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Bolt: Voice Dictation for Prompting

BoltView original changelog

Bolt introduced voice dictation, letting users prompt by speaking instead of typing. The feature supports multiple languages and lets users mix speech and typed text within the same prompt. Dictation can be started via a microphone button in the chatbox, a CTRL+SHIFT+D keyboard shortcut, or a right-click-and-hold gesture, and Bolt transcribes speech into editable text before it's sent.

Key Takeaways

  • Voice-first prompting arrives in Bolt, letting users describe features, bugs, and UI changes by speaking rather than typing.
  • Three separate activation methods — a microphone button, a CTRL+SHIFT+D hold, and a right-click-and-hold gesture — cover different workflow preferences.
  • Transcripts are editable before sending, so Bolt never submits a prompt directly from speech without a review step.
  • Multi-language dictation support makes the feature useful for builders who are more comfortable speaking than typing in English.
  • Speech and typed text can be mixed in one prompt, letting users dictate a rough idea and then fine-tune it with the keyboard.
  • The feature targets prompt-drafting speed, especially for longer, descriptive prompts (bug reports, UI change requests) where talking is faster than typing.

New Features

Talk to Bolt with Voice Dictation

Bolt now lets users prompt by talking instead of typing. The new dictation feature transcribes spoken input directly into the chatbox, and it supports multiple languages, so users are not limited to typing in a single language to get results. Speech and typed text can also be mixed within the same prompt, giving builders the flexibility to dictate a rough idea and then refine it manually, or vice versa.

Three Ways to Start Dictating

Bolt built in three separate ways to trigger dictation, aimed at different working styles:

  • Click the Dictate microphone icon in the chatbox, then click Stop recording or press ENTER when finished.
  • Press and hold CTRL+SHIFT+D while speaking, then release to stop.
  • Right-click and hold anywhere in the chatbox while speaking, then release.

Once recording stops, Bolt transcribes the speech into the chatbox as editable text rather than sending it immediately, so users can review and correct the wording before submitting the prompt. The first time a user dictates, Bolt requests microphone access from the browser.

Why It Matters

Voice dictation lowers the friction of describing complex UI changes, bug reports, or feature requests, particularly for longer, more conversational prompts where typing can be slower than talking through an idea out loud. Combined with multi-language support, it also makes Bolt more accessible to non-English-first builders who may find speaking easier than typing in a secondary language.