The dictation shortcut: how to use it and how to change it
In short
On Windows, hold Ctrl + Win while you talk and let go when you're done: the text appears where your cursor is, in any app. On a Mac, hold fn. Press Esc before letting go to cancel. To use other keys: Settings › Dictation › Dictation shortcut › Change.
How to dictate
- Put the cursor where you want to write: an email, a chat, a document.
- Hold Ctrl + Win (on a Mac, fn). Loro's pill says "Listening…".
- Talk the way you talk.
- Let go. Loro types the text with punctuation and without filler words.
What the same shortcut does
- With text selected, what you say is an instruction: "make it shorter", "translate it to Spanish", "make it a list". That's edit by voice: it needs internet and it's a Pro feature.
- If you start with "Loro, note", Loro saves an idea in your Notes instead of typing it.
- If you start with "Loro, I need to…", Loro adds it to your To-do.
There's a second shortcut: Ctrl + Alt (on a Mac, Control + Option) is write with your screen. Hold it, ask for what you want to write ("reply to this email", "tell her yes, but on Thursday") and Loro looks at your screen and writes it the way you would, where your cursor is. It needs internet and it's a Pro feature. The screenshot isn't saved.
How to change the keys
- Open Settings › Dictation.
- Under Dictation shortcut, click Change.
- Press your new keys, for example Ctrl + Shift.
To go back to the usual keys, click Back to Ctrl + Win (on a Mac, Back to fn). Some keys can't be used: Esc (it cancels), Ctrl + Alt (it's for writing with your screen) and a single key on its own. If you pick a letter or a number, add Ctrl, Alt or Win.
Frequently asked questions
Ctrl + Win does nothing. What's going on?
On many laptops, Fn + Windows locks the Windows key. Press them again to unlock it, or pick other keys. More in Your Windows key is locked.
Does Loro have to be open?
You don't need to open its window: Loro just has to be next to the clock (on a Mac, in the menu bar). If you paused it from that icon, click Resume Loro.
Can I dictate without holding the keys?
Not for now: you hold the keys while you talk and let go when you're done.
You might also need
- How to cancel a dictationIf you started dictating by accident or made a mistake, press Esc before letting go of the keys and Loro doesn't type anything. What to do if the text was already pasted.
- Windows key locked: how to unlock it on your laptopIf the Windows key does nothing, it's usually locked: many laptops lock it with Fn + Windows or a game mode. How to unlock it in seconds and dictate with Loro again.
- Loro doesn't type what I dictate: what to checkIf you dictate and the text doesn't show up, Loro's pill tells you why. What each message means, what to check if the pill doesn't appear and how to get a dictation back.
- What is AI dictation? How it differs from regular voice typing GuideAI dictation turns what you say into text that's ready to send: no filler words, punctuation included, and it understands when you correct yourself. How it works, how it differs from Windows or phone dictation, and what it's good for.