The Vowen blog
Talk more, type less.
Practical dictation guides, honest comparisons and meeting-notes templates from the people building Vowen.
How to Record Computer Audio on Mac & Windows (2026)
How to record system audio — the sound your computer plays — on Windows and Mac: Audacity's loopback trick, OBS, BlackHole, and the right tool when it's a meeting.
· 8 min readMacWhisper Review (2026): Pricing, Pros & Alternatives
An honest MacWhisper review for 2026 — what the local Mac transcription app does brilliantly, where it stops short, and the cross-platform alternative to consider.
· 8 min readHow to Record a Google Meet (2026 Guide)
Every way to record a Google Meet: the built-in recorder (and which Workspace plans have it), Meet transcripts, and recording on your own computer on any account.
· 8 min readHow to Record a Zoom Meeting (2026 Guide)
Every way to record a Zoom meeting: local and cloud recording, recording as a participant, capturing audio properly — and how to get notes from it afterwards.
· 8 min readOne-on-One Meeting Template (Copy-Paste + Variants)
A copy-paste one-on-one meeting template that keeps 1:1s from becoming status updates — with first-meeting and career variants and a question bank.
· 8 min readAI for Sales Calls: Stop Typing Notes on Every Demo (2026)
How reps use AI for sales calls in 2026 — automatic transcription, per-call summaries, and action items without a bot, plus a fast follow-up email workflow.
· 9 min readInterview Notes Template: Compare Candidates Fairly (2026)
A copy-paste interview notes template for recruiters and hiring managers — evidence-based sections, scoring, panel variants, plus an AI capture workflow.
· 9 min readHow to Record Lectures and Turn Them into Exam-Ready Notes
A student's guide to recording university lectures — asking permission, getting clean audio, and turning an hour of recording into exam-ready notes.
· 9 min readCanned Responses: 15 Support Templates That Don't Sound Canned
15 copy-paste canned responses for customer support — refunds, bugs, outages, escalations — plus personalization rules and a text-expansion setup.
· 10 min readOutlook Speech to Text: How to Dictate Email (2026)
Turn on speech to text in Outlook step by step — use the built-in Dictate button, fix it when it's missing, and dictate email with an on-device alternative.
· 6 min readBest Microphone for Dictation in 2026 (Real Advice)
Which dictation microphone actually improves accuracy? Honest picks by budget — USB mics, wired headsets, dictation handhelds — plus the Bluetooth trap.
· 8 min readWispr Flow Alternatives That Cost Less (2026)
The best Wispr Flow alternatives in 2026, compared honestly: Vowen, Superwhisper, VoiceInk, VoiceTypr, and Willow Voice — by privacy, platform, and pricing.
· 8 min readVoice Typing Not Working? Fixes for Gboard & Windows
Voice typing not working? Step-by-step fixes for Gboard on Android — missing mic icon, permissions, offline packs — and Windows voice typing (Win + H).
· 7 min readHow to Run an LLM Locally in 10 Minutes (llama.cpp Guide)
The fastest way to run an LLM locally: install llama.cpp, start llama-server with one command, and get a private OpenAI-compatible API on localhost.
· 9 min readHow to Take Meeting Notes That You'll Actually Use
How to take meeting notes that stick: what to capture, three proven methods, a before-during-after routine, and how to stay present in the meeting.
· 8 min readSuperwhisper Alternatives for Mac & Windows (2026)
The best Superwhisper alternatives in 2026, compared honestly: Vowen, Wispr Flow, MacWhisper, VoiceTypr, and Willow Voice — by platform, privacy, and pricing.
· 8 min readHow to Write Meeting Minutes (With Example & Checklist)
Learn how to write meeting minutes people actually use — what to capture, what to skip, a copy-paste example, and how to draft minutes automatically with AI.
· 8 min readMac Dictation Not Working? 9 Fixes That Actually Work
Fix dictation on your Mac step by step — the toggle, the shortcut key, microphone and language settings, Voice Control conflicts, and alternatives.
