How dictation works
Press Command-D, speak, and press the shortcut again. Echo processes the capture and copies the result to the clipboard. Paste it into an email, note, code editor, or AI prompt field. Command-R resets the current recording.
What the app supports
Echo runs on macOS 14 or later on Intel and Apple Silicon. For current cloud transcription, choose OpenAI or Grok and add your own API key. The key is stored in macOS Keychain, and requests go directly to the selected provider. API usage is billed separately from the one-time app purchase.
Beyond short input, Echo fits work recordings, files, and meetings. Read about audio transcription on Mac, meeting transcription, and voice input for programmers.
Who Echo is for
The workflow suits writers, developers, researchers, and anyone who regularly forms ideas by speaking. If you need fully offline transcription, note that local WhisperKit processing is planned for a future release and is not part of the current cloud workflow.
Conclusion
Echo Dictation shortens the path from speech to usable text: one shortcut, a direct provider connection, and clipboard output. It is a macOS work tool rather than another editor where every thought must be moved manually.