Microsoft Office

TalkWriter works with all Microsoft Office apps on macOS. Here are tips for getting the best experience with each one.

App-by-App Tips

App	Best Use Case	Tip
Word	Long-form writing	Click where you want text inserted, then dictate. TalkWriter respects your cursor position.
Outlook	Email replies	Click into the reply body, then dictate. Use TalkTone "Professional" for polished emails.
Teams	Chat messages	Click the message box, dictate, then review before pressing Enter.
Excel	Cell data entry	Click a cell, then dictate. Text goes into the active cell. Press Tab to move to the next cell.
PowerPoint	Slide text	Click a text box on the slide, then dictate. Works with titles and body text.

Microsoft Word Tips

Dictating a Document

1. Open your Word document
2. Click where you want to insert text
3. Hold Fn and start speaking
4. Release Fn — text appears at your cursor position

Using TalkTone for Polish

For professional documents, set TalkTone to Professional or Concise before dictating. TalkWriter will clean up filler words and improve grammar automatically.

Dictating into Track Changes

TalkWriter pastes text as if you typed it. If Track Changes is enabled, your dictated text will appear as a tracked insertion.

Microsoft Outlook Tips

• New email — Click the body area, dictate your message, then add the recipient and subject manually
• Reply — Click into the reply field above the quoted text, then dictate
• TalkTone tip — Use "Professional" for external emails and "Casual" for internal team messages

Microsoft Teams Tips

• Chat — Click the message input box and dictate. Review the text before pressing Enter.
• Channels — Same as chat. Click the reply box in any channel thread.
• Meetings — You can dictate into the Teams chat during a meeting while someone else is presenting.

Microsoft Excel Tips

• Click a cell before dictating — text goes into that specific cell
• For numbers, speak clearly: "one thousand two hundred" becomes "1200" with TalkTone enabled
• To move to the next cell after dictating, press Tab (right) or Enter (down)

Known Limitations

Issue	Workaround
Word for web may have slight paste delay	Use the desktop app for best performance
Excel formatting may not apply to pasted text	Format cells after dictating
Teams may show "typing" indicator briefly	This is cosmetic and resolves immediately

FAQ

Does TalkWriter work with Microsoft 365 web apps? Yes, when accessed through Safari or Chrome. The desktop apps provide a slightly smoother experience.

Can I dictate into OneNote? Yes. Click into a text block in OneNote and dictate as usual.

Why does my text appear without formatting? TalkWriter pastes plain text. Apply formatting (bold, headings, etc.) in Word or Outlook after dictating.