Platform support
Compare Nock's Mac and Windows setup, voice controls, permissions, and platform-specific limitations.
Nock has desktop builds for Mac and Windows. The interface and shortcuts adapt to each platform, but some system controls and speech options differ. Check the current downloads and updates page for the operating systems offered by a particular release.
| Capability | Mac | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Main surface | Notch-style interface | Floating top bar |
| Default dictation shortcut | Hold Fn / Globe | Hold Ctrl + Win |
| Default agent shortcut | Hold left Control + left Option | Hold left Ctrl + left Alt |
| Local dictation | Nock’s downloaded model; Apple recognizer can also be selected where supported | Nock’s downloaded model |
| Local speech model requirement | Nock’s model requires macOS 14 or later; Apple recognition availability depends on macOS | Nock’s model is downloaded separately |
| Permission controls | Microphone, Input Monitoring, Accessibility; Screen Recording for visual context; Speech Recognition for Apple recognition | Windows microphone privacy access; no matching Mac permission grants |
| Text insertion | Clipboard paste; Accessibility can help Nock type | Clipboard paste through Windows input support |
See keyboard shortcuts for hands-free and recovery shortcuts and permissions for setup details.
Mac notes
Section titled “Mac notes”If pressing Fn opens the emoji picker, use the globe-key row in Settings → Permissions to open Keyboard settings and set Press 🌐 key to Do Nothing. macOS permissions belong to a particular app copy/signature, so a test copy may need its own grants. Nock’s local speech model requires macOS 14 or later; Apple’s recognizer may be available separately and remains on-device.
Windows notes
Section titled “Windows notes”Windows keyboards do not expose Fn as a global shortcut the same way Mac keyboards do. Nock therefore uses Ctrl + Win for dictation and left Ctrl + left Alt for the agent by default. Local dictation on Windows uses Nock’s downloaded speech model. The Windows Permissions page checks microphone privacy access; visual capture does not require the same Screen Recording permission used by macOS.
Feature parity
Section titled “Feature parity”Some native actions and system settings are platform-specific. When a control does not appear on your platform, do not infer that it is hidden behind a permission. Follow the capability and status shown in your installed build. For a first run, use the matching Mac quickstart or Windows quickstart.