· 7 min readHow to Dictate in Microsoft Word (2026 Guide)
Dictate in Microsoft Word step by step — turn on the built-in Dictate button, fix it when it's greyed out, and get voice typing that works in every app.
· 6 min readHow to Dictate on iPhone (2026 Guide)
Dictate on iPhone step by step — turn on Dictation, use the keyboard mic in any app, add punctuation by voice, dictate offline, and fix common issues.
· 6 min readBest Transcription Software in 2026 (Tested & Compared)
The best transcription software in 2026 for turning recordings into text — compared on accuracy, privacy, price, and human vs AI, from Rev to on-device Vowen.
· 9 min readOtter.ai Review (2026): Pricing & Alternatives
An honest Otter.ai review for 2026 — what the AI meeting assistant does well, where it falls short, and a private, on-device alternative worth trying.
· 8 min readAI Dictation: The 2026 Buyer's Guide
What AI dictation is, how it differs from old speech recognition, and how to choose the right tool in 2026 — on-device vs cloud, AI cleanup, and price.
· 8 min readGoogle Meet AI Note Taker: How to Auto-Summarize Calls
How to get AI meeting notes for Google Meet — the built-in 'take notes for me' feature, its limits, and private on-device alternatives that work on any call.
· 8 min readWispr Flow Review (2026): Pros, Cons & a Cheaper Alternative
An honest Wispr Flow review for 2026 — what the AI dictation app does well, where it falls short, and a cheaper, on-device alternative worth trying.
· 8 min readBest AI Note Takers for Meetings in 2026 (Tested & Ranked)
The best AI note takers for meetings in 2026 — ranked on capture method, privacy, summaries, and price, from cloud meeting bots to private, on-device options.
· 9 min readBest Dictation & Speech to Text Software in 2026 (Ranked)
The best dictation and speech-to-text software for Mac and Windows in 2026 — ranked on accuracy, privacy, platforms, and price, from built-ins to AI tools.
· 9 min readBest Voice to Text Apps for 2026
The best voice to text apps for 2026 across Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android — free built-ins to dedicated apps, compared on accuracy, privacy, and price.
· 8 min readNotion AI Meeting Notes vs. Dedicated Tools (2026)
How Notion AI meeting notes work, where they fall short, and when a dedicated voice tool that records and transcribes the call gives you better notes.
· 7 min readWispr Flow vs Superwhisper vs Vowen (2026)
An honest comparison of Wispr Flow, Superwhisper, and Vowen across architecture, privacy, platform support, and price — and how to pick the right dictation app.
· 8 min readWhat Is Dictation? How AI Voice-to-Text Actually Works
What is dictation? A plain-English guide to how speech becomes text, the difference between dictation and transcription, and how modern AI voice-to-text works.
· 6 min readMeeting Notes Template (+ How to Auto-Generate Them)
A clean, copy-paste meeting notes template plus variants for standups, 1:1s, and client calls — and how to auto-generate structured notes from the conversation.
· 7 min readHow to Turn On Voice to Text on Android (2026 Guide)
Turn on voice to text on Android in seconds. Step-by-step Gboard voice typing setup, fixes when the mic key is missing, and a better desktop option.
· 6 min readiPhone Dictation Not Working? 9 Fixes That Work
iPhone dictation not working? Work through 9 fixes — enable Dictation, mic permissions, Screen Time restrictions, language settings, and more.
· 7 min readVoice Typing in Google Docs: The Complete Guide
How to use voice typing in Google Docs — turn it on, the voice commands worth knowing, why it only works in Chrome, and a faster way to dictate anywhere.
· 6 min readWhy Is My Voice to Text Not Working? How to Fix It
Voice to text not working? Common causes and step-by-step fixes for Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android — microphone permissions, language settings, and more.
· 7 min readHow to Use Dictation on Mac (2026 Guide)
A step-by-step guide to using dictation on your Mac — how to turn on Apple Dictation, its limits, and a faster, more private way to talk instead of type.
· 5 min read
Talk instead of type.
Vowen is free voice-to-text that works in any app, on Mac and Windows. No account required.