Fireflies Talk: talk instead of type in any app

Last updated: October 26, 2026

Some people find it more convenient to say what they want to write rather than type it out themselves. Fireflies Talk converts your speech into typed text directly in the app you're using, so you can write without switching apps or typing everything manually.

In this guide, you'll learn what Fireflies Talk is, how to get started, where it works, its availability and privacy, and how to troubleshoot common issues on Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android.

🎙 What is Fireflies Talk?

Fireflies Talk is a voice dictation feature that converts your speech into typed text wherever you're working.

  • It's available on Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android.

  • You can use Talk in apps such as Slack, Gmail, Google Docs, ChatGPT, and CRM platforms.

  • On desktop, Talk is available through the Fireflies desktop app.

  • On iPhone, Talk is built into the Fireflies keyboard.

  • On Android, a Talk pill appears above your existing keyboard.

  • Your dictated text appears in the active text field, so you can write without switching apps or copying text.

✨ What Talk does with your speech

Talk doesn't just capture what you say; it cleans it up on the way in.

  • Filler words and false starts, such as um, like, and repeated or restarted sentences, are removed.

  • Punctuation gets added automatically, so you don't say "comma" or "period" out loud

  • Formatting adapts to where you’re writing. For example, emails include a greeting and sign-off, while Slack messages stay short and casual.

  • Your meaning stays the same - Talk polishes how you said something, not what you said.

📍 Where to find Talk

You can access Fireflies Talk on Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android.

  • Mac and Windows: Open the Fireflies desktop app and go to the Dictation tab.

  • iPhone: Tap the ≡ icon in the top-left corner of the Fireflies app to open your profile menu, tap Fireflies Talk (it has a New label), then tap Let’s get started and follow the setup instructions to enable the Fireflies keyboard.

  • Android: Tap the ≡ icon in the top-left corner of the Fireflies app to open your profile menu, tap Fireflies Talk (it has a New label), then tap Let’s get started and follow the setup instructions. Once configured, the Talk pill appears above your existing keyboard.

Looking for “Talk to Fireflies in Live Meetings”?

Talk to Fireflies in Live Meetings is a different feature. It is the AskFred experience inside a live meeting, where you can talk to Fireflies during the meeting.

Fireflies Talk is the desktop dictation feature that lets you speak and enter text into the app you're using.

If you want to talk to AskFred during a live meeting, see Talk to Fireflies in Live Meetings. If you want to dictate text into an app, you're in the right place.

🚀 Get started with Fireflies Talk on desktop

Open the Dictation tab in the Fireflies desktop app. The first time you open it, onboarding walks you through choosing your language, microphone, and shortcut. Once setup is complete, you can start dictating.

The default shortcut is Fn on Mac and Ctrl + Win on Windows. You can change the shortcut during setup.

For detailed setup steps and permissions, see:

🚀 Get started with Fireflies Talk on mobile

Fireflies Talk is available in the existing Fireflies app on iPhone and Android. You don't need to install a separate app.

  • iPhone: Requires iOS 18 or later.

  • Android: Requires Android 13 or later.

💡Update your Fireflies app, then follow the mobile setup and usage guide to configure Talk on your device.

🗣 How Fireflies Talk works

Once Talk is set up, you can use it wherever you can enter text. Start dictating, speak naturally, and Talk adds the cleaned-up text to the active text field.

On desktop, use your configured shortcut to start and stop dictation. On iPhone, use the Fireflies keyboard in Walkie-Talkie or Hands-free mode. On Android, tap the Talk pill to start dictating and tap it again to stop. Your dictated text appears in the active field.

  • Dictate in any app: Talk works with apps that have a text field, including Slack, Gmail, Google Docs, ChatGPT/Claude, CRM fields, and the Fireflies app itself.

  • Use hands-free dictation: Double-tap your shortcut key to start hands-free dictation. Speak normally, then tap the key again to finish. Press Escape to cancel a dictation in progress.

  • No text field? If Talk can't find a text field at your cursor, it plays a short error sound and copies your text to the clipboard instead. You can then paste it wherever you need it.

For detailed instructions, see How to use Fireflies Talk to dictate in any app.

🌍 Dictate in other languages

Fireflies Talk supports 90+ languages. You can choose your preferred languages during setup or later from Settings → Dictation, or enable automatic language detection.

For more details, including language settings and switching between languages, see How to dictate in other languages with Fireflies Talk.

💬 How Fireflies Talk tags people in Slack

When you dictate a Slack message that includes a teammate's name, Fireflies Talk can turn the name into a real @mention.

For more details, including how Slack mentions work, see How Fireflies Talk tags people in Slack.

💳 Is Fireflies Talk free?

Fireflies Talk offers unlimited dictation on every Fireflies plan, including the free plan. You can use Talk on Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android without paying extra for Talk.

Mobile Talk requires iOS 18 or later on iPhone and Android 13 or later on Android. It's available in the existing Fireflies app, so you don't need to install a separate app.

👉🏻 For more details about plan availability and supported platforms, see Is Fireflies Talk free? Plans and availability.

🔒 Fireflies Talk privacy

Desktop privacy

Your dictations are stored on your device. Fireflies doesn't keep a copy, and no one else at Fireflies or in your workspace can see them. They are never used to train models. Fireflies is SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliant.

Talk requires microphone permission to capture your speech. On Mac, Accessibility permission is also required for Talk to type text at your cursor.

Mobile privacy

On mobile, audio is only used to give you your text. Fireflies doesn't store it or use it for anything else.

  • iPhone: Full Access allows the Fireflies keyboard to pass dictation to the Fireflies app for conversion to text.

  • Android: Accessibility access is used to display the Talk pill above the keyboard and enter dictated text into the active text field.

👉🏻 For more details about privacy and permissions, see Fireflies Talk privacy: where your dictations go and who can see them, and the mobile setup and usage guide.

🛠 Fireflies Talk troubleshooting

If Talk isn't working as expected, common issues include the shortcut not responding, text not appearing, or the wrong microphone being selected.

For solutions to common issues, see Fireflies Talk troubleshooting: text not appearing, wrong words, shortcut not working .

📚 Explore Fireflies Talk guides

Use the guides below to set up Fireflies Talk on desktop or mobile, start dictating, explore supported languages, and troubleshoot common issues.