MicroNotch
A short reply, a rough paragraph or an idea for tomorrow can be easier to say than to type. MicroVoice turns spoken English into text using a model on your Mac, without asking you to connect a transcription account or supply an API key.
This is a guide to short dictation, rather than recording a meeting. Each MicroVoice recording is limited to two minutes. Treat the result as a first version of your words, and check it before sending or saving anything important.
Check the requirements first
MicroNotch requires macOS 15 Sequoia or later. MicroVoice uses Phonon-2, which is designed for Apple silicon; MicroVoice has not been verified on Intel Macs. English is the supported dictation language.
The local model download is approximately 345MB and needs an internet connection. Once it is ready, the transcription runs locally. This claim applies to MicroVoice’s transcription, not to optional network features elsewhere in MicroNotch.
Open Settings → MicroVoice and choose the microphone you intend to use. A built-in microphone, connected headset or suitable camera microphone may produce different results in the same room. Begin with one ordinary sentence rather than your longest piece of writing.
Give each permission a clear purpose
Microphone access lets MicroVoice record your voice. Input Monitoring is used for the Fn gesture. Accessibility lets it insert text into another application. These are separate permissions, and it is useful to understand them separately when troubleshooting.
If your words are transcribed but do not appear in the target app, check Accessibility and confirm that an editable text field has focus. If the Fn gesture is not detected, review Input Monitoring. The setup guide describes the current permission flow.
MicroVoice copies each non-empty transcript to the clipboard, replacing what was there before. If you are holding an important copied link or password, deal with it before recording. Clipboard history is optional and should not be treated as a guaranteed backup of every sensitive item.
Hold to speak, or leave your hands free
For a short thought, hold Fn while speaking and release it to transcribe. For hands-free recording, double-tap Fn, say your piece, then press Fn again to finish. Start with short phrases while learning how the gestures feel on your keyboard.
The notch shows orange while listening and cyan while transcribing. MicroVoice reuses its prepared Phonon-2 encoder and handles longer recordings in chunks, so changing recording length does not require a different encoder to load. Review the transcript in your target app before sending or saving the finished work.
A useful test is a two-sentence note: what needs doing, and the next action. You can then edit the transcript in your normal app. You do not have to dictate a perfectly finished paragraph for the feature to be useful.
Speak clearly at a comfortable distance from the microphone. Background conversations, names, abbreviations and specialist terms can affect recognition. Review the actual result rather than assuming a confident-looking sentence is correct.
Keep the workflow small
For a reply, put the cursor in the message field before recording. For a longer piece, dictate one paragraph into your editor, check it, then continue. For an idea you do not want to lose, use a note and return to the main task.
Avoid making the notch a second writing environment. MicroVoice handles capture and transcription; your document or note app can remain the place where you organise, revise and finish the text.
You can combine it with the file and clipboard tools when gathering material, but remember that a transcript changes the clipboard. A deliberate order helps: paste the reference first, dictate the thought second, then review both.
What “on-device” does and does not promise
MicroVoice processes audio on your computer and attempts to remove temporary recordings afterwards. It does not use a cloud transcription service. That is more specific, and more useful, than saying nothing in the application ever goes online.
Trials, licence activation and periodic licence checks have network requirements. Optional connected tools may contact their providers. The privacy policy explains those separate cases and the limits of local clipboard protection.
If local English dictation suits the way you write, start with a brief note in the three-day trial. The first useful result is a thought you can work with, in the app where you need it.
