# Voice and the command bar

Speak or type a request from any app. Nothing runs before you press Run.

Canonical: https://brainplane.app/docs/voice/

## Open the bar

Press Control Option B in any app, or Cmd+K inside brainplane. Speak or type what you want. You can change the shortcut in Settings, Voice.

Every request becomes 1 card first, with a suggested agent and topic. Nothing runs until you press Run.

## 3 ways to dictate

| Source | How it works |
|---|---|
| Your dictation app | superwhisper, Aqua Voice, MacWhisper, Wispr Flow, VoiceInk, Spokenly or Apple Dictation. With a dictation app, brainplane needs no microphone access |
| OpenAI speech | On your own OpenAI key, kept in the macOS Keychain. Daily cap: 30 minutes |
| Apple speech on the Mac | Free and offline, once its language files are installed |

With no dictation app, Settings links to 3 of them on their official pages. brainplane installs no dictation app.

## No microphone

The bar and the command line take typing. No microphone is needed.

## Point at it

Drag over part of the screen and the capture goes with your request to the agent you run, and only to that agent. It stays on your Mac, in the topic's folder.

## Where your audio goes

Only if you choose OpenAI speech does the Mac app send audio to OpenAI, with your key. Apple speech keeps it on your Mac. A dictation app follows its own privacy policy. brainplane never speaks back and never keeps audio.