Dictate in any app · Social
Mastodon's culture rewards longer, more considered posts than the platforms people left. Typally types what you say straight into Mastodon — hold a key, talk, let go — so you can dictate anywhere Mastodon lets you type.
Written by the team behind Typally. Mastodon's own features are described as accurately as we can — check them yourself before switching anything.None. The composer is a plain text box, though instances vary in character limit.
Character limits are often generous — many instances allow far more than a typical microblog — which means the constraint is no longer the platform. It is how much you are willing to type.
In practice people use it for: Longer posts, replies in a thread, content warnings, profile bios, and instance introductions.
Because Typally types at the system level rather than plugging into Mastodon, setup is the same everywhere:
Grab the build for your platform and create an account.
Make sure Mastodon has the cursor in the intended field; that is the only thing that decides where words appear.
The recording lasts exactly as long as you do.
Instances differ in character limits and composer behaviour. A long dictated post may exceed a limit your instance sets lower than you expect.
Typally types into the composer, so a considered three-paragraph post costs about as long as saying it. Instances often allow far more characters than a typical microblog, which means the platform stopped being the constraint and typing became it. Content warnings are a separate field and worth dictating properly too.
Someone used to compressing thoughts into a few hundred characters speaks a full three-paragraph post instead. The replies are conversations rather than reactions, which is what they had joined the platform hoping for.
Write the content warning as carefully as the post. On Mastodon it functions as a summary, and a lazy one annoys people more than no warning at all.
Instances differ in character limits and composer behaviour. A long dictated post may exceed a limit your instance sets lower than you expect.
No. The composer is a plain text field on web and in most clients.
It depends on the instance. Many allow substantially more than a typical microblog, which is what makes longer writing practical.
Yes — the warning field is a separate text input.
Free plan: 100 minutes of dictation a month, no card. Pro is $7.99/month if you want more.
Also dictate in: Bluesky · Threads · X (Twitter) · see all apps