Back to your train of thought.

Installing Soona

Open soona.dmg, drag Soona into Applications, and launch the app from there. Soona requires Apple silicon and macOS 26 or later. The installation guide walks through permissions, model downloads, and your first dictation.

If macOS says an app is damaged or cannot be verified, stop and download a fresh copy from this website. Don’t disable your Mac’s security settings. Check the version and checksum on the download page.

The microphone isn’t picking up your voice

In System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone, allow Soona. Check the selected input device in Soona Settings and your Mac’s Sound settings. If you changed headphones or disconnected a microphone, select the available input and try a new recording.

Your transcript didn’t appear in the other app

Allow Soona in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility. Focus the destination text field before recording. Changing focus or typing during a take pauses insertion so your existing text is protected. Copy the transcript from the pill or from History if saving is enabled.

Some fields do not support direct insertion. See app compatibility for confirmed behavior. Password fields and Secure Input do not accept automatic dictation.

The shortcut isn’t responding

Hold Option–Space to talk, then release to finish. Soona Settings lets you change hold-to-talk and toggle shortcuts. Choose a different combination if another app or macOS is already using it.

A model download stopped

Keep your Mac online and check available disk space. Retry the download in setup; verified data can be reused. The speech model is needed for Live dictation. Polish and Rewrite Selection also need the writing model.

Find, export, or delete a transcript

Open History to search recent writing, copy a transcript, or export it. You can replay or retranscribe a take while its audio remains available. History is encrypted and stored separately on each Mac; it does not sync or act as a cloud backup.

By default, audio is retained for 24 hours and transcripts for 30 days. Change retention or turn off saving in Settings. Turning saving off does not delete previously saved entries; delete those in History. Exported files are readable outside Soona.

Sign-in and your two Macs

Use the same email on both Macs. Check the address and your spam folder if a code hasn’t arrived, and request a new code when one expires. Sign-in requires internet access. Manage active Macs from the app’s account settings.

Access paused while you were offline

Reconnect and open Soona to refresh your account. Paid access can stay valid offline for up to 30 days after the last check, but no later than seven days after your paid-through date. Trial access ends at its original seven-day deadline. Your saved history and export remain available after access expires.

Manage your subscription

When subscriptions open, use Manage Billing in the app to update payment details or cancel renewal. Canceling stops the next renewal; access continues through the paid period. Billing support will be available with the public release.