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Advanced Settings

Everything here is optional. You can run Knowii Voice AI for months without opening this page. Come back when you want the app to start with your session, when the overlay lands in the wrong place, when pasting misbehaves on Linux, or when you need the logs.

Application Behavior​

Control how Knowii Voice AI starts and runs:

Start Hidden​

Location: Settings > Advanced

  • Launch directly to system tray without showing the main window
  • Useful if you want the app running silently in the background
  • The app will be fully functional and ready to use via the system tray icon

Launch on Startup​

Location: Settings > Advanced

  • Automatically start when you log in to your computer
  • App will be ready to use immediately when you need it
  • Combined with "Start Hidden", the app starts with your session and stays out of sight

Display Options​

Overlay Enabled​

Location: Settings > Advanced > Display

Enable or disable the visual overlay that provides feedback during recording and transcription:

  • Enabled (default): Shows the overlay during recording and transcription
  • Disabled: Hides the overlay completely
    • Useful during screen recordings, presentations, or screen sharing
    • No visual indication will appear during transcription

The overlay displays:

  • Recording indicator when you're actively recording
  • Transcription progress when processing
  • Cancel option to abort the current operation

Overlay Position​

Location: Settings > Advanced > Display

Only available when Overlay Enabled is turned on

Choose where the recording overlay appears on your screen:

Center Positions:

  • Bottom Center (default): Status shown at the bottom center of your screen
  • Top Center: Status shown at the top center of your screen

Corner Positions:

  • Top Left: Status shown in the top-left corner
  • Top Right: Status shown in the top-right corner
  • Bottom Left: Status shown in the bottom-left corner
  • Bottom Right: Status shown in the bottom-right corner

The overlay keeps clear of taskbars, menu bars, and panels, so it never lands on top of something else.

Transcription Options​

Translate to English​

Location: Settings > Advanced > Transcription

  • Automatically translate speech from other languages to English
  • Only available with Whisper models (not supported by Parakeet)
  • Useful for multilingual workflows where you speak in one language but need English output
  • Examples: Speaking French but need English documentation, translating meeting notes, etc.

Note: Translation requires more processing time than standard transcription.

Instant Transcription (Experimental)​

Location: Settings > Advanced > Transcription

  • Off by default. When on, Knowii Voice AI transcribes your speech at natural pauses while you are still talking, instead of waiting until you stop.
  • When you stop, only the last few words still need processing, so your text appears almost instantly — even after a long dictation.
  • Nothing is pasted early: the text still arrives in one piece, exactly like before. The recording saved to your history is also unchanged.
  • Works with every model.
  • Trade-off: the audio is cut at pauses, so the model occasionally loses a bit of context across a pause. If you notice odd wording around pauses, turn it off — the default whole-recording mode is unchanged.

Tip: this shines on long dictations. A two-minute thought that used to take several seconds to transcribe is ready the moment you release the key.

Paste Options​

Paste Method​

Location: Settings > Advanced > Paste

Controls how transcribed text is inserted into applications:

  • Clipboard (Ctrl+V) (default on Windows/macOS): Simulates Ctrl/Cmd+V keystrokes to paste

    • Most compatible with applications
    • Works in virtually all text fields
    • Temporarily modifies clipboard (see Clipboard Handling below for behavior options)

  • Clipboard (Shift+Insert) (Windows/Linux only): Simulates Shift+Insert keystrokes to paste

    • More universal for terminal applications
    • Works better in some Linux/X11 applications
    • Alternative to Ctrl+V for applications that don't respond well to it
    • Temporarily modifies clipboard (see Clipboard Handling below for behavior options)

  • Direct (default on Linux): Types the text straight into the focused field

    • Bypasses clipboard completely
    • On Linux, uses your desktop's typing tool (wtype/kwtype/xdotool) for reliable results. See Typing Tool below
    • Useful for troubleshooting clipboard-related issues

When to change:

  • If transcriptions aren't being pasted correctly
  • If clipboard conflicts occur with other applications
  • For troubleshooting pasting issues in specific applications
  • If using terminal applications on Linux/Windows (try Shift+Insert method)

Typing Tool (Linux only)​

Location: Settings > Advanced > Paste

Chooses which system tool Knowii Voice AI uses to type transcriptions and send paste shortcuts on Linux. This matters because typing text reliably differs between Wayland and X11.

  • Auto (default): Automatically picks the best tool available on your system: wtype (or kwtype on KDE) on Wayland, xdotool on X11.
  • wtype / kwtype / dotool / ydotool / xdotool: Force a specific tool.

The dropdown only lists the tools actually installed on your computer. If your list shows just "Auto", install one of the tools (see the Installation guide). Otherwise the app falls back to a built-in method that can be unreliable on Wayland (text may fail to appear).

