Dictate and edit text in any Mac app

You usually know what an email needs to say before you know how to write it. Dictation helps with the first part: getting the thought out. Editing by voice handles the next part: turning that rough thought into something you'd actually send.

With NoteFlux, you can do both in the Mac app where you're already writing. Here's a short email example you can try yourself.

Before you start

NoteFlux currently supports macOS 13 or later on Apple Silicon. You can download NoteFlux from the homepage and start with local dictation. Local transcription is always free, with no subscription required. Cloud transcription and AI features have separate plan limits; check pricing for the current details.

During setup, allow the microphone and the macOS permissions NoteFlux requests for inserting text into other apps. Check your dictation shortcut in settings before you start.

Start in a normal text field, such as a draft in Mail or a note. Keep your microphone close enough to pick up your voice clearly.

Speak a first draft

Put your cursor where the text should go. Hold your dictation shortcut, speak, and release it when you're finished.

Try a short message like this:

Hi Maya, I looked through the draft this morning. The opening is good, but could we shorten the background section? Let's keep the examples and send the revised version on Friday.

You don't need to sound like you're reading a document aloud. Speak in complete thoughts and pause between sentences. Your selected transcription model and cleanup settings affect the result.

Read the draft once it appears, especially names, dates and numbers.

Rewrite selected text by speaking

When a sentence needs work, select it, hold your dictation key and say what you want changed. Release the key when you've finished the instruction.

For the email above, you might select the middle sentence and say:

Make this warmer, but keep the request to shorten the background section.

That is more useful than “make it better.” It tells the model which quality to change and which detail to preserve.

For example, a warmer version of “The opening is good, but could we shorten the background section?” could be:

I like how the opening sets things up. Could we make the background section a little shorter?

This is an example of the kind of edit to ask for, not a recorded result from a NoteFlux test.

Other instructions worth trying:

• “Make this two sentences and keep the deadline.”
• “Turn this paragraph into a short checklist.”
• “Make this more direct without sounding annoyed.”
• “Fix the grammar, but keep my wording as much as possible.”

Check the replacement before continuing. If a name, commitment or date disappeared, undo the edit and give a narrower instruction.

Keep repeated names consistent

If you regularly dictate a product name, client name or technical term, add it to NoteFlux's custom dictionary. This is particularly useful for words that sound like ordinary words but have unusual spelling.

Start with a few names you use often, then check how they appear in your next draft.

Know which parts use the cloud

Local dictation and editing by voice are different operations. Selecting a local speech model keeps that transcription on your Mac. Editing by voice sends the selected text, some surrounding context and your instruction to an AI provider through NoteFlux's servers.

The same distinction matters for AI cleanup. Local transcription does not mean that every optional AI step is local. Our local versus cloud guide explains the boundaries, and the privacy policy describes the current handling of that data.

Make your first session small

Try one email or one paragraph of notes. Dictate it, make one voice edit, and review the result. You'll get a feel for the shortcut and the kinds of instructions that suit your writing.

Once that feels familiar, try asking AI about a screenshot. NoteFlux can help with the reading side of your work as well as the writing.