> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.openwhispr.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Your hotkeys

> OpenWhispr has five separate shortcuts, not one. Here's what each does, what it defaults to, and how to change or unbind it.

OpenWhispr listens for **five separate shortcuts**, each starting a different
thing. Most people only ever set the first one, but knowing all five exist
explains a lot of surprises — particularly getting an answer when you expected
your words typed.

They all live in one place: open **Settings**, then **Hotkeys** under **App**.

## The five shortcuts

| Shortcut                | What it starts                                              | Set by default? |
| ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | --------------- |
| **Dictation Hotkey**    | Voice to text. Your words are typed at the cursor.          | Yes             |
| **Voice Agent Hotkey**  | Speak an instruction. The result is typed, not your words.  | No              |
| **Translation Hotkey**  | Dictate in one language, get another one pasted.            | No              |
| **Meeting Mode Hotkey** | Starts meeting mode and snaps the panel to the screen edge. | No              |
| **Chat Agent Hotkey**   | Opens and closes the chat agent overlay.                    | No              |

Only the **Dictation Hotkey** is set out of the box and it's the only one you
can't leave empty. The other four are blank until you choose a key, and clearing
one switches that feature off rather than breaking it.

<Note>
  The distinction that catches people out is between the first two. Dictation
  types what you said. The voice agent, in the app's own words, means *"Speak a
  request — your AI agent types the result, not your words."* If you're getting
  replies instead of text, see [it answers me instead of
  typing](/help/fix/it-answers-instead-of-typing).
</Note>

## Defaults

The dictation shortcut is set for you on first run, and what you get depends on
your platform:

| Platform | Default dictation hotkey              |
| -------- | ------------------------------------- |
| macOS    | **Globe** (the Fn key on modern Macs) |
| Windows  | **Ctrl+Win**                          |
| Linux    | **Ctrl+Super**                        |

On macOS the Globe key is handled by a small listener bundled with the app
rather than by the normal shortcut system. That's why it can work as a single
key when everything else needs a modifier — and why, if that listener fails to
start, you'll see a **Globe Hotkey Unavailable** message and your other
shortcuts keep working.

If you've changed the dictation hotkey and want to go back, a **Reset to
\[key]** link appears under the field. It only shows when your current setting
differs from the platform default.

## Changing one

1. Open **Settings**, then **Hotkeys** under **App**.
2. Click the field under the shortcut you want — it shows **Click to set
   hotkey** or **Click to change**.
3. Press the combination you want. The field reads **Listening…** while it
   waits.
4. It saves as soon as it registers. You'll see **Now using \[key] for
   dictation** for the dictation slot.

If the combination can't be used you'll get a reason rather than silence —
*"already registered by another application"*, *"may be reserved by your desktop
environment"*, or a note that the format isn't valid. [Choosing a shortcut that
works](/help/dictation/choosing-a-shortcut) covers the rules and what to pick
instead.

## More than one key for the same thing

Each shortcut accepts **several bindings at once**. Under any hotkey field
there's **Add another hotkey** — use it when you want the same action on, say,
both a keyboard shortcut and an external key, or when you switch between two
keyboards with different layouts.

There's one limit: on Linux desktops where OpenWhispr registers shortcuts
through the desktop environment itself — GNOME, KDE, or Hyprland — each action
takes **one binding only** and the option to add another disappears.

## Unbinding one

**Hover over the hotkey and click the bin icon.** It only appears on hover, and
only when a hotkey is actually set, which is why it's easy to miss.

That works for the four optional shortcuts. The **Dictation Hotkey** is
required — remove its last binding and it won't clear, because dictation with
no shortcut would leave you no way to start.

Unbinding the **Voice Agent Hotkey** is worth knowing about specifically: it
stops that shortcut, but it does **not** stop the agent being triggered by name
during ordinary dictation. Those are two different routes to the same feature —
see [your agent's name](/help/agent/agent-name).

## Hold or tap

Underneath the dictation hotkey there's an **Activation Mode** control with two
settings, **Tap** and **Hold**. Tap is the default. Which ones you can use
depends on your platform — [hold or tap](/help/dictation/hold-or-tap) has the
detail.

<Snippet file="still-need-help.mdx" />

## Related

* [Choosing a shortcut that works](/help/dictation/choosing-a-shortcut)
* [Hold or tap](/help/dictation/hold-or-tap)
* [The four things your voice can start](/help/agent/voice-modes)
* [My hotkey doesn't work](/help/fix/hotkey-not-working)