Learn Cue · practical tutorial

How to Use Cue Voice Typing on Mac and Windows

Turn speech into editable text, then check it before sending. This guide takes you from a first sentence to longer drafts, with a simple way to tell a microphone problem from an insertion problem.

By the Cue product team · Updated . Written from product behavior and source review, not a recorded device test. Menu wording and available controls can differ by installed version; follow the instructions in your Cue app.

Choose the output you actually need

Voice typing / Dictation

You already know the words. Speak them into a focused text field, then review the inserted text. Good for a message, paragraph or rough note.

Voice Agent

You want Cue to work out a result: summarize supplied notes, draft a reply or plan a supported action. Give an instruction rather than the exact words to insert.

Follow the Agent tutorial

Both belong to the same Cue app. Dictation is not an instruction to automatically send an email or run an Agent task. For recording a longer conversation, use the separate meeting capture guide; a short dictation exercise does not test meeting recording.

Set up and dictate a first sentence

  1. Install, open and sign in to Cue. Finish the in-app onboarding. Use the official download choices for your computer.
  2. Check the Dictation shortcut in Settings. Agent and Dictation use different shortcuts. The defaults are Option on macOS and Right Alt on Windows, but a configured shortcut takes precedence. On keyboards using Right Alt as AltGr, follow Cue's shortcut setup if the key conflicts with typing.
  3. Confirm your microphone and requested permissions. Use the input device you intend to speak into. On Mac, follow Cue's microphone and hotkey permission prompts. Do not enable screen capture just to repair a transcription spelling mistake.
  4. Focus a normal, editable field. Start with an empty scratch note or an unsent email draft. Click where the text should go. Avoid password fields and important forms for the first trial.
  5. Hold the Dictation key and wait for the recording indicator. Say one short sentence at a natural pace. Keep the same text field focused while speaking.
  6. Release the key and wait. Cue processes the speech and attempts to insert the text. Releasing the key is not proof that insertion has finished. Inspect the field before speaking again.
  7. Review before sending. Check words, names, numbers and punctuation. Correct any error in the destination app; send or submit only when you have checked it.

Insertion depends on the app, focus and permissions. A successful trial in one editor does not establish that all apps or protected fields will work.

Try a short accuracy exercise

Use this fictional sentence in an empty scratch note. It is practice material, not a customer message. Read it aloud once with Dictation:

Mina needs 12 survey questions by 14 October. The project is called Cedar. Please keep the launch date undecided.

Check the result against five facts
  • The name is Mina.
  • The quantity is 12, not 20.
  • The due date is 14 October.
  • The project name is Cedar.
  • The launch date remains undecided.

Wording or punctuation may be polished, so this is a meaning check rather than an exact-string test. If a name or date is wrong, correct it before using the text. This sentence asks the eventual reader to keep a date undecided; Dictation is not being asked to manage a project.

Repeat in another empty note only after checking that the first result arrived. Change one variable at a time—microphone position, background noise, or phrase length—then compare the same five facts. Keep your own observations; this is not a measured accuracy score or a promise of identical results.

Use voice typing for real writing

Write in complete thoughts

Dictate one or two sentences, wait for the text, and read it before adding the next thought. This makes corrections easier than trying to repair a long stream containing several changes of mind. You do not need a special prompt for ordinary dictation.

Give names and numbers a second check

Say unfamiliar names clearly. Read back dates, quantities, addresses and amounts against your source. Exact codes, URLs and email addresses may be quicker and safer to type or paste from a trusted source. Do not interpret polished punctuation as evidence that the facts are correct.

Separate capture from editing

First get the facts into a draft. If you then want a shorter or more formal version, select only the draft and switch to Agent mode. Try: “Rewrite the selected draft as a concise work update. Keep every name, date and number. Do not add commitments. Reply with a draft only.” Review the rewritten result before replacing your original.

Choose the right workflow for the task

  • Messages and email: dictate the message itself; check the recipient and content before sending.
  • Notes and documents: capture one paragraph at a time, then organize it in your editor.
  • Code: use speech for an explanation or change request; review exact identifiers and syntax. See the voice coding workflow.

For destination-specific tips, see voice typing in Google Docs. On Mac, Cue voice typing and built-in Dictation explains the different entry points.

Fix the symptom, not everything at once

No recording indicator appears

Check that Cue is open and onboarding is complete. Confirm the Dictation shortcut in Settings and follow any hotkey or permission warning there. Test in an empty note. Do not keep dictating into a flow that has not started.

Recording starts, but the words are missing or wrong

Check the selected microphone, its input level and microphone permission. Test a short sentence in a quieter environment. If words arrive but a name is wrong, correct the name; granting more screen access is not a spelling fix.

Text was recognized but did not appear in the field

Inspect the destination before trying to paste: text may already have been inserted. If Cue actually shows a paste-failure notification with a Copy action, use it, focus the intended field, confirm the result is still absent, and paste once. Do not assume every failure has recoverable text. If there is no result to copy, test a fresh short sentence in a normal editor and report the failure through the support link below.

The text appeared twice

Stop retrying and check the document. Use the destination app's normal editing or undo controls to remove only the duplicate you can identify. On the next attempt, wait for processing and inspect the field before copying or retrying.

An Agent task opened instead of dictation

You may have used the Agent shortcut. Check the two mode entries in Cue Settings. Cancel the unintended flow with its visible control, then use the configured Dictation shortcut in an editable field.

Privacy: do not use confidential material for troubleshooting. Review the privacy policy for request-time processing and providers. A practice page is not a guarantee of offline processing.

Keep practicing with Cue

Use the same checked text as the starting point for meeting recaps and coding-Agent task briefs. Voice supplies your words; the receiving Agent still needs the relevant source and a clear boundary.

Once voice input works, follow the Voice Agent tutorial to turn rough notes into checkable drafts and bounded tasks.

Free to start. Cue Plus is $19.99/month. Check the current plans for what your account includes; these examples do not promise unlimited Agent usage or access to a particular model.

Get Cue for your computer

Need help? Contact Cue support or email eli@sophoninc.com. Include your platform, Cue version, selected mode and a short description of the failure. Remove private documents, account details and credentials before sharing an example.