Get started in 5 minutes
This guide walks you through downloading Hermes, setting it up, and speaking your first dictation.Download and install
Download Hermes from hermesvoice.com and drag it to your Applications folder.Launch Hermes from your Applications folder or Spotlight.
Grant permissions
Hermes needs a few macOS permissions to work. You’ll be prompted for each one:
Click “Allow” for each permission prompt, or grant them manually in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
| Permission | Why it’s needed |
|---|---|
| Microphone | To hear your voice |
| Accessibility | To type text into apps for you |
| Input Monitoring | To detect your hotkey anywhere |
Having trouble with permissions?
See our detailed permissions guide for step-by-step instructions.
Set your hotkey
Choose the key that starts and stops dictation. The default is the Fn key.Why Fn?
- It’s easy to reach
- You probably don’t use it for anything else
- No modifier keys needed
Speak your first sentence
Open any app where you can type—Notes, Mail, Slack, or even a text field in your browser.
- Press and hold your hotkey (Fn by default)
- The Hermes bar appears at the bottom of your screen
- Speak naturally: “Hey, just wanted to follow up on our conversation from yesterday. Let me know when you have time to chat.”
- Release the hotkey when you’re done
- Watch your text appear, formatted and ready
Speak naturally. Say “um” if you want. Pause to think. Hermes cleans it all up.
What just happened?
When you dictated, Hermes:- Transcribed your speech to text in real-time
- Cleaned up filler words like “um” and “uh”
- Detected context (which app you’re in)
- Applied AI formatting for proper punctuation and capitalization
- Inserted the text at your cursor
Next steps
Learn about dictation
Tips for speaking, double-tap for long dictations, and more.
Understand AI formatting
How Hermes knows to format emails differently than Slack messages.
Set up triggers
Automate actions like web searches, window management, and more.
Customize your dictionary
Teach Hermes names, technical terms, and custom spellings.