Terminal
TalkWriter can paste dictated text into terminal applications like Terminal.app, iTerm2, Warp, and Kitty. This is useful for dictating commands, writing commit messages, or composing text in terminal-based editors.
How It Works
- Click into your terminal window to focus it
- Make sure your cursor is at the command prompt (or in an editor)
- Hold Fn and speak your command or text
- Release Fn — the text is pasted into the terminal
Terminal App Compatibility
| Terminal App | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal.app | ✅ | macOS built-in terminal |
| iTerm2 | ✅ | Full support |
| Warp | ✅ | Full support |
| Kitty | ✅ | Full support |
| Alacritty | ✅ | Full support |
| Hyper | ✅ | Full support |
Tips for Terminal Dictation
- Dictate commands — Say "git status" and it will be pasted. Review before pressing Enter.
- Long commands — Dictate multi-word commands naturally. TalkWriter handles spaces correctly.
- File paths — Spell out paths letter by letter, or say "slash users slash documents" for
/users/documents - Pipe and redirect — Say "pipe" for
|, "greater than" for>, "double greater than" for>>
Common Dictation Patterns
| What You Say | What Gets Pasted |
|---|---|
| "git commit dash m fix login bug" | git commit -m fix login bug |
| "cd tilde slash projects" | cd ~/projects |
| "npm run dev" | npm run dev |
| "docker compose up dash d" | docker compose up -d |
TalkWriter pastes text as-is. You may need to add quotes, flags, or adjust spacing before pressing Enter.
Limitations
| Limitation | Explanation |
|---|---|
| No auto-execute | TalkWriter pastes text but does not press Enter. You must confirm commands manually. |
| Special characters | Some symbols may be spelled out (e.g., "ampersand" instead of &). Edit as needed. |
| Interactive prompts | TalkWriter cannot respond to interactive terminal prompts (y/n confirmations, etc.) |
| Vi/Vim mode | Dictation works best in Insert mode. In Normal mode, pasted text may be interpreted as commands. |
| SSH sessions | Works, but latency may cause characters to arrive out of order on slow connections |
Using with Terminal Text Editors
| Editor | Tip |
|---|---|
| nano | Enter the editor, then dictate. Text is inserted at the cursor. |
| vim | Press i to enter Insert mode first, then dictate. |
| emacs | Dictate directly — text is inserted at the cursor position. |
FAQ
Can I dictate a command and have it run automatically? No. TalkWriter always pastes text without executing it. This is a safety feature — you should always review terminal commands before running them.
Why are some symbols spelled out?
Speech-to-text engines sometimes transcribe symbols as words (e.g., "at sign" instead of @). Edit these manually, or disable TalkTone for more literal transcription.
Does it work over SSH? Yes, but performance depends on your SSH connection speed. Local terminals provide the best experience.