Dictate comments, documentation, commit messages, and boilerplate code in VS Code, Xcode, or any editor. Keep your hands on the keyboard for logic, use your voice for everything else.
Developers spend a surprising amount of their day writing things that are not code. Comments, documentation, commit messages, pull request descriptions, code review feedback, Jira tickets, README files, and Slack messages to teammates. These text-heavy tasks are where voice dictation delivers the biggest productivity gains.
With Steno, you can dictate all of that natural language content at 130-150 words per minute, directly into your editor or terminal, without leaving your coding environment. Hold a key, speak, release. The text appears at your cursor.
Download Steno from stenofast.com. The default hotkey is Right Option, which works well for developers because it does not conflict with common editor shortcuts. You can customize it to any key during onboarding.
In your code editor, click or navigate to the exact position where you want the dictated text to appear. This could be above a function for a docstring, at the end of a line for an inline comment, or in your terminal for a commit message.
Press and hold your Steno hotkey. Speak what you want written. For code comments, describe the function's purpose. For commit messages, explain what changed and why. For documentation, describe the API or feature.
Release the hotkey. Steno transcribes your speech in sub-second time and types the text at your cursor position. Add the comment syntax (// or #) yourself, or set up a text snippet that auto-prefixes it.
Set up text snippets in Steno for boilerplate patterns you use frequently. A short trigger phrase expands into a full code block, function template, or documentation structure.
Writing good comments is important but tedious when typing. With voice, you can explain complex logic in seconds. Instead of debating whether a comment is worth the effort of typing, you can just say it.
"This function validates the user's authentication token against the database and returns a boolean indicating whether the session is still active period It checks both the expiration timestamp and the revocation list period"
This function validates the user's authentication token against the database and returns a boolean indicating whether the session is still active. It checks both the expiration timestamp and the revocation list.
Good commit messages explain why a change was made, not just what changed. But when you are in flow, it is tempting to write "fix bug" and move on. With voice dictation, writing a descriptive commit message takes the same 5 seconds as a lazy one.
"Fix race condition in websocket connection handler where multiple clients connecting simultaneously could corrupt the shared session state"
When opening a PR, you need to explain the context, approach, and testing strategy. Dictating this context is dramatically faster than typing it, and it results in better PR descriptions because speaking encourages more complete explanations.
Reviewing code requires thoughtful feedback. Typing out suggestions, explanations, and alternatives can be slow. With Steno, you can leave detailed, helpful review comments in seconds, which leads to more thorough reviews and better code quality across the team.
Documentation is the task most developers procrastinate on because it involves writing long blocks of natural language. Voice dictation removes the friction entirely. You can dictate an entire README or API doc section while the implementation is still fresh in your mind.
Do not try to dictate actual code syntax. Instead, use voice for everything around the code: comments, docs, messages, descriptions, and explanations. This hybrid approach gives you the best of both worlds.
After staging your changes, type git commit -m ", then hold your Steno hotkey and speak your commit message, then release and close the quote. This workflow takes under 10 seconds for even detailed messages.
Create text snippets for function templates, error handling blocks, test structures, and import statements. Combine voice triggers with code expansion for maximum speed.
The best time to document code is right after you write it. With Steno, you can dictate the documentation in seconds while the logic is still fresh. No more "I'll document it later" that never happens.
Steno works at the macOS system level, so it is compatible with every editor and IDE:
There is no plugin, extension, or configuration needed. If your editor accepts keyboard input, Steno works in it.
Steno is optimized for natural language, making it ideal for comments, documentation, commit messages, and variable naming. For exact code syntax, most developers prefer typing or using AI code completion. However, Steno's text snippets can expand short phrases into full code blocks, bridging the gap.
Yes. Steno works in every macOS application including VS Code, Xcode, IntelliJ IDEA, Sublime Text, Vim in Terminal, and any other editor. It types at the system level, so no plugin or extension is needed.
Most developers use voice dictation for the text-heavy parts of coding: writing comments, documentation, commit messages, pull request descriptions, code review feedback, and README files. These tasks involve natural language and benefit most from speaking at 150 WPM instead of typing at 50 WPM.
Voice dictation is not about replacing your keyboard. It is about augmenting your workflow with a faster input method for the half of your work that is natural language. Check out our guide on writing emails with voice and learn about 5 ways developers use voice-to-text daily for more ideas.
Download Steno and start dictating comments, docs, and commit messages today. Free to try on macOS.
Download Steno