Keyboard Shortcuts

All keyboard shortcuts and how to customize them.

Default Shortcuts

Action	macOS	Windows	Mode
Transcribe	Fn	Ctrl + Shift	Hold to record
AI Processing	Alt + Shift	Alt + Shift	Hold to record
Hands-Free	Fn + Control	Ctrl + H	Toggle on/off
Start Notes	Cmd + Shift + N	Alt + N	Toggle (disabled by default)

Customizing Shortcuts

1. Go to Settings > Shortcuts
2. Click the shortcut field for any action
3. Press your desired key combination
4. The new shortcut is saved immediately

Alternative Shortcuts

You can create multiple shortcuts for the same action. For example:

• Main transcription: Fn
• Alternative transcription: Ctrl + Space

Each alternative can independently toggle AI Enhancement on or off.

Supported Keys

Modifier Keys

• Control (left/right distinguished)
• Shift (left/right distinguished)
• Alt/Option (left/right distinguished)
• Command/Windows (left/right distinguished)
• Fn (macOS only)

Mouse Buttons

• Middle mouse button
• M4 (Back button)
• M5 (Forward button)

M4 and M5 are usually mapped to “back” and “forward” for browser navigation by default. Most mice ship with vendor software (Logitech Options, Razer Synapse, SteelSeries Engine, MX Master apps, and so on) where you can remap any button to a different action or shortcut combination. Point M4 or M5 to your Vowen shortcut and you can trigger transcription or hands-free recording with a single click.

Mouse buttons work as toggle shortcuts (press to start, press again to stop) rather than hold-to-record.

Per-Shortcut AI Override

Each shortcut has its own AI Enhancement setting:

Setting	Behavior
Always on	This shortcut always enhances the transcription
Always off	This shortcut never enhances the transcription

Configure this by clicking the gear icon next to any shortcut.

Hands-Free Mode

Hands-free mode is a toggle: press the shortcut once to start recording, press the same shortcut again to stop. Additional options:

• Auto-deactivate on mouse/keystroke: stops recording when you click or type (Settings > Recording)
• Escape to cancel: press Escape to discard the active recording without transcribing it. Vowen offers an undo so you can continue the recording if you pressed Escape by accident
• Upgrade mid-recording: while in regular transcription mode, pressing the hands-free shortcut upgrades to hands-free

In regular (push-to-talk) mode, simply release the shortcut key to end the recording and trigger transcription.

Pro tip: Set push-to-talk to Fn and hands-free to Fn + Ctrl. Hold Fn to start dictating; if the thought runs long, tap Ctrl and release both keys. You’re in hands-free without lifting a finger.

Left vs Right Modifier Keys

Vowen distinguishes between left and right modifier keys. This means you can set:

• Left Alt + Space for transcription
• Right Alt + Space for AI processing

Conflict Resolution

If two shortcuts share a common prefix (e.g., Fn and Fn + Control), Vowen uses a 500ms grace period to detect which one you intended. The more specific shortcut wins.

Application Shortcuts (macOS)

Shortcut	Action
Cmd + ,	Open Settings
Cmd + Q	Quit Vowen
Cmd + W	Close current window
Cmd + H	Hide Vowen