Using Diurnal
Voice capture
Speak tasks into Diurnal with a shortcut from any app, review them, and file them.
To add tasks without typing, speak them. Voice capture works from any app.
Speak a task
- Hold ⇧⌘L, talk, and let go when you're done.
- Or tap ⇧⌘L to start listening, and say "that's all" when you're done.
You can say several tasks in one go: "Call the bank tomorrow at 10, renew my passport, and book the dentist for Friday." Listening stops on its own after 50 seconds.
Review, then file
Nothing is filed until you press ⏎.
- On macOS 26 with Apple Intelligence turned on, Diurnal splits what you said into separate tasks, each with its date and time. Edit or remove any of them, then click Add or press ⏎. Discard puts your words back as text.
- Otherwise your words appear as text in the capture bar. Edit them if needed and press ⏎.
To change the shortcut, see General settings.
What it needs
- Microphone and Speech Recognition permission. macOS asks the first time you use it. Diurnal listens only while you hold or toggle the shortcut.
- English. Voice capture understands English, in your Mac's variant where available.
- Apple's speech recognition turns your words into text, on your Mac where it can, and never on Diurnal's servers. If your Mac needs internet for it, Diurnal says "Voice needs internet on this Mac".
If Diurnal says it needs the microphone or speech recognition, allow it in System Settings › Privacy & Security.