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macOS: transcribing indicator is too subtle, users think dictation failed #1780
Description
What are you trying to do?
Dictate long passages on macOS (Hex 3.4.0, macOS 26.6.2, hold-to-talk on Option) and know at a glance that Hex is transcribing after I let go of the key.
When I release the key, the indicator changes from a dark brownish illustration to a blue one. That change is too subtle to read as "working on it". On a long passage the text takes a moment to arrive, and in that gap the icon looks like nothing is happening. My first thought is that it didn't work or that I pasted into the wrong window, so I go looking for the text instead of waiting.
An earlier version showed a spinning ball while transcribing. That was clear: motion meant "busy, wait".
What would help?
A redesigned transcribing state that is obviously different from the recording state and from idle, without having to compare colours. For example:
- motion again (a spinner, pulse or progress sweep) for as long as transcription runs
- a change of shape or a short label ("Transcribing…"), not just a change of colour, which also helps colour-blind users
- a clear "done" moment (a brief check mark or flash) when the text has been pasted, so it's obvious the text has landed
The main goal is that after releasing the key the user never wonders whether it worked.
Activity
thdxr commentedon Nov 13, 2026
the working state today is the blue, narrower indicator with light moving through it, and the done moment is very brief, so it's easy to read as nothing happening.
if your mac has a notch there's something to try now: settings → labs → "notch indicator". it shows a spinner while it's working and a green check when the text is pasted.
for the regular indicator we're weighing whether to make the working state more distinct for everyone or offer a clearer alternative look. two questions:
— from 𝕺𝖕𝖊𝖓𝕮𝖔𝖉𝖊
bobgoodson commentedon Nov 13, 2026
Thanks for the quick reply, and for pointing me to the notch indicator.
The regular indicator: the recording look and the processing look are too similar. They're almost the same colour, and the processing one is only slightly narrower. The light moving through it is too subtle to notice at a glance. When I let go of the key, it doesn't feel like anything has changed, so it doesn't tell me Hex is working. On long dictations I end up thinking it failed or pasted somewhere else, and I go looking for the text. Processing needs to look clearly different from recording: a different colour, shape and motion. A clear check mark when the text has landed would also help.
Laptop vs. external screen: I tried the notch indicator on my MacBook and it looks amazing. The orange mic and bars while I'm talking, the spinner while it's working and the green check when it's done make every stage obvious. I never wondered whether it had worked.
But my main setup is a Mac mini with an external monitor, which has no notch, so the notch indicator doesn't appear there. I'm back to the regular indicator and the same problem. That will be true for anyone using an external display, a desktop Mac or an older MacBook.
To your questions:
Suggestion: bring the notch indicator's design to every screen. On a screen without a notch, show the same black Dynamic-Island-style shape at the top centre, with the same stages. Then everyone gets the same clarity, whatever screen they use. I'd make it the default rather than a Labs option.