# Dictation for Mac: Hold fn, say it, and it's typed. Minus the ums.

> Private dictation for Mac: hold fn, talk, and tidy text is typed in any app. Processed on your Mac, never uploaded. Fillers removed, corrections kept. Pay once.

Talking is quicker than typing, but most dictation writes down exactly what you said: every um, every false start, and both versions of the day you changed your mind about.

ctrlhq listens while you hold fn and types when you let go. Apple's on-device dictation turns your voice into text, then a tidy-up pass removes the fillers, keeps only the version you corrected to, and fixes the punctuation, so what lands in Slack, Mail or your terminal reads like you typed it.

## What you get

- **Every word stays on your Mac.** Your Mac already has the hardware for this. Apple's on-device dictation turns speech into text and Apple Intelligence tidies it, locally. No audio is uploaded, and it works offline.
- **Hold fn, talk, let go.** Push-to-talk on the key you already have. Double-press fn to go hands-free, then press it once more to paste. ⌃⌥D works too.
- **Fillers gone.** Um, uh and their drawn-out cousins are removed, along with stammered repeats and filler "you know"s, without touching "I like it".
- **Corrections kept.** "Monday, sorry, Tuesday" types Tuesday. "At 3, no, 4pm" types 4pm. "Scratch that" drops what came before.
- **Matches the app.** Casual in Slack and Messages, full sentences in Mail and Gmail, and in a terminal "git commit dash m" becomes git commit -m.
- **Never changes what you said.** The tidy-up can't swap a day, a number or a name. If it tries, or reads like an answer instead of your words, your own words are typed instead.
- **Your words and snippets.** Add names and jargon so they're heard and spelled right. Say "my calendly" and get the link.
- **Your clipboard is safe.** ctrlhq borrows the clipboard for a moment to paste, then puts back what was there. Dictations never land in clipboard history.
- **Add ⌃ and it's a command.** Hold fn + ⌃ instead and what you say is done, not typed: "remind me at 3 to call Sam", "add milk to my list", "pause the music". See Voice commands.

## How it works

1. Put your cursor where the text should go.
2. Hold fn and talk. Dots under the notch move with your voice.
3. Let go. The tidied text is typed in, and the notch closes.

Shortcut: fn

## Other dictation apps for Mac

| App | What it is | Price | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ctrlhq | Notch app | $24.99 once | Hold fn to dictate into any app, with fillers removed and corrections kept. Every word stays on your Mac, and you pay once instead of every month. |
| [Wispr Flow](https://wisprflow.ai) | AI dictation app | Free plan, Pro from $12 a month, billed yearly | Cloud-powered dictation across Mac, Windows and phones, with team features. [ctrlhq vs Wispr Flow](https://ctrlhq.app/compare/wispr-flow) |
| [Superwhisper](https://superwhisper.com) | AI dictation app | Free plan, Pro $8.49 a month | Custom modes and a choice of local or cloud models for power users. |
| [MacWhisper](https://macwhisper.com) | Transcription and dictation app | Free version, Pro €64 once | Transcribing audio and video files, plus system-wide dictation. |
| [Apple Dictation](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-dictation-mh40584/mac) | Built into macOS | Free | Quick dictation as typed, without the tidy-up. |

Prices from each maker's website, checked October 2026.

## FAQ

### Does my voice leave my Mac?

No. Speech to text runs on Apple's on-device engine and the tidy-up runs on Apple Intelligence, both on your Mac. Recent dictations are kept in a file on your Mac, and you can turn history off.

### What does it need?

macOS 26, the microphone, and Accessibility, which is what lets ctrlhq see the fn key and paste into other apps. The tidy-up uses Apple Intelligence; without it, fillers, spoken commands and simple corrections are still handled.

### fn opens the emoji picker. What do I do?

In System Settings › Keyboard, set "Press 🌐 key to" to Do Nothing. Then fn is free for dictation. Or use ⌃⌥D, which you can rebind.

### Will it answer my question instead of typing it?

No. It only tidies what you said. If the tidied version looks like an answer, a summary or a change of meaning, your own words are typed instead.

### Which languages does it support?

The languages Apple's on-device dictation supports on your Mac. The first time you dictate in one, macOS downloads its model once.

### Does it work in password fields?

No, on purpose. If a password field is active, the text is copied instead of typed.

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Part of ctrlhq, the productivity app in your Mac's notch: $24.99 once (launch price, regular $49.99), no subscription. Native, about 13 MB. Download: https://ctrlhq.app/download · All features: https://ctrlhq.app/features