The short answer: on Mac, double-press the record key to cancel. On Windows, press Escape while recording. On platforms without a documented cancel shortcut, stop the recording, delete the unwanted result or queued item, and start again.
Not every recording deserves processing. Maybe the wrong mic was selected. Maybe you started with the wrong thought. Maybe someone interrupted. Cancel quickly when the platform supports it. Otherwise stop and delete the unwanted take.
Desktop Shortcuts
| Platform | Start/stop | Cancel while recording |
|---|---|---|
| Mac | Control + Option + R |
Double-press record key |
| Windows | Ctrl + Alt + R |
Escape |
| Linux | Ctrl + Alt + R |
Double-press record key |
The global hotkey starts and stops recording. Cancel is different: it is for abandoning the current take instead of processing it as useful text.
Chrome, Mobile, and Obsidian
Chrome extension uses Alt + V to start and stop recording. Mobile uses the mic button. Obsidian uses the plugin mic button. The documented safe fallback on these surfaces is:
- Stop the recording.
- Delete the unwanted note, output, or queued item.
- Start a clean recording.
Do not assume an undocumented cancel shortcut exists on every surface.
When to Cancel
Cancel or restart when:
- You selected the wrong microphone.
- You started speaking before the app was ready.
- Background noise took over.
- You realized the note belongs somewhere else.
- You changed your mind and want a clean version.
If the content is mostly good, do not cancel. Stop, let it process, and edit the result.
Clean Restart Habit
For important dictation, say the first sentence only after you see or hear the recording indicator. If the first sentence goes wrong, cancel immediately and restart. You will get cleaner output than trying to explain around the mistake.
Do This Now
Start a test recording, then cancel it using the shortcut for your platform. If your platform does not have a documented cancel shortcut, stop it and delete the test output. Then record a clean one-sentence note.