Hotkey configuration

Last updated • 4 min read

The hotkey is how you start dictating. Hold it (or tap the Fn key) to begin, and release (or tap Fn again) to stop. This article covers how to change it, the difference between push-to-talk and toggle, and how to dodge conflicts with macOS and other dictation apps.

Configuring the hotkey

Open Voxstr's dashboard from the menu bar icon, then go to Settings › Hotkey. Click Record new hotkey and press the chord you want. Voxstr captures the keys, displays them as a label, and saves immediately. Press Esc to cancel without saving.

Examples of valid chords: 

fn (function key, alone)
Control + Space
Option + ;
Command + Shift + V
Control + Option + D

Two rules:

Push-to-talk vs toggle

Voxstr has two activation behaviors. There is no setting to choose between them; the chord you pick determines which one you get.

Push-to-talk (any chord with a modifier)

Hold the chord while you speak. Release to stop. Used for every hotkey except the Fn key — chords like Control + Space or Option + ; all behave this way.

Toggle (Fn key only)

Tap Fn once to start. Tap Fn again to stop. Better for paragraph-length dictations where you want both hands free.

If you want push-to-talk on the Fn key (or toggle on a different chord), neither is supported today. The behavior is wired to the chord, not configurable separately.

Common conflicts

macOS and many third-party apps already use a lot of chords. Don't pick a hotkey that's already in use elsewhere — Voxstr can't override system shortcuts, and the conflict will manifest as either Voxstr or the other app silently losing the press.

Avoid these:

Pick Fn if you want hands-free toggle behavior. Pick a modifier+key combo if you prefer push-to-talk and want unambiguous recording state.

Troubleshooting

Hotkey doesn't fire at all

Voxstr listens for global keystrokes via a CGEvent tap, which requires Input Monitoring (and on some macOS versions Accessibility) permission. Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Input Monitoring and confirm Voxstr is enabled. See the permissions article for full reset steps.

Hotkey fires once, then never again

The system event tap can occasionally lose its grip — usually after a sleep/wake cycle, a permission change, or another input-monitoring app starting up. Quit and relaunch Voxstr from the menu bar icon. If the issue recurs after every wake, re-grant Input Monitoring (toggle off and on in System Settings) which forces a clean tap re-registration.

Hotkey works in some apps but not others

Almost always a conflict — another app installed a higher-priority hotkey on the same chord and grabs it before Voxstr sees it. Suspects: built-in macOS dictation, browser extensions, video conferencing apps with global mute hotkeys, password managers. Either change Voxstr's hotkey or disable the conflicting binding in the other app.

My chosen chord captures characters into text fields

Picking a chord whose non-modifier key is a printable character (like Option + ; or Cmd + Shift + L) can cause the character to leak into whichever app has focus before Voxstr swallows the event. The cleanest workaround is the fn key, which has no print equivalent at all. Otherwise, prefer chords whose non-modifier key is itself non-printing (Space, function keys, arrow keys).

Still stuck? See the troubleshooting guide for the full reset checklist (event taps, permission rebuild, accessibility cache flush).

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