Docs

Listen Orb documentation

Set up and use AI voice dictation on your Mac

Listen Orb is an AI voice dictation app for Mac. Hold Fn, speak, and release; clean text appears at the cursor. If Fn is blocked, use Listen in the menu bar extra. Dragging the glowing orb only moves it.

The usual setup points are a license after the trial, local models or your own OpenAI or xAI key, and three macOS permissions. The menu bar Help item opens these pages.

Get started

Install the Mac app

Open the disk image, drag the signed and notarized AI voice dictation app to Applications, then start the trial or paste a Polar key.

Buy and paste a license

Copy or recover the Listen Orb key through Manage License. That payment is the Mac app, not OpenAI or xAI credit.

Set up local processing

Download models for transcription, AI polish, and Orb Commands on your Mac. No API key or per-use AI charges.

Create an API key

For cloud processing, choose OpenAI or xAI, turn on that provider's API billing, create a secret key, and paste it into the first-run window.

Understand API usage and billing

Understand separate OpenAI or xAI billing, what creates transcription and optional polish usage, and where to review provider records.

Use Listen Orb

Manage vocabulary

Add preferred spellings and spoken forms, preview optional categories, and import or export validated JSON.

Rewrite selected text with Orb Commands

Select existing text, speak an explicit Orb instruction, undo verified replacements, or turn the feature off in Settings.