Getting Started

VoiceWiz is a desktop application that turns spoken thoughts into text that fits the work you're doing. This guide takes you from a fresh install to your first refined dictation.

What is VoiceWiz?

VoiceWiz combines three stages into one pipeline:

• Transcription — speech becomes text, using a local model or a cloud service you configure.
• Context — the active context tells VoiceWiz what kind of work you're doing (programming, writing, research, or communication).
• Refinement — the optional Prompt Builder reshapes the raw transcript into cleaner, task-ready text.

You speak, VoiceWiz transforms, and the result is pasted straight into whatever you were doing.

Installation

1. 1Download the installer for your platform from the download page — version 1.8.0 supports Windows and Linux.
2. 2Run the installer. On Windows, SmartScreen may warn about an unsigned installer — click More info, then Run anyway.
3. 3Launch VoiceWiz. On first run, grant microphone access when your operating system asks.
4. 4The first-run wizard starts automatically.

The first-run wizard

The wizard walks you through the essential setup, including:

• Your language preference.
• A speech recognition model — Base (~142 MB) is the recommended balance; Turbo (~1.6 GB) offers the best speed/accuracy tradeoff on capable machines.
• Your global hotkey for starting and stopping dictation.

Your first dictation

1. 1Open the app where you want text to land — an editor, a browser, a chat window.
2. 2Press your global hotkey to start recording. Speak naturally.
3. 3Press the hotkey again to stop.
4. 4VoiceWiz transcribes, optionally refines, and pastes the result into your active window.

Next steps

• Learn how dictations flow through the app in How VoiceWiz Works.
• Choose your transcription and refinement setup in Transcription & Models.
• Add your own vocabulary in Dictionary.

If something doesn't work, check Troubleshooting or open an issue.