Dictate Bar Support

Need help with Dictate Bar? Use this page for setup guidance, common questions, and direct support contact.

Support

If Dictate Bar is not behaving as expected, send a short note with what you tried, what happened, and what you expected.

What to include

Include your macOS version, Dictate Bar version, and a short sequence of steps that reproduces the issue.

Quick links

Visit the app page for a full product overview or review the privacy page for data and permission details.

Back to Dictate Bar Privacy Policy

Getting started

1. Grant required permissions

When first using Dictate Bar, macOS asks for microphone and speech recognition access. These permissions are required for voice capture and transcription.

2. Start dictation from the menu bar

Click Start Dictation in the menu bar app, speak naturally, then stop when your entry is complete.

3. Review your running notes file

Each finalized dictation is appended to the same running markdown file. Use Open Notes to jump straight to that file in your default editor.

4. Export when needed

Use Export Copy to create a shareable copy of your notes while keeping your original running file intact.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Dictate Bar?

Dictate Bar is a lightweight macOS menu bar app for quick voice capture and transcription into a running markdown notes file.

Where are my notes stored?

Your notes live in the running markdown file managed by Dictate Bar. You can open that file directly from the app using Open Notes.

Does Dictate Bar use one file or many?

Dictate Bar is built around one running file. Each finalized dictation appends to that same file instead of creating scattered documents.

What happens when I stop dictation?

When you stop dictation, the finalized transcribed entry is appended to your running notes file.

Can I export my notes?

Yes. Use Export Copy to create a copy you can share or archive. Your original running notes file remains available in the app.

Does it work with markdown?

Yes. Dictate Bar is designed around markdown/plain text output for simple, portable notes.

Is Dictate Bar useful with AI tools?

Yes. The clean markdown/plain text output is easy to reuse in AI workflows for summarizing, drafting, and organizing ideas.

Why does Dictate Bar need microphone access?

Microphone permission is required to capture your voice input for dictation.

Why does Dictate Bar need speech recognition access?

Speech recognition permission allows spoken audio to be transcribed into text entries.

Does Dictate Bar work offline or on-device?

Dictate Bar may support on-device recognition options when available on your macOS version and language settings. Recognition behavior can depend on Apple platform capabilities and your configuration.

Does Dictate Bar require a subscription?

For current pricing and purchase model details, see the App Store listing. If you need purchase or restore help, contact support at the email below.

How do I get help or report a bug?

Email shawn@bravenewdesign.com with a short description of the issue and your macOS version.