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Set up the dictation shortcut on Linux

Updated September 22, 20263 min readBlurt 1.4 and later
Short answer

On most desktops, Blurt registers Super + Space automatically the first time you open it. On Wayland, your desktop asks you to approve the shortcut once. If it doesn't appear, or you want a different key, set it in your desktop's keyboard settings as shown below.

How the shortcut works on Linux

On X11, any app can listen for a global shortcut, so Blurt registers it directly. On Wayland, apps can't read your keyboard in the background, which is a good thing for privacy. Instead, Blurt asks your desktop to register the shortcut through the global shortcuts portal, and you approve it once.

Not sure which you're using? Run echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE in a terminal. It prints wayland or x11.

Approve the shortcut

  1. Open Blurt. On first launch it asks your desktop to register Super + Space.
  2. Your desktop shows a “Blurt wants to set a shortcut” dialog. Click Allow, or pick a different key there.
  3. Click in any text field, hold the key and speak. Let go to paste.

Set it manually

If no dialog appeared, or your desktop doesn't support the portal yet, bind a key to Blurt's toggle command yourself.

  1. Open Settings → Keyboard → View and Customize Shortcuts → Custom Shortcuts.
  2. Click Add Shortcut. Name it “Blurt dictation”, and for the command enter blurt dictate --toggle.
  3. Click Set Shortcut and press the keys you want.
  1. Open System Settings → Keyboard → Shortcuts.
  2. Click Add New → Command or Script, and enter blurt dictate --toggle.
  3. Assign a key combination and click Apply.
  1. In your window manager's config (Sway, Hyprland, i3 and others), bind a key to blurt dictate --toggle.
  2. Reload the config. Example for Sway below.
~/.config/sway/configCopy
# Hold-to-talk isn't possible with a plain binding, so this toggles
bindsym $mod+space exec blurt dictate --toggle
Manual shortcuts toggle instead of hold. Press once to start and again to stop. Hold-to-talk needs the portal or X11.

Troubleshooting

ProblemFix
Nothing happens when I press the keyCheck that Blurt is running (look for the tray icon), then re-approve the shortcut in Blurt → Settings → Dictation → Re-register shortcut.
Super + Space switches my keyboard layoutGNOME uses it for input sources. Pick another key, or change the layout switcher in Settings → Keyboard.
Text doesn't paste in some appsA few Wayland apps block simulated paste. Blurt copies the text to your clipboard as a fallback, so press Ctrl + V.
It works in the .deb but not the FlatpakRun flatpak update. Older Flatpak runtimes don't include the global shortcuts portal.
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