Hands-free dictation and agent requests
Start and stop dictation or a spoken agent request without holding a shortcut, on Mac and Windows.
Hands-free recording lets you release the shortcut while you speak. You can turn it on with a double-tap or use the dedicated hands-free shortcut.
Start and stop
Section titled “Start and stop”- Open Settings → General → Shortcuts.
- Leave Double tap enabled for Hands-Free Dictation, or choose Change beside the hands-free shortcut to record a different key combination.
- Double-tap your dictation shortcut to begin. Alternatively, press the hands-free shortcut shown in Settings.
- Speak, then press the dictation, agent, or hands-free shortcut again to finish. Dictation is transcribed and pasted; an agent recording is sent as a request. Press Escape to cancel.
The double-tap options for dictation and for Hands-Free Agent are separate and on by default. A quick agent tap may otherwise open the chat box. With its double-tap enabled, Nock waits briefly to decide whether you meant a hands-free request.
Default shortcuts
Section titled “Default shortcuts”| Action | Mac | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Hands-free shortcut | Fn + Space | Ctrl + Win + Space |
| Dictation double-tap | Double-tap Fn | Double-tap Ctrl + Win |
| Agent double-tap | Double-tap Control + Option | Double-tap Ctrl + Alt |
Shortcuts can be changed in Settings. Use the exact keys shown there; a hands-free shortcut must include a modifier or mouse button and cannot overlap the dictation or agent shortcut.
Recording limits
Section titled “Recording limits”A hands-free dictation ends after 20 minutes and keeps the recognized text. A spoken agent request ends after 5 minutes; if it reaches that limit, the request is discarded. Nock displays a warning before either limit. Pressing Return does not finish hands-free recording.
If it starts unexpectedly or will not stop
Section titled “If it starts unexpectedly or will not stop”- Reopen Settings → General → Shortcuts and confirm the displayed keys and double-tap switches.
- Change the hands-free shortcut if another app uses the same combination.
- Press Escape to cancel an active recording.
- If the shortcut does not respond, check the microphone permission and shortcut-related permissions in Permissions.
For audio routing and recognition choices, see Dictation and Local dictation.