User guide

Everything you need to go from install to dictating everywhere. Most people are set up in under a minute.

Getting started

Download Sona and drag it to Applications.
Launch it — Sona lives in your menu bar, there is no main window.
Grant microphone access (so Sona can hear you) and accessibility access (so it can type into the active field). Sona prompts for both on first run.
Place your cursor in any text field, hold fn, and speak.

TIP

If text isn't appearing in a specific app, re-check accessibility permission in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.

The shortcut

There are two ways to talk to Sona:

Hold to talk

Hold fn, speak, release. Best for messages and quick replies.

Toggle mode

Double-tap fn to keep listening hands-free. Tap once to stop. Best for long-form.

You can remap the shortcut in the menu bar → Settings → Shortcut.

Voice commands

Say these naturally, mid-dictation — Sona tells commands apart from content by context.

“scratch that”Removes the last phrase you said

“new paragraph”Starts a new paragraph (also: “new line”)

“make it shorter”Condenses the last sentence without losing meaning

“spell it: S-O-N-A”Types exactly the letters you spell out

“literal mode”Turns off cleanup — every word lands as said, ums included

Custom dictionary

Add names, brands, and jargon once — menu bar → Settings → Dictionary. Sona prioritizes your entries over its general vocabulary, so “Priya”, “kubectl”, or your product's codename land right every time. The free plan includes a starter dictionary; Pro removes the limit.

Style rules

Set per-app tone in Settings → Style: lowercase and casual in Slack or Discord, full sentences in Mail and Docs. Rules are plain text — for example, “in Slack, keep it lowercase and skip the periods” — and Sona applies them automatically whenever that app is focused.

Privacy

Audio is processed for transcription and discarded — it is never stored or used for training. Your transcript history is kept only on your device; you can clear it any time from Settings → Privacy → Delete history.

FAQ

Sona isn't typing into one specific app

Usually an accessibility permission issue. Toggle Sona off and on in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility, then restart the app.

Does it clash with the system dictation shortcut?

If you have system dictation bound to fn, disable it in Keyboard settings or remap Sona's shortcut — two listeners on one key confuse everyone.

Does Sona work offline?

Transcription needs a connection. If you drop offline mid-dictation, Sona keeps the audio buffered locally and types it when you're back.

What counts against my monthly words?

Only words that actually land in a text field. Deleted takes and “scratch that” corrections don't count. Pro is unlimited.

Still stuck? Write to support@uwcapp.com — a human answers.