You can control Monologue in two simple ways: using a global hotkey (the fastest option) or by clicking the monophone icon. Here’s how to set things up so recording fits naturally into your workflow.
Global hotkey setup
Pick your main hotkey
This is the quickest way to start and stop a recording from anywhere on your Mac.
Open Monologue Settings
Go to the General tab and click the Hotkey field
Press the key combination you want to use
Popular choices:
Right-side Option key: single key, smooth experience
Left-side Control key: easy to reach
Fn key: great for laptops
Choose something that feels natural and doesn't conflict with your other tools.
How it works
Hold down your hotkey to start recording, then release it when you're done speaking. Monologue will transcribe everything and display the text on your screen.
Hands-free mode
For longer dictations (a minute or more), you don't have to hold the hotkey the whole time. Double-tap your hotkey to start hands-free mode. Monologue keeps recording while you do other things — look at documents, check references, whatever you need. When you're ready, go to where you want the text and press the hotkey again. Your transcription pastes right there.
Switching to hands-free mid-recording
Started with a quick hold but the dictation is getting longer? No problem. While still holding your hotkey, press space to switch into hands-free mode. From there it works exactly the same — finish up, navigate to where you want your text, and press the hotkey to paste.
Cancel recording
Sometimes you start speaking and realize you don't want to save it. Just hit Escape to cancel on the spot, nothing gets saved or processed. If you prefer a different key, you can set your own cancel shortcut in Settings.
Test your setup
Before diving in, it’s helpful to do a quick check:
Trigger your hotkey from different apps
Try clicking the monophone
Make sure the visual recording indicators appear
Troubleshooting
Hotkey not working?
Another app may be using the same shortcut (Spotlight, Raycast, etc.)
Try a different key combination
Double-check that Accessibility permissions are enabled for Monologue
Monophone missing?
Make sure Monologue is running
Quit and relaunch the app if needed