Voice actions
Start a dictation with a prefix and Kalam acts instead of inserting into the focused app. End a normal dictation with press enter (off by default) to type the rest, then send Return. Same dictation hotkey — no Command Mode, no second shortcut.
Works on every plan, and prefixes skip AI polish. Overview: Hotkeys and voice. Pipeline: voice actions are checked on raw STT before Improve.
Prefixes (start of utterance → skip inject)
| Start with | Result |
|---|---|
new note … | Creates a note — first line becomes the title; remaining lines are the body |
save note … | Same as new note |
remember this … | Same as new note |
new task … | Still recognized; saved as a note (legacy prefix) |
new reminder … | Still recognized; saved as a note (legacy prefix) |
online search … / search for … / look up … | Opens a web search (DuckDuckGo by default, or Google / Bing / Yahoo — Settings → Voice actions) |
ask google … | Google search (always Google) |
youtube … | YouTube search |
maps … | Google Maps search |
ask perplexity … | Perplexity search |
go to … / open website … | Opens an http(s) URL (example.com or https://…) |
copy this … / copy that … | Copies the remainder to the clipboard (does not paste) |
Say the phrase, then the content in the same utterance (for example: “new note grocery list milk and eggs”). Empty content after a prefix errors — include what you want saved, searched, copied, or opened.
Longest prefix wins. Bare search, google, or clipboard are not voice actions (they would steal ordinary dictation).
URL rules
- Allowed:
example.com,https://example.com/path,http://localhost:3000. Missing scheme getshttps://. - Rejected:
javascript:,file:,data:, other schemes, or host-less text like “the store”. Invalid URLs show an overlay error and do not fall through to typing.
Suffix (end of utterance → type, then Return)
| End with | Result |
|---|---|
press enter / press return | Types the rest of the utterance, then sends Return |
This is off by default. Enable it under Settings → General → Voice actions.
- Detected on raw STT (before polish or snippets can eat the words). Trailing
.?!is ignored. - If the setting is off and you still say it, the words stay in the typed text and the pill hints: Press Enter is off — enable in Settings → Voice actions.
- Return runs only after a successful inject. Clipboard fallback / UIPI / no target window → no Enter (would submit in the wrong app).
send itis not a suffix.- Empty remainder with the setting on sends Return only.
new line is a voice command that inserts a line break while still typing. press enter submits the field after typing. They are not the same.
Voice actions vs voice commands vs snippets
| System | When | What |
|---|---|---|
| Voice actions | Utterance starts with a prefix (or ends with press-enter) | Skip or modify inject. This page. |
| Voice commands | Mid-utterance, polish off | Punctuation / new line / scratch that while typing. Reference. |
| Snippets | Inject path, polish off | Substring expansion. Snippets. |
Do not use voice actions as dictionary replacements or snippet triggers.
Voice actions do not require Pro or Max. Prefixes do not use Improve with AI. A voice action still writes a history row (session_mode: capture) and a note when you save a note.
The pill’s Copy last transcript is not the spoken copy this phrase.