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Speak naturally, work faster. Alter’s dictation goes beyond simple transcription with intelligent voice commands and text transformation.

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Voice Triggers

Voice Triggers let you activate any Alter Action using just your voice. Say a magic word or phrase to instantly trigger configured actions.

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How Voice Triggers Work

1

Set up triggers

In the Action Editor, assign a trigger word or phrase to any Alter Action
2

Hold to speak

Hold your voice hotkey (default: Fn key) or the mic icon
3

Say the trigger

Speak your trigger word or phrase (e.g., “Hey Charlie”, “Hey Google”)
4

Release

Let go of the hotkey – the action fires immediately

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Practical Examples

Personal Assistant

“Hey Charlie” – Start a conversation with your Mental Model expert

Web Search

“Hey Google” – Trigger a web search action

Translation

“Hey Translate” – Activate your translation action

Custom Actions

Create triggers for any frequently-used action

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Setting Up Voice Triggers

1

Open Action Editor

From the Alter menu, select “Action Editor”
2

Choose an Action

Select the action you want to trigger by voice
3

Add Voice Trigger

In the action settings, add your trigger word or phrase
4

Test It Out

Hold your voice hotkey and say the trigger word to activate

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Best Practices

2-3 words work best for quick recognition
Avoid common phrases you might say in conversation
Choose words that are easy to say and distinguish
Voice triggers work great with text selections or current app context
Voice triggers use speech-to-prompt (hold to speak), making them perfect for quick voice-activated workflows.

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Dictation Modes

Perfect for quick voice commands:
  1. Hold your configured hotkey (default: Fn key) or mic icon
  2. Speak your command naturally
  3. Release to process immediately
The currently active window is automatically selected as context.

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Voice-Powered Text Transformation

Transform any selected text using voice commands:
1

Select text

Select text anywhere on your Mac
2

Hold and speak

Hold the record button (or Fn key)
3

Give command

Speak transformation commands like:

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Example Commands

Tone Changes

“Rewrite in friendly tone”
“Make this more professional”

Content Expansion

“Create counter arguments”
“Add my thoughts: [input]”

Translation

“Translate to Spanish”
“Convert to French”

Formatting

“Format as bullet points”
“Make this a summary”
System-wide power: This feature works with any text selection, making it incredibly useful for editing documents, emails, or any text content.

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Language Settings

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Automatic Language Detection

When set to “Automatic,” Alter detects the language you’re speaking and processes it accordingly.
Auto-detection doesn’t work with all languages and depends on the underlying engine. Set your language explicitly if you have accuracy issues.

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Custom Word Recognition

Add technical terms and vocabulary to improve recognition:
1

Open Settings

Go to Settings > Dictation > Dictionary
2

Add words

Enter words separated by commas
3

Save

Changes apply immediately

When to Use

  • Acronyms and abbreviations
  • Company and product names
  • Technical terminology
  • Proper nouns
  • Industry-specific jargon

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Dictation Replacements

Automatically transform words and phrases during dictation:
  1. Navigate to Settings > Voice > Replacements
  2. Create pairs of “spoken phrase” → “written text”
  3. Replacements apply automatically at the end of dictation
SpokenWritten
”altair""Alter"
"CTA""call-to-action"
"discord link”Full Discord URL
”jay son""JSON”

Technical Writing

Fix misheard code terms

Professional

Standardize company names

Personal

Voice shortcuts for signatures
Replacements apply to both regular dictation and speech-to-prompt, ensuring consistency across all voice input.

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Processing Options

Choose how Alter processes your voice input:

Cloud Processing

Highest accuracy, fast processing
Uses cloud-based speech recognition
Best for: Most users, accuracy-critical work

Local (Apple)

Privacy-focused, on-device
Uses Apple’s speech recognition
Best for: Privacy-conscious users

Local (Whisper)

Maximum privacy, OpenAI Whisper
Runs locally, speed depends on model
Best for: Offline work, sensitive content

Whisper Pro

Advanced local processing
10-second transcripts for any length
Best for: Meetings, long recordings

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Whisper Pro Setup

Get meeting transcripts in just 10 seconds regardless of length:
1

Open Settings

Navigate to Settings > Dictation
2

Select Whisper Pro

In the Voice Processor dropdown, choose “Whisper Pro”
3

Choose model

We recommend Whisper Large V3 (626MB) for optimal speed/accuracy
4

Download

Click Download and wait for completion
Perfect for: Back-to-back meetings, high-volume meeting days, offline transcription needs

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Configuration

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Global Voice Hotkey

SettingDefaultOptions
KeyFnAny key combination
HoldSpeech-to-promptQuick commands
TapDictation modeLonger input
Customize in Settings > Dictation > Shortcut

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Clipboard Integration

When enabled, dictated text is automatically copied to your clipboard for easy pasting into any application.
1

Open Settings

Go to Settings > Dictation
2

Enable clipboard

Toggle “Copy to clipboard” option

Meetings

Record and transcribe meetings

Settings

Configure dictation options

Keyboard Shortcuts

Voice hotkey reference

Troubleshooting

Fix microphone issues