OpenFlow has two dictation hotkeys and an optional mute hotkey. All of them are configurable in Settings > General under Shortcuts. The default for both dictation hotkeys is Ctrl+Win.

Push to talk

Hold the hotkey while you speak, then release it to transcribe, clean, and paste — the classic walkie-talkie style. Best for short, discrete utterances.

This is bound to Push to talk in Settings > General > Shortcuts, and stored as the hotkey_primary setting.

Hands-free mode

Press the hotkey once to start recording and press it again to stop. Best for longer dictations where holding a key is awkward.

This is bound to Hands-free mode in Settings > General > Shortcuts, and stored as the hotkey_secondary setting. It can be the same combo as push-to-talk or a different one — the two are independent.

Setting a custom shortcut

  1. Open Settings > General and click Change next to Shortcuts.
  2. Click the pencil on the shortcut you want to edit (push-to-talk or hands-free).
  3. Press the key combo you want. OpenFlow records the modifiers (Ctrl, Alt, Shift, Win) plus a final key, in that order.
  4. Release the keys to save. The new combo is active immediately.
  5. Use Reset to default in the modal footer to return both to Ctrl+Win.

A shortcut can be a modifier alone (for example Ctrl+Win) or a modifier plus a regular key (for example Ctrl+Shift+D). The mute hotkey requires a non-modifier key — it cannot be modifiers only.

If your hotkey stops working, another app likely grabbed the same combo. Pick a different one.

Mute hotkey

OpenFlow can mute your microphone in other apps while you dictate, so a voice call doesn't pick up your dictation audio. Turn on Mute microphone in other apps while dictating in Settings > General, then bind the Mute hotkey to the same combo your conferencing app (Discord, Teams, Zoom) uses for its toggle-mute shortcut. OpenFlow presses that combo when dictation starts and releases it when dictation ends.

This is stored as the mute_hotkey setting and can be cleared by saving an empty value.

In the same Settings > General section:

  • Mute music while dictating — ducks system audio while you're recording, on by default.
  • Mute microphone in other apps while dictating — the toggle that enables the mute hotkey behavior above.

Where to go next

  • Getting Started — covers the default hotkey and your first dictation.
  • Command Mode — an experimental mode that changes what dictation does.
  • Troubleshooting — fixes for hotkey conflicts and microphone issues.