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Dictation in Linear

Voice dictation in Linear for issues, project updates, and comments

Issues and updates get written thin because typing a full description is slow. SnailText lets you speak them, cleans the text up locally, and drops it into any Linear field.

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Mac & Windows · Works in any field · Nothing uploaded

AI dictation in Linear, on your device

SnailText is AI dictation: a speech model turns your voice into text, then a second model cleans it up, dropping filler, fixing punctuation, and matching the style your work needs. Both models run on your own machine, so nothing you say in Linear is uploaded for transcription. Press the hotkey, speak, and the finished text lands at your cursor.

Does Linear have built-in dictation?

Linear has no built-in voice dictation. To dictate an issue, a project update, or a comment you need a system-wide tool. SnailText injects text at the OS level, so it works in every Linear field on Mac and Windows, and it adds an AI cleanup pass that keeps the text concise and properly cased.

Speech to text in Linear: how it works

SnailText does not plug into Linear directly. It runs system-wide: a global hotkey (Option+Space (Mac) / Ctrl+Space (Windows), customizable) starts recording, the local speech-to-text engine (Whisper or Parakeet) transcribes what you said, and the text is pasted at your cursor through the system clipboard, the same way it lands when you type. That means it works in every Linear field, plus every other app on your Mac or Windows machine, with no extension or integration to set up.

That matters in Linear specifically: a clear issue needs context, steps, and expected outcome, which is a lot of typing, so issues end up vague. Speech to text removes that bottleneck without changing how you work in Linear.

Voice to text in Linear: what to dictate

Voice typing in Linear is not limited to one box. Press the hotkey anywhere a cursor blinks and your speech becomes text, so the things you would normally type out by hand become things you just say.

  • · Issue titles and descriptions with context and acceptance criteria
  • · Project and cycle updates
  • · Comments and replies on issues
  • · Triage notes and bug reports

Where typing slows you down in Linear

  • · A clear issue needs context, steps, and expected outcome, which is a lot of typing, so issues end up vague.
  • · Project updates are recurring paragraphs you retype every cycle.
  • · Linear has no native dictation, so without a system-wide tool every field is keyboard-only.

Example dictations for Linear

Issue

"The model picker does not refresh after a download finishes, so the new model only shows up on restart. Expected: it should appear in the list as soon as the download completes."

Project update

"Streaming transcription is in review, dictation language work is done, and the only remaining blocker for the release is the installer signing cert."

Comment

"Agreed this is worth doing, but let us scope it to the desktop path first and handle mobile in a follow-up issue."

Linear voice dictation FAQ

Does Linear have built-in voice dictation?
No. Linear has no native speech-to-text for issues, updates, or comments. SnailText adds dictation to every Linear field by inserting text at the OS level on Mac and Windows, with a local AI cleanup pass that keeps issues concise.
Can I dictate Linear issues and updates?
Yes, anywhere you can type in Linear. Click into an issue, a project update, or a comment, press the hotkey, speak, and the cleaned-up text lands at your cursor. The Development profile keeps code and product names cased correctly.
Can I use voice typing in Linear?
Yes. SnailText adds voice typing to Linear on Mac and Windows. Press the hotkey (Option+Space (Mac) / Ctrl+Space (Windows), customizable), speak, and the text lands at your cursor in any Linear field, the same way it works for voice to text in every other app on your machine.
Does the dictation work offline?
Yes. SnailText runs the speech model on your device, so dictation works with no internet connection after the model is downloaded. The optional AI cleanup model runs locally too.
Is my voice uploaded anywhere?
No. Audio is processed in RAM on your machine and discarded the moment the text is ready. Nothing is sent to a server for transcription.
How much does SnailText cost?
The free tier gives you unlimited local speech-to-text with no account. Pro adds larger models and the on-device AI cleanup, $7.49/mo or $89/yr for up to 3 devices.

Dictation in other apps

Start dictating in Linear

Free local speech-to-text, no account needed. Works in Linear and every other app on Mac and Windows.

Download for Mac See pricing