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

# Hands-free recording

> Set SpeakoFlow's recording behavior to Tap so one press starts recording and the next stops it. Covers how to stop or cancel a hands-free recording and why the mid-recording tap-to-lock gesture is inactive.

Set *Settings → General → Recording → Recording behavior* to `Tap`. One press of your record shortcut starts recording, and the next press stops it and types the transcript out.

Releases are ignored, so nothing depends on how long you hold the keys.

## Hold or Tap

* **Hold** (default). Records while the shortcut is held, stops on release. Best for short bursts, and it cannot leave a recording running by accident.
* **Tap**. Press once to start, press again to stop. Best for long-form dictation.

The setting is global. It applies to the Dictate shortcut, the AI-cleanup shortcut, and the Assistant shortcut alike.

## Stopping and canceling

| Action                   | What happens                                          |
| ------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| Press the shortcut again | Stops recording and inserts the text.                 |
| Cancel shortcut          | Throws the recording away. It has no default binding. |
| Do nothing               | The recording is force-finalized after 30 minutes.    |

The Cancel shortcut ships unbound because a global `Esc` would swallow `Esc` presses meant for other apps whenever a recording is active. Record a key for it in *Settings → General → Recording*. The row is hidden on Linux, where re-registering a dynamic shortcut is unreliable.

<Note>
  In the assistant panel, a voice turn can also be ended with the **Finish & send** button, so a hands-free question can be committed without touching the keyboard.
</Note>

## Good to know

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What the overlay looks like in hands-free mode">
    When a hands-free recording starts, the overlay pill switches to a calmer, slightly larger waveform. Screen readers announce *"Recording hands-free, press the hotkey again to stop."*

    There is no stop button on the overlay. Press the shortcut again.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Tap-to-lock does not work in this build">
    A mid-recording tap-to-lock gesture exists in the settings file: tapping `Shift` or `Space` while holding the shortcut was meant to convert a held recording to hands-free.

    Nothing arms the watcher, so the gesture does nothing and there is no control for it in Settings. Use the `Tap` recording behavior above instead.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>