> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.kombify.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Use Assist step by step

> Turn on Assist, speak one request and get one result

Assist answers one spoken request with one result. Use it to summarize,
rewrite or draft. Assist is a Windows feature. On macOS it is not verified in
the current beta.

## Before you start

* SpeechKit is installed and Dictation works. See
  [Your first dictation](/speechkit/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](/speechkit/modes) explains where
  your voice goes for each choice.

## Steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="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.
  </Step>

  <Step title="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**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select some text">
    Select an editable paragraph in any app, for example a note.
  </Step>

  <Step title="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".
  </Step>

  <Step title="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.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## 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](/speechkit/hotkeys-microphone-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](/speechkit/fix-common-problems).


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