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).
- Hold the Subtle 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.
- Let go. Your words appear at your cursor.
That hold–whisper–release rhythm is the whole technique. When you release, Subtle finishes transcribing and pastes 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 → hold the mic → whisper |
| Any app on Mac | Hold your dictation hotkey → whisper |
| Notes and chat in the Subtle app | Hold the in-app mic → whisper |
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.