How does the HoldSay voice card work?
Dictate, record, and replay from one voice card.
The HoldSay voice card is the small control that stays available while you work in other apps.
You use it to start a recording, see the current state, dictate with your keyboard shortcut, and replay recent audio without moving your work into a browser tab.
One small card states what HoldSay is doing while you keep working in another app.
Read the voice card status
To see what HoldSay is doing without opening the main window, look at the voice card's faceplate. The card stays above other apps while it works, so its current face tells you whether it is waiting, capturing audio, or preparing a result.
Ready is the resting face. It shows the hold to speak line, which on Mac reads Hold right Option to Say and identifies the configured key. Below that, the card can show up to two recent clips, each with a duration, a short text preview, and a play control. If there are no clips yet, the card explains that clips will appear after you hold the key and speak. Ready indicates that HoldSay is available for the next capture.
Recording means audio is currently being captured. The red REC control is lit, the label reads Recording with a live dot, and a large timer counts upward. The most recent clip remains below the timer. If HoldSay is also capturing computer audio, a headphone mark appears beside the Recording label. Wait for this state to finish before treating the capture as complete or beginning another one.
The card states its own status on the faceplate as it waits, records and prepares the result.
Transcribing means a finished capture is being turned into text. The label appears beside a spinner and shows progress as completed parts, such as 5/9. Immediately after capture, the card may first read Preparing audio. When HoldSay is organising the finished transcript, the label can instead read Summarizing or Polishing and show a percentage. These faces mean the result is still being prepared. Completed results are kept under History in the HoldSay main window.
The card matches your light or dark appearance
The voice card is designed to sit on your desktop all day, so it follows the appearance your computer is already using. In light appearance it renders as a light card, and in dark appearance the same card renders dark. Switching your system between light and dark changes the card with it, and nothing about how it works changes.
The same card follows your light or dark appearance; the color never signals what HoldSay is doing.
This matters when you are reading the card at a glance. A dark card does not mean HoldSay is recording, and a light card does not mean it is idle. Read the state from the label and timer on the faceplate rather than from the color of the card.
If you want the card to match a specific appearance rather than follow the system, set the appearance you prefer in HoldSay Settings under Theme. The card and the main window use the same setting.
Move, tuck and restore the card
The card is meant to remain available without covering the part of the screen you need. If it overlaps a document, a meeting window, or the controls in another app, drag an open area of the card toward a clearer side of the screen. Place it where you can still notice its state while keeping your active content visible.
Drag the card to a clearer edge and it shrinks to a small handle you can select to restore it.
- Drag an open area of the card toward the screen edge that blocks the least content.
- When you need more room, move or tuck the card against that edge.
- To restore it, select the visible edge handle.
A tucked card is not a closed app. It is simply resting at the screen edge, with an exposed handle available to bring the main card back. This is useful when you want less visual interruption but still want HoldSay ready for a quick capture.
Start and finish a recording
Use recording when you want HoldSay to continue capturing audio while you work in another app or continue a conversation. The red REC control on the voice card starts this type of capture. Unlike held key dictation, recording remains active until you finish it from the card.
REC starts and finishes the recording; the timer pauses it and starts it again.
- Click the red record control on the card.
- Confirm that the card changes to Recording and that its timer begins.
- Continue your conversation or work in another app while HoldSay keeps recording.
- Select the timer if you need to pause. The card shows Paused and the timer stops; select the timer again to continue the same recording.
- Click the recording control again when you are finished.
- Keep HoldSay open while the transcript and note are completed.
Pausing and finishing are two different controls on the same card. The timer digits pause and resume the capture you are already making, while the red REC control ends it and sends the recording on to be processed.
The timer is the immediate confirmation that the recording is active. If you do not see Recording and a running timer after selecting REC, do not assume audio is being captured. Likewise, after you stop, look for Transcribing rather than beginning another capture immediately.
When processing is complete, open the new note from a recent item on the card or from the main library. The HoldSay desktop app organizes notes in its main areas, including History and Files. In History, completed notes can show views such as Raw, Speakers, Polish, or Summary when that view applies to the source. These views help you move from a quick capture on the card to the completed text you need to review.
Drop a file on the card to transcribe it
The card also accepts existing media. When you drag an audio or video file over it, the faceplate changes to Drop to Transcribe, which confirms that releasing the file will start a transcription rather than move the file somewhere.
Drag an audio or video file onto the card and release it to start a transcription.
- Drag a supported audio or video file from Finder or File Explorer onto the voice card.
- Wait for the card to show Drop to Transcribe.
- Release the file. HoldSay adds it to the transcription queue and the card returns to its normal state.
Use this when a file is already in front of you and opening the main window first would be a detour. For a folder of recordings, or when you want to watch the queue as it works, add the files from Files in the main window instead.
Replay what you just captured
After a short dictation or recording, you may only need to confirm that the audio was captured before moving on. The recent rows on the voice card include a play control for this quick check. Select play on the relevant recent row and listen for the portion you just captured. This lets you check recent audio directly from the floating card instead of first opening the full note.
For an exact review, open the note in the library. Both Mac and Windows provide the transcript and playback controls, so you can compare the text with the captured audio. The Speakers view also provides timecodes for individual passages. Timecodes are useful when you need to locate a particular moment in a longer conversation rather than replaying the entire recording.
Replay the latest capture from the card before returning to the full library.
Sound feedback is separate from the information shown on the card. You can turn sound feedback on or off in Settings. Turning it off does not remove the visual states, does not stop the recording timer, and does not prevent you from checking whether the card is Ready, Recording, or Transcribing.
A practical review pattern is to use the card play control for a fast confidence check, then open History when you need to inspect the transcript or use the available note views. If the card has been tucked away after your capture, restore it with its edge handle or return to HoldSay through the menu bar or system tray item before using recent playback.
Common questions
Can I move the HoldSay voice card?
Yes. Drag an open area of the card to a clearer part of the screen, or tuck it against a screen edge when you need more room.
How do I bring the HoldSay card back?
Use the visible edge handle, or open HoldSay from its menu bar item on Mac or system tray item on Windows if the main card is out of sight.
Does hiding the card stop dictation?
No. Tucking the card does not quit HoldSay, so the configured keyboard shortcut can remain available.
Can I start a new recording while the previous one is still transcribing?
Yes. Transcription runs in the background for each note, so the card returns to Ready and you can start another capture while earlier notes are pending.
Can I pause a recording and continue it later?
Yes. Select the timer digits to pause the capture, then select the timer again to continue the same recording.
Can I transcribe an existing audio or video file by dropping it on the card?
Yes. Drag a supported audio or video file over the card, then release it when the card shows Drop to Transcribe to add it to the transcription queue.
If a label on this page does not match the app, email support@holdsay.com. Include Mac or Windows and the HoldSay version shown in Settings.