USE CASE · AI CODING

Voice typing for AI prompts on Mac: Cursor, Claude Code and chat.

The more complete the prompt, the better the result usually is. But three hundred words of background, constraints and expected output are easy to skimp on when you have to type them. Saying them out loud is often the easier path.

Short answer:Yes, and it suits long prompts: put the cursor in the Cursor or Claude Code input, hold Right Option, speak, release, and the text lands at the cursor. The free plan works (local engines are unlimited); for function and variable names that must be exact, read the result before you send it.

How to use it

STEP 1

Click into the Cursor chat box, or the input line where Claude Code runs in your terminal, so the cursor sits there.

STEP 2

Hold Right Option and speak. When you release, the recognized text lands at the cursor with no confirmation window in between. Do not switch windows while talking.

STEP 3

For a cleaner prompt, hold Left Option (the AI Tidy key) instead: AI removes filler words, fixes homophones and adds punctuation before inserting. You need an AI connection in Settings; without one it falls back to direct insert.

To change either key, and for which keys misfire, see the shortcut guide.

Who it is for

People who write long prompts in Cursor, Claude Code or a web chat every day.
Anyone who needs to explain a line of thinking before the AI acts: a refactor plan, an error symptom, the edges of a requirement.
Reviewers who want to say their comments in one go and have them cleaned up.

Technical terms and brand names

Prompts are full of English words: function names, frameworks, product names. VoiceInput handles mixed speech, then applies local typography rules that add spaces between Chinese and English text and fix the case of common brand names such as GitHub and Claude. If a word keeps coming out wrong, add it to My Words in Settings. Names, product names and the spellings you prefer are then followed by both local recognition and AI Tidy.

For identifiers that must be exact character by character, skim the result before sending and type the correction if needed. Voice saves you the long natural-language parts, not every variable name.

What AI Tidy will not do

The AI Tidy key removes filler words, adds punctuation and fixes homophones. It does not add content you did not say, does not translate, and does not answer your question: if you say "check this function for me", the output is that sentence, not a review. For prompts that matters, because it will not quietly change your requirements.

Limits to know

Cloud recognition sends audio to the cloud engine. To keep recordings on your Mac, use a local engine; see offline dictation on Mac.
The free plan includes 60 minutes of cloud recognition a month and 50 AI Tidy uses a day. Local engines and AI Tidy with your own API key are not metered by that quota.
VoiceInput needs Microphone, Input Monitoring and Accessibility permissions; see Permissions. A few apps or protected fields reject outside input; see Troubleshooting.

FAQ

Can I use VoiceInput in Cursor or Claude Code?

Yes. VoiceInput puts the text wherever your cursor is: click into the Cursor chat box or the input line in your terminal, hold the hotkey and speak, and do not switch windows while you talk. A few apps or protected fields reject outside input; see Troubleshooting if that happens.

For prompts, should I use the Direct Insert key or the AI Tidy key?

Use Right Option (Direct Insert) when you want your exact wording. Use Left Option (AI Tidy) when you ramble and want filler words and repetition cleaned up first. AI Tidy does not add things you did not say and does not answer your questions.

Will names like Cursor or Claude be recognized correctly?

Mixed-language speech is supported. If a brand name keeps coming out wrong, add it to My Words in Settings; after that, recognition and AI Tidy follow your spelling.