Before you start
- SpeechKit is installed and Dictation works. See Your first dictation.
- Assist is off in a fresh install. You turn it on below.
- Assist needs a model. This can be a local model or a provider that you added with your own key. Modes and data paths explains where your voice goes for each choice.
Steps
1
Open Settings and turn Assist on
Open SpeechKit and go to Settings. On Overview, switch on Assist in
the Modes list. You can also open Assist Mode and use the switch
for the Assist hotkey.
2
Check that nothing needs attention
On Overview, look at Needs attention. If it says that Assist uses a
provider that has no API key yet, choose Add key. You can also pick a
local model in Assist Mode under Model.
3
Select some text
Select an editable paragraph in any app, for example a note.
4
Hold the Assist hotkey and speak
The default Assist hotkey is
Win+Alt. By default you hold it while you
speak and release it when you are done. Say, for example:
“summarize this in three bullets”.5
Read the result
With selected editable text you can expect a direct replacement. A long or
uncertain result stays in the Assist result panel so that you can review
it. Use Copy to copy it, or click the panel to dismiss it.
Good to know
- Short, exact phrases such as “summarize this” work more reliably than open questions.
- You can change the hotkey and switch between hold-to-talk and toggle. See Set up hotkeys, microphone and language.
- Assist and Dictation need different hotkeys. SpeechKit warns you if two modes conflict.
If something goes wrong
- Nothing happens when you press the hotkey. Check that Assist is switched on in Overview and that no other mode uses the same combination.
- Overview says a key is missing. Add the key for that provider, or choose a local model.
- The text did not change. If no editable text was selected, read the answer in the Assist result panel instead.
- Still stuck. See Fix common problems.