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How dictation works

Hermes listens to your voice, transcribes it in real-time, formats the text intelligently, and inserts it wherever your cursor is. The whole process takes about a second. 
You speak → Hermes transcribes → AI formats → Text appears

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Starting and stopping dictation

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Press and hold (default)

  1. Press your hotkey (Fn by default) and hold it down
  2. Speak while holding the key
  3. Release the key when you’re done
  4. Text is processed and inserted
This is the default mode—quick and intuitive for short dictations.

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Double-tap for long dictations

For longer dictations where holding a key is uncomfortable:
  1. Double-tap your hotkey quickly
  2. Speak freely without holding anything
  3. Tap the hotkey once to stop
Double-tap mode is great for writing long emails, taking notes in meetings, or journaling.

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The Hermes bar

When you start dictating, the Hermes bar appears on your screen. It shows:
  • Audio waveform — Visual feedback that Hermes is hearing you
  • Live transcription — Your words appear as you speak
  • Status indicators — Recording, processing, or ready

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Moving the bar

Drag the Hermes bar to reposition it. You can place it:
  • Top Middle or Bottom Middle
  • Any of the 4 corners
Drag it off the edge of the screen to hide it.

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Speaking tips

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Speak naturally

Don’t try to sound like a robot. Hermes is trained on natural speech:
  • Pause to think — It’s fine to take a moment
  • Say filler words — “Um”, “uh”, “like” are automatically removed
  • Vary your pace — You don’t need to speak slowly or rush

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Don’t say punctuation

Unlike older dictation systems, you don’t need to say “period” or “comma”. Hermes adds punctuation based on context:
You sayHermes writes
”Hi how are you""Hi, how are you?"
"Let me know thanks""Let me know. Thanks!"
"The meeting is at 3 pm""The meeting is at 3 PM.”

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Numbers are converted automatically

You sayHermes writes
”twenty three""23"
"one hundred dollars""$100"
"call me at five five five one two three four""Call me at 555-1234”

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Supported languages

Hermes supports dictation in 100+ languages using Whisper. Popular languages:
  • English (US, UK, Australian)
  • Spanish
  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Portuguese
  • Dutch
  • And many more
Set your language in Settings → Dictation, or use Auto to let Hermes detect it automatically.

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Viewing your history

Every dictation is saved to your history. To view past dictations:
  1. Open the Hermes app
  2. Go to the Home or History section
  3. Browse your recent dictations
From history, you can:
  • Copy a past dictation
  • Delete dictations you don’t need
  • Save as a note for longer-term storage

AI Formatting

How Hermes formats your text based on context.

Keyboard Shortcuts

All available hotkeys and how to customize them.

Dictionary

Teach Hermes custom words and pronunciations.

Notes

Save and organize your dictations.