Speak instead of typing: voice dictation
Speak instead of typing: send right away (Enter on the web, hold and release the mic in the app) or edit first. Shortcut, setting, credits, privacy.
3 min read
Typing on a phone takes time. You can speak instead, and XomiW writes it down. There are two ways to finish: send right away (fastest) or put the text in the box to read, fix and then send. XomiW never sends on its own when you go quiet.
How to use it
Web
- Press the microphone next to the attach button in the message box (Dictate), or press ⌘M (Mac) / Ctrl+M (Windows). On a Mac, if ⌘M minimizes the window, use Ctrl+M.
- The first time, the browser asks to use the microphone: choose Allow.
- Speak normally. Small bars move with your voice and a timer counts up.
- To finish:
- Enter (or the Send button): stop, transcribe and send.
- The check mark ✓ (or the shortcut again): the text goes into the message box so you can edit it first.
- ✕: discard what you said.
Mobile app
When the message box is empty, the microphone sits next to Send:
- Hold the microphone and speak (like a voice message in Zalo). The phone gives a light buzz when it starts listening.
- Let go: XomiW transcribes and sends.
- Changed your mind? Slide up to cancel (no credit used).
- For a long message without holding: slide left to lock. When you are done, press Send to send, ✓ to put the text in the box and edit, or ✕ to discard.
- A quick tap on the microphone (no hold) opens the recording sheet as before; press Done, turn into text to edit the text before sending.
With TalkBack or VoiceOver: double-tap the microphone to start listening in locked mode, then choose Send or ✓. The microphone also offers a "Talk hands-free" action in the screen reader's actions menu.
When the text goes into the box, it comes after anything you had already typed. If XomiW is still answering (the Send button shows Stop), the text goes into the box instead of being sent, as with pressing Send at that moment.
The "Send right after speaking" setting
On by default. Turn it off under Settings → Voice if you always want to read before sending:
- On the web: Enter then only puts the text in the box.
- In the app: letting go of the microphone then only puts the text in the box.
The choice is kept separately in each browser and on each phone.
Languages and limits
- XomiW detects Vietnamese or English on its own, including sentences that mix both.
- Each recording is up to 2 minutes. At 2 minutes XomiW stops and puts what you said in the box for you to check.
- If nothing was heard clearly, nothing is sent and XomiW asks you to try again. A hold shorter than half a second counts as a slip and is not recorded.
- Speak close to the microphone in a quiet place for better accuracy. Check names, account numbers and phone numbers before sending.
Credits
Each started minute of audio costs 1 credit (20 seconds also costs 1 credit). If XomiW could not transcribe (connection error, the transcription service is busy), you are not charged.
Privacy
Transcription is done by ElevenLabs (Scribe), called through OpenRouter in zero data retention mode, processed in the United States. Details in the Privacy Policy, section 5.
When it doesn't work
- The browser has not allowed the microphone: click the lock icon next to the address → Microphone → Allow, then reload the page.
- The app says "Microphone needed": open the phone's Settings → XomiW → turn on Microphone.
- No microphone button: the feature may not be open yet for your app version (on iPhone, voice opens step by step with updates), or the browser cannot record. Your phone keyboard's own dictation button works everywhere.
This article is also in Vietnamese
Still need help?
Email hotro@xomiw.com; we answer during working hours.
Related help articles
- Record a meeting and write the minutesRecord in XomiW or upload a recording, get a transcript with timestamps and speakers, then press Write minutes for a properly formatted Word file.
- Two-way interpreting face to facePut the device between you: each sentence is translated and read aloud in the listener's language (Vietnamese ⇄ English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese).
- Voice mode: talk to XomiW and hear the answerTurn on Voice mode in a chat: press the mic to speak, XomiW sends it at once and reads the answer aloud in Vietnamese or English. With a Stop reading button.
- Live and bilingual captions for meetingsText appears as people speak, with the translation alongside (Vietnamese ⇄ English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese), in person or in Meet/Zoom in the browser.
Give XomiW the job, get the file
Reports, official letters, spreadsheets, reminders: write one sentence; XomiW does it and asks before sending or deleting anything.