Audio input instead of typing

[nshiab]

What would you like to be added?

Amazing work.

But I would love to be able to talk with the agent instead of typing all the time.

I use Copilot in VS Code most of the time, and it's a feature that I love about it.

Thanks. :)

Why is this needed?

Speaking is often faster than typing.

Additional context

No response

[olufuwatayo]

I use dictation inbuilt for mac and i added keyboard shortcut once i press Control keys twice it shows the audio and I do STT.
https://support.apple.com/en-uz/guide/mac-help/mh40584/mac

I have not tried it on windows but you can check this https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/use-voice-typing-to-talk-instead-of-type-on-your-pc-fec94565-c4bd-329d-e59a-af033fa5689f

[xied-ctrl]

You can get very high quality voice to text by using a 3rd party with OpenAI whisper large integration.

[getvoicemode]

Hey @nshiab! 👋

Great suggestion! I've got some exciting news - Voice Mode already provides exactly what you're looking for with Gemini CLI!

Voice Mode + Gemini CLI = 🎤✨

Check out our demo video showing Voice Mode working seamlessly with Gemini CLI!

What you get:

✅ Full voice conversations - Talk to Gemini, hear responses back
✅ Natural speaking - No push-to-talk, just speak naturally
✅ Smart silence detection - Automatically knows when you're done
✅ High-quality STT - Uses OpenAI Whisper (as @xied-ctrl suggested!) or local alternatives

Quick setup:

# Set your OpenAI API key (for STT/TTS)
export OPENAI_API_KEY=your-key

# Configure Voice Mode in your .gemini/settings.json
# See our full Gemini CLI setup guide:
# https://github.com/mbailey/voicemode/blob/main/docs/integrations/gemini-cli/README.md

# Start Gemini CLI
gemini

# Then type 'converse' to start voice mode

Then just say: "Let's have a voice conversation" and you're speaking with Gemini! 🎙️

Why it's better than OS dictation:

As @olufuwatayo mentioned, OS dictation works, but Voice Mode offers:

• Two-way voice - Hear Gemini's responses too
• Context-aware - Gemini can ask clarifying questions verbally
• Faster workflow - No switching between dictation and reading

Bonus features:

• Local STT option - Use Whisper.cpp for privacy
• Multiple voices - Choose how Gemini sounds
• Emotional speech - Gemini can express excitement, concern, etc.

Speaking really is faster than typing - and with Voice Mode, the entire conversation flows naturally!

Would love to hear your feedback after trying it out!

[nshiab]

Very interesting! Thank you all for these suggestions!