When to change:

  • If dictated text doesn't appear in your apps on Linux
  • If you have multiple tools installed and want to force a particular one

Clipboard Handling​

Location: Settings > Advanced > Paste

Control what happens to your clipboard after transcription:

  • Don't Modify Clipboard (default): Preserves your current clipboard contents

    • Transcription is pasted but your clipboard remains unchanged
    • Useful if you have something important copied that you don't want to lose
    • Note: this works for text. If your clipboard holds an image or files, it can't be put back after a clipboard-based paste, so the transcription stays on the clipboard instead

  • Copy to Clipboard: Leaves transcription in clipboard after pasting

    • Allows you to paste the same transcription multiple times
    • Useful for repeated pasting or when you want to keep the text in clipboard

Input Devices (Linux only)​

Location: Settings > Advanced

Disable Shortcut Suppression​

Default: Off

On Linux, Knowii Voice AI listens to your keyboard directly so your shortcut works in every app. While listening, it takes temporary exclusive control of the devices it recognises as keyboards, so your shortcut keys don't also land in whatever you're typing in.

On rare hardware (usually gaming mice and fancy keyboards, which present themselves as a keyboard and a mouse through the same connection) this can affect the wrong device.

Turn this on if, while the app is running:

  • the mouse pointer stops moving but clicks still work,
  • a key, media button, or scroll wheel stops responding, or
  • trackpad gestures stop working.

With it on, your shortcut still works and your devices are left completely alone. The trade-off is that the shortcut's keys also reach the app you're typing in, so you may see a stray character or hear a beep when you trigger it.

note

This setting takes effect the next time you start the app.

tip

Most people never need this. Devices that report pointer movement are already left alone automatically. See My mouse or keyboard behaves strangely while the app is running in the FAQ.

History Management​

Location: Settings > Advanced

Control how transcriptions are saved and managed:

Enable History​

  • Stores transcriptions in the database
  • Allows you to view, search, and manage past transcriptions
  • Access history from the History tab in the main window
  • When disabled, transcriptions are not saved anywhere

Save Transcriptions to Disk​

Requires History to be enabled

  • Saves transcription text as markdown files
  • Files organized by date in history/YYYY/MM/ folders
  • Example: 2025-01-15-14_30_45 - Transcription.md
  • Useful for backups or accessing transcriptions outside the app

Save Audio to Disk​

Requires History to be enabled

  • Saves audio recordings as WAV files
  • Allows playback of original recordings from history
  • Files stored alongside transcriptions: 2025-01-15-14_30_45 - Audio.wav
  • Warning: Audio files can consume significant disk space

Limit History​

Requires History to be enabled

  • Keeps only the most recent unstarred transcriptions
  • Default limit: 100 most recent entries
  • Starred transcriptions are always kept regardless of this setting
  • Helps manage disk space automatically
  • Older unstarred transcriptions are automatically deleted

Clear All History​

Requires History to be enabled

Warning: This action is permanent and cannot be undone!

  • Permanently deletes all transcriptions (including starred entries)
  • Deletes all associated files (text and audio)
  • Clears the database completely
  • Use with caution, and consider backing up your data first

Performance Settings​

Model Unload Timeout​

Location: Settings > Advanced > Performance

Control when the AI model is automatically unloaded from memory to free up system resources:

  • Never: Model stays loaded in memory (fastest, uses more RAM/VRAM)
  • Immediately: Unload right after each transcription (slowest, minimal memory usage)
  • After 2/5/10/15 minutes: Balanced options
  • After 1 hour: For regular but not constant use

Recommendations:

  • Never: If you use transcription frequently throughout the day and have sufficient RAM
  • After 2-5 minutes: Balanced option for moderate use
  • After 10-15 minutes: Good for occasional use
  • Immediately: Only if you're very constrained on memory

When a model is unloaded, the next transcription will have a delay while the model reloads.

info

The AI model now stays ready throughout a recording. Even if you've chosen to unload the model quickly, it won't be unloaded in the middle of a recording, so your transcription is never interrupted while you're speaking.

Application Logs​

Location: Settings > Advanced > Application Logs

View the most recent application activity directly inside the app, with no need to find log files on your computer:

  • Refresh: Loads the latest log lines
  • Copy: Copies the logs to your clipboard so you can paste them into an email or a bug report

This is the fastest way to gather information when reporting a problem. The logs never contain the words you dictated. They only describe what the app is doing.

Tips​

  • Start with default settings and adjust based on your needs
  • Monitor disk space if saving audio files
  • Use "Limit History" to prevent excessive disk usage
  • Combine "Start Hidden" and "Launch on Startup" so the app is always ready and never in the way
  • Disable the overlay during screen recordings, presentations, or screen sharing
  • Use corner positions for the overlay if center positions interfere with your work

Need Help?​

If you have questions about advanced settings, visit the Support page.