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Short answer: To dictate in Linear on a Mac, install a system-wide voice keyboard, place your cursor in the issue title, description, or comment box, hold your hotkey, speak, and release. The text lands directly where you were typing. Because Linear runs in the browser or its own app and has no built-in microphone button, a menu bar dictation tool like Voice Keyboard Pro is the most reliable way to do it without touching the keyboard.

Linear is built for speed. Keyboard shortcuts, command palettes, and a deliberately minimal interface all push you to move fast. But the one thing that still slows everyone down is writing the actual content of issues, bug reports, and comments. That is exactly where being able to dictate in Linear changes how the work feels. Instead of typing out a full reproduction case or a detailed comment, you speak it in a few seconds and move on to the next ticket.

This guide covers how to set up voice dictation for Linear on a Mac, where it works well inside the app, and how to get accurate text without fighting the built-in tools.

Why Linear needs a system-wide dictation tool

Linear does not ship a microphone button anywhere in its interface. There is no native voice feature in the issue editor, the comment box, or the command bar. That means you have two real options on a Mac: Apple's built-in dictation, or a dedicated voice keyboard that types into any application at the cursor.

The key idea is that good Linear dictation has to be system-wide. You are not dictating into one fixed text box. You jump between an issue title, a multi-line markdown description, a comment thread, and a sub-issue, often within seconds. A tool that works at the OS level inserts text wherever your cursor happens to be, so the same hotkey works in every field without any per-app setup.

Option 1: Apple's built-in dictation

macOS includes a free dictation feature that works inside Linear because Linear's text fields are standard editable areas. Here is how to turn it on and use it:

  1. Open System Settings, then go to Keyboard.
  2. Scroll to Dictation and switch it on. Accept the prompt if macOS asks to enable it.
  3. Note or set the shortcut to start dictation (the default is often pressing the microphone or Control key twice).
  4. In Linear, click into the issue description or comment box so the cursor is blinking there.
  5. Trigger the dictation shortcut, speak your text, and trigger it again to stop.

This works for short, casual notes. The trade-offs show up quickly, though. Apple dictation often stops listening after a pause, struggles with technical terms, API names, and ticket jargon, and rarely punctuates the way you want in a structured bug report. For a tool built around precise, fast issue tracking, that friction adds up. If you run into it, our guide on Apple Dictation alternative options covers what to do next.

Option 2: Dictate in Linear with Voice Keyboard Pro

The smoother path is a native menu bar app that handles dictation across your whole Mac. Voice Keyboard Pro is built exactly for this: hold a hotkey, speak, release, and accurate text appears at the cursor, usually in under a second. There is nothing to configure inside Linear because the app types directly into whatever field is focused.

Setting it up

  1. Download Voice Keyboard Pro from the Mac download page and install it.
  2. Grant microphone access when prompted. That is the only permission required.
  3. Pick or confirm your dictation hotkey in the menu bar settings.
  4. Open Linear in your browser or the desktop app. No extension or plugin is needed.

Dictating issues and comments

Because transcription runs on fast cloud infrastructure with advanced, Whisper-class AI, accuracy and speed are the same on every Mac regardless of how old the hardware is. That matters for issue tracking, where a misheard error code or class name can make a ticket useless.

Get technical terms right with Smart Vocabulary

Engineering teams live in jargon: service names, repo names, library names, acronyms, and product terms that no general dictation model has heard. Voice Keyboard Pro includes Smart Vocabulary, a personal dictionary with replacement rules that learns the exact terms you use. Add your project codenames, your API endpoints, and the spellings your team expects, and they come out correct every time you dictate in Linear.

A few practical entries worth adding for a typical Linear workflow:

Speak a change instead of retyping it

If you are also on iPhone and triage Linear from your phone, the Voice Keyboard Pro iPhone keyboard adds a built-in microphone button that works in any app, including Linear in Safari or the Linear mobile app. It also includes Voice Edit, where you speak a change and it is applied to the text in place, which is handy for tightening a description before you submit it. One subscription covers both Mac and iPhone, so the same vocabulary and the same workflow follow you everywhere.

A faster issue-writing flow

Once dictation is set up, a productive loop looks like this. Open the new issue view with Linear's keyboard shortcut, click the description, hold your hotkey, and narrate the bug exactly as you would explain it to a teammate: what you did, what happened, what you expected. Release, glance over the text, fix the one word that needs it, and submit. For comments, you read the thread and reply by voice without breaking your reading position. The result is more detailed tickets written in a fraction of the time, which is the whole point of using Linear in the first place.

For a broader look at how this compares to other tools, see our roundup of the best dictation software for Mac.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I dictate directly into Linear without an extension?

Yes. A system-wide voice keyboard types at your cursor, so it works in Linear whether you use the web app or the desktop app. There is no browser extension or Linear plugin to install. Click into any field and dictate.

Will dictation get my technical terms and code names right?

General dictation tools usually mangle internal jargon. With Smart Vocabulary in Voice Keyboard Pro, you add your service names, acronyms, and product terms once and they transcribe correctly from then on, which makes a real difference in technical tickets.

Is my dictation private when I write sensitive issues?

The servers store only operational pings, such as the fact that a transcription happened, for billing and reliability. No audio and no transcript content is stored, and your dictation history stays on your device. That keeps confidential bug reports and internal comments private.

Does it cost anything?

There is a free tier with daily limits and no time limit, so you can try dictating in Linear before committing. Pro is $4.99 per month or $34.99 per year and covers both Mac and iPhone.

How is this different from Apple's built-in dictation?

Apple dictation is free and fine for quick notes, but it tends to stop on pauses, struggle with technical vocabulary, and punctuate inconsistently. A dedicated tool gives faster, more accurate results and a custom dictionary. See Voice Keyboard Pro vs Apple Dictation for a full comparison.

The Bottom Line

Linear rewards anything that removes friction, and voice is one of the biggest wins available. Apple's built-in dictation will get you started for free, but if you write detailed issues and comments all day, a system-wide tool that types accurate text at your cursor, learns your jargon, and keeps your content private is the reliable way to dictate in Linear. Hold a hotkey, speak, release, and your next ticket is already written.