Shortcuts

The keyboard combos that drive Ditto, how to change them, and what to do when one clashes with another app.

The default

Out of the box Ditto uses two shortcuts:

The recording shortcut is global — it works from any app, not just when Ditto has focus. The cancel shortcut is only active during a recording; the rest of the time pressing Esc does nothing for Ditto.

How recording works

There are three activation modes in Settings → Shortcut → Mode:

• Hybrid (default): hold Ctrl+Windows while speaking and release to transcribe. Quickly press it twice to lock the same recording hands-free; press it once more to finish.
• Toggle: one press starts the recording, a second press ends it and triggers transcription.
• Push-to-talk: hold a regular shortcut while you speak and release it to stop.

You can also click the expanded pill to start or stop. A recording started from the pill behaves like hands-free mode, so the next Ctrl+Windows press stops it.

Change the recording shortcut

1. Open Settings from the tray icon (right-click → “Settings”, or double-click the tray icon).
2. Go to the Shortcut panel.
3. Under Main shortcut → Record / stop, click Change.
4. Press the new combination. Ditto captures it and re-registers globally on the spot.

Hybrid mode specifically uses the modifier-only Ctrl+Windows chord. Toggle and push-to-talk shortcuts must include at least one modifier (Ctrl, Shift, Alt, or the Windows key) plus one regular key. Single-key recording shortcuts are not allowed, which avoids accidental triggers while typing.

Switching away from hybrid mode changes an untouched default shortcut to Ctrl+Shift+Space. Your own custom shortcuts are preserved.

Change the cancel shortcut

The cancel shortcut works differently — single keys are allowed because it’s only active during a recording, so there’s no risk of typing collisions.

1. Settings → Shortcut → Cancel recording.
2. Click Change, press the new key (single keys allowed: Esc, F1–F24, etc.).

When the shortcut clashes

Some combinations are claimed by other software. Common offenders:

• Older versions of Microsoft Office reserved certain Shift+Space combos.
• Discord, Steam, and game launchers register global hotkeys.
• Screen recording tools, accessibility software, language switchers.

If your chosen shortcut doesn’t trigger Ditto, it’s almost always a conflict. Try one of these patterns instead — they’re rarely taken:

• Alt+Shift+D
• Ctrl+Alt+D
• Ctrl+Shift+;
• F8 with a modifier (Ctrl+F8, etc.)

You can also test conflicts the brute-force way: with the new shortcut set, press it from outside Ditto. If something else reacts (a menu opens, a window flashes), there’s a clash.

Tips

• Avoid keys you press often while writing. A shortcut you trigger while typing leads to surprises.
• Pick a combo your fingers can hit one-handed. Dictation is faster when the shortcut doesn’t break your flow.
• If you switch keyboard layouts, retest your shortcut. Layouts can re-map physical keys and the combo may move under your fingers.