How do I get started? (60-second quickstart)
You'll be dictating in under a minute. Three steps:
**1. Open VoicePad.** Launch from your desktop on Windows, or tap the app icon on Android/iOS. The Whisper AI model is pre-loaded — no wait.
**2. Tap the mic orb.** The large glowing button in the center. Or press `Ctrl+Space` from anywhere on Windows.
**3. Speak naturally.** Normal pace, normal voice. Text appears in real-time. When done, tap the orb again. Your text is automatically copied to your clipboard.
**Three things to know on day one:**
- **Set your language first.** Settings → Language → choose English or German. VoicePad forces this — speaking German with English selected produces garbage.
- **Say your punctuation.** "Period", "comma", "question mark", "new paragraph" — all work.
- **The superpower is `Ctrl+Space` from any app.** On Windows, you don't need to switch to VoicePad. Speak. Stop. Text lands where your cursor was.
For the full quickstart with screenshots, see the [Help Center Quick Start](https://voicepad.tech/help/#quick-start).