Before You Begin
Make sure you’ve completed this step:- ✓ Installed Stenox and granted permissions
Default Settings
Stenox comes pre-configured for the best out-of-the-box experience:- Transcription Provider: Stenox Cloud (preset)
- Post-Processing: Enabled by default (AI enhancement for grammar, punctuation, and formatting)
To adjust post-processing settings, navigate to Settings → Processing tab in the Stenox app.
About Stenox Cloud Credits
Your plan determines how Stenox Cloud works for you:| Plan | Stenox Cloud Access |
|---|---|
| Free Tier | Included with limited usage (5 min/day) |
| Plus Subscription | Always available |
| Lifetime Plus | Always available |
| Lifetime | Uses credits; top up when depleted or configure your own provider |
All plans can configure their own transcription and AI providers if preferred. See Providers Overview to explore your options.
The Recording Process
Stenox supports two recording modes. This guide uses Push-to-Talk (the default):- Activate - Press and hold your hotkey
- Record - Speak your message while holding
- Process - Release the hotkey to stop recording
- Insert - Text appears at your cursor
Toggle mode is also available in Settings. With toggle mode, you press once to start recording and press again to stop—no need to hold the key.
Step-by-Step: Your First Dictation
1
Open an application with a text field
Start with a simple app like Notes or TextEdit:
- Open the app from Spotlight (Cmd+Space, type “Notes”)
- Create a new note or document
- Click in the text area to position your cursor
2
Check the Stenox menu bar icon
Look for the Stenox microphone icon in your menu bar (top right of your screen). This confirms Stenox is running and ready.
3
Press and hold fn
This is the default hotkey.What you’ll see:
- A recording overlay appears on screen
- Audio waveform shows your voice input
4
Speak your mind
While holding the hotkey, speak naturally into your microphone.Try saying:
“Hello, this is my first voice dictation with Stenox. It’s faster than typing!”
5
Release the hotkey when done
Let go of fn when you finish speaking.What happens next:
- Stenox transcribes your audio (1-3 seconds typically)
- Text appears at your cursor position
6
Review the transcribed text
Your spoken words should now appear as text!Check the accuracy:
- Are the words correct?
- Is punctuation appropriate?
- Is capitalization correct?
First-time accuracy depends on your provider, microphone quality, and speaking clarity. It improves with practice!
Try It Again
Practice makes perfect! Try a few more dictations:Practice Dictations
Practice 1: A simple sentence
Practice 1: A simple sentence
Say: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”This tests basic transcription accuracy.
Practice 2: With punctuation
Practice 2: With punctuation
Say: “Can you hear me? Yes, I can hear you! This is amazing.”Notice how the provider adds punctuation automatically.
Practice 3: Longer paragraph
Practice 3: Longer paragraph
Say: “Stenox helps me work faster by converting my voice to text. I can dictate emails, messages, and documents without touching the keyboard. It’s especially useful for long-form writing.”Test how well it handles longer content.
Practice 4: Technical terms
Practice 4: Technical terms
Say: “Stenox uses WhisperKit for local transcription and supports cloud providers like DeepGram and AssemblyAI.”Test capitalization and technical terminology.
Understanding Visual Feedback
The recording overlay is your primary visual indicator. It appears automatically when you start recording.Recording Overlay
The floating overlay shows:- Waveform - Visual representation of your voice input
- Timer - Recording duration
Common First-Time Issues
No text appears after speaking
No text appears after speaking
Possible causes:
- Microphone not working (check System Settings → Sound → Input)
- Accessibility permission not granted (go to Settings → check permissions)
- Stenox Cloud credits depleted (check Settings → Account)
Transcription is inaccurate
Transcription is inaccurate
Possible causes:
- Background noise
- Poor microphone quality
- Speaking too fast or unclear
- Wrong language selected
Recording starts but immediately stops
Recording starts but immediately stops
Possible causes:
- Not holding hotkey long enough
- Hotkey conflict with another app
- Audio input device not selected
Hotkey doesn't work
Hotkey doesn't work
Possible causes:
- Another app is using the same hotkey
- Accessibility permission not granted
- Stenox not running in background
- Using fn with a custom (non-Apple) keyboard
If you’re using a non-Apple keyboard, macOS will not detect the fn key. Use a different key combination instead.
Tips for Success
Speak naturally
Don’t robot-speak or over-enunciate. Use your normal speaking voice.
Hold the fn key
Keep holding fn for the entire time you’re speaking.
Watch the waveform
The overlay waveform confirms your voice is being captured.
Practice regularly
Like any skill, you’ll get better and faster with practice.
What’s Next?
Now that you’ve mastered basic dictation, enhance your Stenox experience:Add AI Enhancement
Grammar correction, formatting, and text improvements.
Create Profiles
Different settings for different apps and use cases.
Customize Hotkeys
Change to toggle mode or use different key combinations.
Add Vocabulary
Teach Stenox custom words, names, and technical terms.
Success!
Congratulations on completing your first dictation! You’re now ready to use Stenox for:- Writing emails and messages
- Taking notes and meeting transcripts
- Composing documents and articles
- Coding comments and documentation
- Searching and browsing
Remember: The more you use Stenox, the more natural it becomes. Soon you’ll be dictating without thinking about it!