Templates & Lock Mode

Dictate freely with Lock Mode, then format your output into structured documents with templates.

Overview

Lock Mode lets you dictate for as long as you want without holding a key. Combined with templates, you can speak naturally and have VoxInk format the output into structured documents — SOAP notes, referral letters, emails, and more.

This is where VoxInk goes beyond simple dictation and becomes a document creation tool.

Lock Mode

What is Lock Mode?

Instead of holding your hotkey the entire time you're speaking, double-tap it to "lock" dictation on. VoxInk records continuously until you explicitly stop it. This frees up your hands for gesturing, examining, or anything else while you dictate.

How to Use Lock Mode

1. Double-tap your hotkey (e.g., Left Option Left Option)
2. You'll hear a lock sound — recording is now locked on
3. Speak naturally for as long as you need
4. To stop: press your hotkey once, or press any other key
5. The Output Window opens with your transcribed text

Enabling / Disabling

Lock Mode is enabled by default. To toggle it on or off:

• Menu bar → Hotkey → Double-Tap to Lock

Output Window

When a Lock Mode recording finishes, the Output Window appears with your transcribed text. This is your editing and formatting hub before the text reaches your target application.

From the Output Window you can:

• Edit the text — make corrections or additions before pasting
• Select a template — choose a format from the dropdown menu
• Process with AI — click the process button to apply the selected template
• Copy & Paste — copies the text and pastes it into the last focused application
• Discard — close the window without pasting

The Output Window remembers your last-selected template, so if you always use the same format, you only need to select it once.

Built-in Templates

VoxInk includes 5 professional templates ready to use. Just dictate naturally — the AI handles the formatting.

SOAP Note

Formats your dictation into a standard medical SOAP structure:

• Subjective (S) — patient's complaints, history, symptoms in their own words
• Objective (O) — clinical findings, observations, vital signs, examination results
• Assessment (A) — diagnosis, differential diagnoses, clinical impression
• Plan (P) — treatment plan, medications, follow-up, referrals

Specialist Referral Letter

Professional referral letter including:

• Date and addressee placeholders
• Patient details section
• Reason for referral
• Clinical background and relevant history
• Request or action required

Client File Note

Structured clinical or legal file note with:

• Date, attendees, and matter reference
• Discussion summary
• Action items with owners
• Next steps

Legal Letter

Formal legal correspondence format with:

• Letterhead placeholders
• Reference line
• Body with formal structure
• Professional sign-off

Formal Email

Professional email format with:

• Subject line (auto-generated from content)
• Greeting
• Body paragraphs with logical structure
• Professional sign-off

Custom Templates

Create your own templates to format output however you need. Custom templates use the same AI processing as built-in templates, but with your own instructions.

Creating a Template

1. Click Templates in the menu bar
2. Click Add Template
3. Enter a name (e.g., "Meeting Minutes")
4. Write instructions that tell the AI how to format your text
5. Optionally enable redaction for this template
6. Click Save

Writing Good Instructions

The quality of your formatted output depends on how clear your instructions are. Here are some tips:

• Be specific about the output format — describe exactly what sections and headings you want
• Include section headings if you want structured output
• Mention what to do with incomplete information — should the AI leave placeholders, skip sections, or ask for clarification?
• Give an example if the format is complex — showing the AI what you want is often clearer than describing it

Example prompt:

Format the following dictation as meeting minutes with: Date, Attendees, Discussion Points (bulleted), Action Items (with owners and due dates), and Next Meeting date/time.

Template Limits by Plan

Redaction on Templates

Each template can have redaction toggled independently. When enabled, personally identifiable information (PII) is redacted before the text is sent to the AI for formatting, then restored after processing returns.

This means you can use cloud-based AI for template formatting while keeping sensitive data on your device. Toggle redaction per template in the template editor, or globally via the Privacy menu.

See Privacy & Redaction for full details on how redaction works.