What is push-to-talk dictation on Mac?

Updated June 16, 2026

Direct answer: Push-to-talk dictation means holding a shortcut only while speaking, then releasing to stop recording and paste the transcript into the active Mac app.

What happens after install

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  1. Focus any Mac text field.Cursor, ChatGPT, Slack, email, docs, terminals, browser forms, and more.
  2. Hold the shortcut and speak.Use Fn/Globe or a custom hotkey only while you are talking.
  3. Release to paste.The transcript appears in the active app instead of a separate dictation workspace.
  4. Review before sending.Hold to Talk never auto-submits prompts, messages, emails, or commands.

Source

This answer is backed by the public source page: https://holdtotalk.com/blog/push-to-talk-dictation-mac/.

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