Dictate from the menu bar
Diktat runs as an icon in your Mac menu bar. From there you start every dictation, see your history, and open settings. A second window with a sidebar is there when you need more.
The flow in three steps.
Press your key, the right Command key by default. Speak. The text is there, in the focused field and on your clipboard. A short tap starts the recording and keeps it running. Holding the key down records only for as long as you hold it.
The pill.
During a recording, a narrow bar appears near the top of your screen, the pill. It shows that Diktat is recording, nothing more, unless you turn on the live preview. Once a dictation is done, the pill briefly shows where the text landed, then disappears.
The window with a sidebar.
Click the menu bar icon and a popover opens with a start and stop button. For more, there is a separate window with a sidebar: history, models, language, settings. There you find every past dictation again. If the automatic paste did not work, you paste the text from there by hand.
Your key.
The right Command key is the default, and you can change it in settings. There is exactly one key, no mode switch, and no second binding. A short tap or a hold decides how long Diktat records.
What the menu bar does not save.
The Mac does not store audio for your dictations. There is no playback and no crash recovery, history shows text only. This limit is intentional. On iPhone and iPad, the original recording stays available.
Common questions.
Where do I find Diktat while it runs?
As an icon in the menu bar, next to the clock and Control Center. One click opens the start and stop button, a second click on the window icon takes you to the sidebar.
Can I change the key that starts recording?
Yes, in settings. The right Command key is the default, and you can set any other key your Mac recognizes.
Does the Mac save my recordings?
No. On the Mac, Diktat only saves the recognized text, no audio. For recordings to listen back to, use iPhone or iPad, where the original file stays in your history.