Subtle Voicebuds are built so you don't have to speak up to be understood. The microphones sit in your ear and pick up your voice directly, so a quiet whisper comes through as clearly as normal speech — even in a library, an open office, or a crowded café.
If you can hear yourself, Subtle can hear you.
How to whisper-dictate
Whispering isn't a separate mode — it's just dictation, quieter. Use it anywhere you dictate with Subtle:
- Put your cursor where you want text (a message box, an email, a note).
- Start dictating: tap the mic button on the Subtle keyboard on iPhone, or hold your dictation hotkey on Mac.
- Whisper what you want to say — like you'd tell a friend something private.
- Stop: tap the mic again on iPhone, or release the hotkey on Mac. Your words appear at your cursor.
That start–whisper–stop rhythm is the whole technique. When you stop, Subtle finishes transcribing and puts the text where your cursor is.
Getting the best results
- A soft whisper is enough. You don't need to project or "stage whisper" — the setup guide's voice check calibrated to your quietest comfortable voice.
- Keep your words shaped. Quiet is fine; blurry isn't. Let the ends of words land instead of trailing into a mumble.
- Keep the buds seated. Whisper accuracy depends on the in-ear microphones; a loose fit is the most common cause of missed words. See Fit and comfort: choosing the right ear tips.
- Whisper in phrases, not single words. Whole sentences give the engine more context.
- Noisy room? Whisper anyway. The in-ear mics isolate your voice from the room — that's exactly when whispering shines.
Where this works
| Surface | How |
|---|---|
| Any app on iPhone | Subtle keyboard → tap the mic → whisper → tap to stop |
| Any app on Mac | Hold your dictation hotkey → whisper |
| Notes and chat in the Subtle app on iPhone | Tap the in-app mic → whisper → tap to stop |
If your whisper isn't coming through
- Check the buds are connected — the Voicebuds icon in the app shows a dot when connected. Without them, dictation uses your device microphone, which needs normal speaking volume.
- Re-run the voice check: Profile → Replay Welcome Guide walks you through calibration again.
- Reseat or resize your ear tips.
- Still stuck? See Improve dictation accuracy or Contact support: what to include.