Push-to-Talk Mode
Hold the key, talk, let go. The default way to dictate.
Push-to-talk is the default recording mode. You hold your keybind down for as long as you are speaking. Letting go ends the recording, and your transcribed words appear at your cursor once EnviousWispr has worked out what you said.
Using push-to-talk
Use any text box. Click into any text box on your Mac, then use the keybind you assigned during setup.
Press and hold. Keep your designated keybind pressed, and begin speaking into your microphone.
Release it. Let go when you finish your sentence. Your text appears at the cursor a moment later, once the audio has been transcribed.
Recording stops the exact moment you release the key. Because of that, a cough, a deep breath, or a passing conversation after you finish speaking never reaches the transcript.
Dictating for longer periods
For a long block of speech there is a way to keep recording with your finger off the keybind. Tap it, then press it again within half a second. Recording stays on after you let go. That is hands-free mode, and Hands-Free Mode (Long Dictation) covers it in full.
Configuring the mode
You can check or change your recording mode at any time in settings if you want to switch between dictation styles.
Open settings. Click the EnviousWispr icon in your menu bar and choose Settings.
Go to Keybinds. Open the Keybinds tab.
Select push to talk. Pick Push to Talk under 1. Choose recording mode.
The card you choose highlights to show it is selected. You know the setting took effect when holding your keybind starts a recording and releasing it ends the recording.
Why holding the key helps the first word
The moment you press your keybind, EnviousWispr starts waking the microphone, before you have said anything. That head start is what stops a Bluetooth headset cutting off the beginning of your sentence.
It is a head start, not a guarantee. On your first dictation after opening the app there is no earlier audio to draw on, so pause for a beat after pressing the key before you speak. First Word Gets Cut Off explains when that happens and how to make it rarer.