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 two activation modes available in Settings → Shortcut → Mode:

• Toggle (default): one press starts the recording, a second press ends it and triggers transcription.
• Push-to-talk: hold the shortcut while you speak, release it to stop. Ditto detects release after ~600 ms of inactivity on the combo, so there’s a small delay between letting go and the transcription starting.

Pick whichever feels more natural for your workflow.

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.

The combo must include at least one modifier (Ctrl, Shift, Alt, or the Windows key) plus one regular key. Single-key shortcuts are not allowed for the main shortcut to avoid accidental triggers when typing.

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.