Recording Modes and Hotkeys

Recording Modes

Steno supports two recording modes:

• Press-to-talk: hold Option to record, release to stop and transcribe.
• Hands-free: press the global function key to start, press again to stop.

Both modes run through the same transcription and insertion pipeline once recording ends.

Default Hotkeys

Default recording settings in source:

• Option hold-to-talk: enabled
• Hands-free global key: F18 (key code 79)

Hands-free key options in UI:

• Disabled
• F13 through F20

Steno suppresses the selected hands-free function key so other apps do not receive that key event.

State Transitions

Steno uses a state machine to prevent overlapping sessions:

• idle -> start press-to-talk or hands-free
• recording state -> transcribing when stop is triggered
• transcribing blocks new recordings until done
• completion or failure returns to idle

Examples:

• pressing hands-free while Option recording is active is ignored
• releasing Option while hands-free is active is ignored

This avoids partial captures and conflicting insertion events.

Best Practices

• Keep Option hold-to-talk enabled as your fallback mode.
• Choose a hands-free key not used by your keyboard macros.
• If hotkeys stop responding, refresh permissions and restart Steno.
• Test in your primary editor and terminal after changing key settings.