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“og:title”: “Stenox Docs”

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What is Auto-Activation?

Auto-activation automatically switches to a specific profile when you’re using certain applications. This eliminates manual profile switching. How it works:
  1. You’re working in Gmail
  2. Your “Professional Email” profile activates automatically
  3. You switch to Notes app
  4. Your “Quick Notes” profile activates automatically

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Trigger Rules

Profiles can auto-activate based on:

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App Bundle ID

Activate when specific application is active. Examples:
  • com.apple.mail → Mail app
  • com.microsoft.Outlook → Outlook
  • com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap → Slack
  • com.apple.Notes → Notes
How to find Bundle ID:
  1. Open app
  2. Use Activity Monitor
  3. Find app in list
  4. View “Bundle Identifier” column

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Window Title

Activate when window title contains specific text. Examples:
  • Title contains “Gmail” → Email profile
  • Title contains “Slack” → Chat profile
  • Title contains “Notion” → Documentation profile
Best for:
  • Browser-based apps (Gmail, Google Docs)
  • Multiple workspaces in same app
  • Title-based context

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Setting Up Auto-Activation

1

Create or edit profile

Settings → Profiles tab → Select profile
2

Add trigger rule

Click Add Trigger Rule button
3

Choose rule type

Select:
  • App Bundle ID for native apps
  • Window Title for browser apps
4

Enter identifier

App Bundle ID: e.g., com.apple.mail Window Title: e.g., “Gmail”
5

Save profile

Click Save to activate auto-switching

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Rule Priority

When multiple profiles match:
  1. Most specific rule wins
  2. Window title takes precedence over app bundle ID
  3. Last matching rule if tied
Example:
  • Default profile: All apps
  • Gmail profile: Window title contains “Gmail”
  • Browser profile: App bundle ID com.google.Chrome
Result when in Gmail: Gmail profile activates (most specific)

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Common Auto-Activation Setups

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Professional Email

Trigger:
  • App Bundle ID: com.apple.mail
  • OR Window Title: “Gmail”
  • OR Window Title: “Outlook”
Profile:
  • DeepGram Nova-3 + Gemini Professional

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Quick Chat

Trigger:
  • App Bundle ID: com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap (Slack)
  • OR App Bundle ID: com.hnc.Discord (Discord)
  • OR Window Title: “Messages”
Profile:
  • Groq Whisper (fast, no enhancement)

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Code Documentation

Trigger:
  • App Bundle ID: com.microsoft.VSCode
  • OR App Bundle ID: com.apple.dt.Xcode
  • OR Window Title: “GitHub”
Profile:
  • DeepGram + Gemini Technical

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Personal Notes

Trigger:
  • App Bundle ID: com.apple.Notes
  • OR App Bundle ID: notion.id
  • OR Window Title: “Obsidian”
Profile:
  • WhisperKit + MLX (local, private)

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Testing Auto-Activation

1

Set up trigger rule

Configure profile with app bundle ID or window title
2

Switch to target app

Open and activate the application
3

Check active profile

Look at Stenox menu bar icon or check Profiles menu
4

Test dictation

Verify correct profile is active and settings applied

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Troubleshooting

  • Verify app bundle ID is correct (check Activity Monitor)
  • Ensure window title match is exact (case-sensitive)
  • Check for conflicting rules in other profiles
  • Make sure profile is enabled
  • Check rule priority (more specific should win)
  • Remove conflicting rules from other profiles
  • Test with only one rule active at a time
  • May indicate overlapping rules
  • Refine rules to be more specific
  • Add delay before switching (if available in settings)

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Finding App Bundle IDs

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Method 1: Activity Monitor

  1. Open Activity Monitor (Applications → Utilities)
  2. Find your app in the list
  3. Right-click → Sample Process
  4. Look for “Identifier:” in the report

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Method 2: Terminal

osascript -e 'id of app "Application Name"'
Replace “Application Name” with your app’s name. Example: 
osascript -e 'id of app "Mail"'
# Output: com.apple.mail

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Method 3: Stenox Auto-Detect

Some versions of Stenox can auto-detect the active app’s bundle ID. Check Settings → Profiles for this feature.

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Common App Bundle IDs

ApplicationBundle ID
Mailcom.apple.mail
Safaricom.apple.Safari
Chromecom.google.Chrome
Firefoxorg.mozilla.firefox
Slackcom.tinyspeck.slackmacgap
Discordcom.hnc.Discord
VSCodecom.microsoft.VSCode
Xcodecom.apple.dt.Xcode
Notescom.apple.Notes
Pagescom.apple.iWork.Pages
Wordcom.microsoft.Word
Outlookcom.microsoft.Outlook

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Best Practices

More reliable than window title for native macOS apps.
Essential for web apps (Gmail, Google Docs, Notion, etc.).
Start with basic rules. Add complexity only if needed.
Switch between apps to verify auto-activation works as expected.

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Next Steps

Create Profiles

Create profiles to auto-activate.

Profiles Overview

Learn more about profile features.