> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.altic.dev/fluidvoice/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# FluidVoice Dictation Modes Explained
> Learn how Direct Dictation, Edit Mode, and Command Mode work — and when to reach for each one for faster, smarter voice input on your Mac.
FluidVoice gives you three distinct ways to put your voice to work. Direct Dictation gets raw speech on screen as fast as possible. Edit Mode sends your dictation through an AI layer that can rewrite your selected text, or add text to your textbox based on the instruction you speak. Command Mode turns your voice into a macOS automation agent: speak an instruction, and FluidVoice executes it. Switch between modes in an instant using dedicated hotkeys, so you can match your input method to whatever you're working on. You can also find the option to switch between modes on the overlay itself.
To view a clear comparison between the modes, check out the Comparison box at the bottom of the page.
## Direct Dictation
Direct Dictation is the fastest path from voice to text. FluidVoice transcribes your speech using the local model you've selected in Voice Engine page, and types the result straight into whichever textbox your cursor is in — no AI post-processing, no rewriting, no delay beyond the transcription itself.
Use Direct Dictation when speed matters more than polish: coding, prompting, quick notes, chat messages, terminal commands, or any situation where you want exact control over what lands on screen.
**Example — dictating a quick note:**
You say:
> "add milk eggs and bread to the shopping list"
FluidVoice types:
```text theme={null}
add milk eggs and bread to the shopping list
```
The raw transcript lands exactly as spoken.
### How to activate
Press your primary dictation hotkey (set during onboarding, or in **Settings → Global Hotkey**). The live preview overlay appears while you speak. Release the hotkey (or press it again, depending on your hotkey mode) to finish and type the result.
Direct Dictation is the default mode when AI Enhancement is set to **Off**. Enable Fluid Intelligence or a cloud provider in **Settings → AI Enhancement** to switch to AI-assisted Write Mode automatically.
## Edit Mode
Edit Mode requires an AI provider to be configured. At the moment, [Fluid Intelligence](https://app.mintlify.com/fluidvoice/fluidvoice/editor/main/~/f1a711a8-06a9-4086-9a34-679cb5f01f74) does not support Edit Mode. To set up an AI provider, go to **AI Enhancement → AI Providers.**
Edit Mode is FluidVoice's AI text-editting assistant. It lets you either write new text based on your spoken instruction or edit text you already have selected.
The performance of Edit Mode depends on the AI provider and the model you choose. To get the best results, make sure you choose the model that fits your workflow.
### What it does
When you trigger Edit Mode, FluidVoice checks whether you have text selected in the active app:
* **If text is selected**, it captures that text as context and you speak an instruction, e.g., "make this more formal," "shorten this," "fix the grammar", or "replace X word in this sentence with Y".
* **If no text is selected**, you speak what you want the AI to write, e.g., "write a quick email to the team about the delay."
The AI response appears in whichever text box your Cursor is placed in.
**Example — rewriting selected text:**
Select a rough paragraph in any app, then trigger Edit Mode and say:
> "make this more concise and professional"
FluidVoice rewrites the edited text in the place of the original text.
**Example — writing from scratch:**
With nothing selected, trigger Edit Mode and say:
> "write a quick email to the team about the delay"
FluidVoice writes the email in the textbox where your Cursor is.
### How to activate
Press your Edit hotkey (default **⌥R**). Speak your instruction, then use the **Replace Original** or **Try Again** buttons in the Edit Mode window to apply or regenerate the result.
## Command Mode
Command Mode requires an AI provider to be configured. At the moment, [Fluid Intelligence](https://app.mintlify.com/fluidvoice/fluidvoice/editor/main/~/f1a711a8-06a9-4086-9a34-679cb5f01f74) does not support Command Mode. To set up an AI provider, go to **AI Enhancement → AI Providers.**
Command Mode turns your voice into a macOS automation agent. Speak a natural-language instruction and FluidVoice — powered by a language model — figures out what to do, runs the necessary system actions, verifies the result, and reports back. You can launch apps, run Shortcuts, manipulate files, create reminders, send messages, and automate workflows, all without touching the keyboard.
The reliability of Command Mode is directly tied to the model you choose. More capable models plan, execute, and recover from errors more accurately, so pick a model that matches the complexity of the tasks you want to automate.
Open the **Command Mode** page in the app to review your full command history, execution logs, error codes, instructions, and other diagnostic information for each session. This data is stored locally on your computer, and stays fully private.
Command Mode runs an agentic loop: it checks prerequisites, executes the command, verifies the outcome, and retries or explains if something goes wrong.
**Example — launching an app:**
You say:
> "open Safari and go to github dot com"
FluidVoice executes:
```bash theme={null}
open -a Safari
osascript -e 'tell application "Safari" to open location "https://github.com"'
```
**Example — creating a reminder:**
You say:
> "add a reminder to review the pull request tomorrow at 9 AM"
FluidVoice executes:
```bash theme={null}
osascript -e 'tell application "Reminders" to make new reminder with properties {name:"Review the pull request", due date:date "tomorrow 9:00 AM"}'
```
**Example — file operations:**
You say:
> "create a folder called project-alpha in my Desktop"
FluidVoice checks whether the folder exists, creates it, and confirms success.
### How to activate
Enable Command Mode in **Settings → Command Mode**, assign a hotkey (default: **Right ⌘**), and press it to begin a session. Speak your instruction and wait for FluidVoice to complete the task.
Command Mode can execute system commands on your Mac. Destructive operations (deleting files, moving items, running privileged commands) show a confirmation prompt before executing. Keep **Confirm before execute** enabled in **Settings → Command Mode** unless you have a specific reason to disable it.
## Switching Between Modes
You can easily switch between different modes by selecting the mode you want on the FluidVoice overlay itself. If you want custom hotkeys to activate each mode separately, or you want a custom hotkey for a secondary dictation shortcut, the steps below walk you through the process.
Open **Settings → Global Hotkey**. Assign separate hotkeys for your primary dictation shortcut, Edit Mode, and your Command Mode. You can also configure a secondary dictation shortcut that uses a different [prompt profile](https://app.mintlify.com/fluidvoice/fluidvoice/editor/main/~/dae31b76-6683-4468-9014-35325c88d8b8).
Press your \*\*primary dictation hotkey **(default right ⌥) to start a Direct Dictation. Press your Command Mode hotkey (default right ⌘)** \*\* to start a Command Mode session. Press your **Edit hotkey** (default **⌥R**) after selecting text to rewrite it.
The live preview overlay shows which mode is active and displays your transcription in real time as you speak. Release the hotkey to finish.
## Mode Comparison
Edit Mode, and Command Mode require AI enhancement enabled, and an AI provider selected. Right now, Fluid Intelligence only works with Direct Dictation Mode, and not with Edit Mode, and Command Mode.
Raw speech-to-text. No AI, no rewriting. Maximum speed, full control over output. Best for code, chat, quick notes.
AI-polished dictation. Cleans filler words, fixes grammar, adapts tone. Also rewrites selected text on command.
Voice-driven Mac automation. Launches apps, runs Shortcuts, manages files, creates reminders — all from natural speech.