Skip to main content
All settings are accessible from the Handless settings window. This page covers every available option.

Audio

Microphone

Select which microphone to use. You can set a priority list — if your preferred mic is unavailable (e.g. laptop lid closed), Handless falls back to the next one.

Mute System Audio

Automatically mute system audio while recording to prevent capturing playback in your transcription.

Audio Feedback

A sound plays when recording starts and stops. Adjust the volume or choose a sound (Marimba, Pop, or custom). Set to zero to disable.

Output Device

Choose which audio device plays feedback sounds.

App

Theme

Switch between Dark, Light, and System (follows your OS preference).

Language

The Handless UI is available in 17 languages: Arabic, Czech, German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Chinese (Simplified), and Chinese (Traditional).

Start Hidden

Launch without showing the window. The app runs in the menu bar.

Autostart

Automatically launch Handless when you log in.

Tray Icon

Show or hide the menu bar icon.

Recording Overlay

A floating overlay shows recording status. Position it at the Top or Bottom of the screen, or None to disable.

Model Unload Timeout

Local models stay in memory for faster transcriptions. Set when to unload: Never, Immediately, 2 / 5 / 10 / 15 minutes, or 1 hour.

Output

Paste Method

How Handless types transcribed text into your app:
  • Cmd+V — standard paste (default)
  • Direct paste — direct input method
  • Shift+Insert — alternative paste shortcut
  • Ctrl+Shift+V — paste without formatting
  • External script — run a custom script
  • None — copy to clipboard only, don’t paste

Clipboard

Choose whether to copy the transcription to the clipboard or leave the clipboard unchanged (text is pasted directly).

Auto-Submit

Automatically press Enter (or Ctrl + Enter / Cmd + Enter) after pasting. Useful for chat apps and search bars.

Trailing Space

Append a space after each transcription so you can continue typing seamlessly.

Data

Export / Import Settings

Export your configuration as JSON to back up or transfer to another machine. Import to restore.

App Data Directory

View where Handless stores models, history, and configuration files.

Logs

Access log files for troubleshooting. Set the log level in debug mode (Trace, Debug, Info, Warn, Error).