Session History
Every time you dictate in TalkWriter — whether in the Scratchpad or any other application — the session is automatically recorded in your history. This gives you a complete log of everything you have dictated.
What Is a Session?
A session is a single dictation recording, from the moment you start speaking to when you stop. Each session captures:
| Data | Description |
|---|---|
| Full transcription | Everything that was dictated |
| Timestamp | Date and time the session started |
| Duration | How long the session lasted |
| Word count | Number of words in the transcription |
| Target app | Which application received the dictated text |
Viewing Your Session History
- Click the TalkWriter menu bar icon
- Select Session History from the dropdown
You see a chronological list of all sessions, most recent first.
Understanding the Session List
| Column | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Date | When the session occurred |
| Preview | First few words of the transcription |
| Words | Total word count |
| Duration | Length of the dictation |
| App | Target application (Scratchpad, Safari, Word, etc.) |
Click any session to view its full details — complete text, exact timestamps, word count, and duration.
The preview column helps you identify sessions at a glance without opening each one. Look for keywords you remember dictating.
Filtering Sessions
By Date
Click the date picker at the top of the session list:
- Today
- This week
- This month
- Custom date range
By Application
Use the app filter dropdown to show only sessions from a specific application — like Scratchpad, Slack, or Microsoft Word.
The app filter only lists applications where you have previously dictated text. If an app does not appear, you have not used TalkWriter with it yet.
Deleting a Session
- Open the session you want to remove
- Click the Delete button
- Confirm the deletion
Deleted sessions cannot be recovered. Export any session you want to keep before deleting it.
FAQ
How far back does session history go? Sessions are retained according to your data retention settings. The default is 90 days.
Does TalkWriter store audio recordings? No. TalkWriter only stores the transcribed text. Audio is processed in real time and never saved.
Are sessions stored locally or in the cloud? Sessions are stored locally on your Mac by default. They do not sync to the cloud unless you explicitly enable cloud backup.