instead, press Escape while recording. A notification appears with an Undo button for a few seconds in case you cancelled by mistake. Click Undo to resume the same session with the audio you already recorded. If the notification dismisses without action, the audio is discarded and nothing is transcribed.
Pro tip: beyond dictation, Vowen can run voice-triggered actions like compressing images, merging PDFs, opening apps, setting timers, and translating text. See Command Mode →

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Recording Indicator

When you start recording, a small pill-shaped indicator appears on your screen showing that Vowen is listening. Recording indicator showing live transcription with pause and stop controls The indicator shows:
  • Active app icon: which app will receive your transcription
  • Waveform animation: pulses while you speak
  • Pause and stop controls: appear in hands-free mode only
You can move the indicator to the top or bottom of your screen, or hide it entirely, from Settings > Recording > Recording Indicator Position. See the Settings overview for more configuration options.

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The Transcription Pipeline

┌──────────┐    ┌──────────────┐    ┌───────────────┐    ┌──────────┐
│ Record   │───>│ Transcribe   │───>│ AI Enhance    │───>│ Paste    │
│ Audio    │    │ (STT Model)  │    │ (Optional)    │    │ Text     │
└──────────┘    └──────────────┘    └───────────────┘    └──────────┘
1

Audio Capture

Your microphone captures audio while the shortcut is held. Voice Activity Detection (VAD) automatically removes silence for faster processing.
2

Transcription

The audio is sent to your chosen transcription model, either a local model running on your machine or a cloud model.
3

Post-Processing

Filler words are removed. Snippet replacements (Threads) are applied. Workflow triggers are checked.
4

AI Enhancement (if enabled)

The transcribed text is sent to your configured AI provider for grammar cleanup, formatting, and polish. You bring your own API key from any of 10+ supported providers; Vowen never charges you for AI usage.
5

Text Insertion

The final text is delivered to the focused field using either the paste method (default) or direct insertion. See Text Insertion Methods below for the difference.

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Text Insertion Methods

Vowen offers two ways to deliver the final transcription into the focused field. The choice matters for clipboard behaviour and for keyboard layouts.

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Paste method (default)

Vowen copies the transcription to your clipboard and simulates a Cmd+V (macOS) or Ctrl+V (Windows) keystroke to paste it. This is the fastest path and works well on standard QWERTY layouts. Side effect: your original clipboard content is overwritten by the transcription. Enable Restore clipboard after paste in Settings > General to have Vowen save your prior clipboard contents and put them back after the paste completes.

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Direct insertion method

Vowen types each character of the transcription as if you were pressing the keys yourself. The clipboard is never touched, so whatever you had on it stays exactly as it was. Use this method when:
  • You use a non-QWERTY layout (AZERTY, QWERTZ, Dvorak, and others) where the paste keystroke does not map cleanly to the “V” key
  • The target app blocks standard paste (some remote desktops, sandboxed terminals, virtual machines)
  • You want clipboard preservation without enabling a separate setting
Switch methods anytime in Settings > General > Text Insertion Method. See the Settings overview for related options.

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Voice Activity Detection (VAD)

Vowen uses the Silero VAD model to detect speech in your recording. This:
  • Removes silence before and after speech
  • Reduces processing time for local models
  • Prevents “hallucinations” on silent recordings (e.g., the model outputting “Thank you” when nothing was said)
VAD runs automatically. No configuration needed.

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Sound Effects

By default, Vowen plays a subtle sound when recording starts and stops. Disable this in Settings > General > Sound Effects.