How to set up Fireflies Talk on Windows

Fireflies Talk is built into the Fireflies desktop app and dictates text directly into the app you're using. Once you set it up, you can speak instead of typing, and your text appears where your cursor is.

In this guide, you'll learn how to set up Fireflies Talk on your Windows device, including choosing your language and microphone, configuring your keyboard shortcut, and allowing the required permissions. You'll also complete your first dictation to make sure Talk is ready to use.

🔑 Prerequisites

Make sure you have the following ready before setting up Fireflies Talk on Windows:

• Microphone access - Talk needs access to your microphone to hear and process your speech.

🚀 Follow these steps to set up Fireflies Talk on Windows

Step 1: Open the Fireflies desktop app

Open the Fireflies desktop app on your Windows device and select the Dictation tab. The onboarding flow appears the first time you open the tab.

If you've already completed the setup, click View onboarding to open the onboarding flow again.

Step 2: Review the Fireflies Talk Supplemental Terms

Review the Fireflies Talk Supplemental Terms before continuing with the setup.

Note: Click Fireflies Talk Supplemental Terms to read the terms. By clicking Let's Get Started, you agree to the Fireflies Talk Supplemental Terms.

Click Let's Get Started to continue with the setup.

Step 3: Select your languages

Select the languages you speak to help Talk detect and transcribe your speech accurately. You can choose Auto-detect or select the specific languages you use.

If you select specific languages, choose all the languages you want Talk to detect, then click Continue.

Step 4: Select your microphone

Talk uses your selected microphone to capture your speech. Speak into the microphone and check that the audio bars turn green.

• Click Change Microphone to view the available microphone options.

• Select the microphone you want to use from the dropdown menu.

  

• Speak into the selected microphone and make sure the audio bars turn green.

• Click Yes, It Does to confirm and continue.

  

Step 5: Set your Talk shortcut

By default, Ctrl + Win is your Talk shortcut. Press and hold Ctrl + Win and check that the key turns green. This confirms that Talk detects the shortcut.

💡 Want to change your shortcut? You can change the shortcut if you prefer to use a different key or key combination.

• Click Change Shortcut to customize the shortcut.

  

• Select the shortcut field.

• Press the key or key combination you want to use.

  

• Note: If the shortcut is reserved by Windows, Talk shows a message and won't let you use it.

  

• You can also use a mouse button as a shortcut.

• If you change the shortcut, click Save Changes to apply it. To return to the default Ctrl + Win shortcut, click Reset To Default. If you don't make any changes, simply close the window to continue.

  

🙌 Use hands-free mode

If you don't want to hold the Talk shortcut while dictating, double-tap your Push to talk shortcut to start hands-free mode. Speak normally, then tap the shortcut again to finish dictating.

Your hands-free shortcut automatically updates when you change the Push to talk shortcut.

Once you've set or confirmed your shortcut, press the selected shortcut key and check whether the key turns green. If it does, the shortcut is working. Click Yes, It Does to continue.

🎙 Complete your first dictation

Now that you've set up your shortcut, try your first dictation. You can test both Push to talk and Hands-free mode to make sure Fireflies Talk is working as expected.

Try push-to-talk

Use Push to talk for shorter messages. Press and hold your configured shortcut while you speak, then release it when you're done.

1. Click the text field shown on the screen.

2. Press and hold your Push to talk shortcut.

3. Speak your message.

4. Release the shortcut. Your dictated text appears in the text field.

Try hands-free mode

For longer messages, use Hands-free mode so you don't need to keep holding the shortcut.

1. Double-tap your Push to talk shortcut to start hands-free mode.

2. Speak your message.

3. Tap the shortcut again to finish dictating.

4. Review the formatted text, then click Continue.

✨ What Talk does with your speech

Fireflies Talk automatically cleans up and formats your dictated text based on the app you're using.

• Removes filler words and false starts, such as um, like, and repeated or restarted sentences.

• Adds punctuation automatically, so you don't need to say comma or period out loud.

• Adapts formatting to where you're writing. For example, Emails include a greeting and sign-off, while Slack messages stay short and casual.

• Keeps your meaning unchanged.

📊 View your dictation overview

After you complete the onboarding, Talk shows a summary of your first dictation. This screen gives you a comparison between your average typing speed and your voice speed.

• Avg. typing speed shows the typing speed used for comparison.

• Your voice shows the words-per-minute recorded during your dictation.

• The “You just typed…” message compares the two speeds.

• Click Start Dictating to finish onboarding and start using Talk.

After you click Start Dictating, you're taken to the Dictation tab, where you can view your dictation activity.

The Your dictations section on the left lists your previous dictations, including the time, text, and the app where the text was pasted. This can include apps such as Slack, Gmail, Chrome, or other apps where you use Talk.

You can also search and filter your dictations to find a specific entry.

On the right side of the page, you can view:

• Total Words — the total number of words you've dictated.

• Dictation streak — shows your current dictation streak on the calendar.

🔗 What's next

Now that Fireflies Talk is set up on your Windows, you can start using it to dictate wherever you type.

• Use Fireflies Talk to dictate in any app — Learn how to use Push to talk, Hands-free mode, the dictation pill, and your dictation history.

• Troubleshoot Fireflies Talk — Fix common issues with shortcuts, microphone access, permissions, or dictated text not appearing.