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Relay Puts Gemini Voice Dictation in Any Mac Text Field, With Hardware Due in 2027

Relay’s immediate product is software, but its app-action layer asks users to weigh hands-free automation against microphone and screen-snapshot permissions.

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Relay Puts Gemini Voice Dictation in Any Mac Text Field, With Hardware Due in 2027
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Relay has launched a macOS app that puts Gemini voice dictation into almost any text field, while the company’s dedicated Relay Q microphone is not expected until early 2027. The immediate pitch is simple: assign a hotkey—Fn by default—hold it, and speak instead of typing. The bigger experiment is whether voice can control other apps without becoming too intrusive. Relay was founded by former Nothing employees Cookie Xu and Raymond Zhu. Zhu says they ran into a workplace problem: speaking normally could disturb a coworker, but whispering into a Mac often failed. The planned $150 Relay Q is designed to sit close to the mouth. It includes a year of software, then costs $15 a month, although the app will work without the microphone. Relay also turns spoken requests into “Skills.” Those can draft a Slack message, create a Google Calendar event, or work with preset connections for WhatsApp and Gmail. But app control requires microphone permission and can use a screen snapshot each time Relay activates. Relay says data is stored locally and deleted after processing, but processing still passes through Relay and Google servers. That tradeoff matters because the beta remains rough. WIRED found missed words, punctuation and emoji mistakes, Slack failures, and a noticeable activation delay. Calendar creation worked. The key question now is whether close-range whisper capture—and faster dedicated hardware—can make the automation reliable enough to justify those permissions.

Story brief

3 key points

Relay is testing whether dedicated hardware can make voice control practical in noisy workplaces and quiet home settings. Its macOS app uses Google Gemini for dictation and app “Skills,” but automation requires microphone access and optional screen snapshots. A $150 Relay Q microphone, bundled with one year of service and followed by a $15 monthly fee, is planned for early 2027. The concept remains unproven: beta...

  1. 01

    Relay Q is planned for early 2027 at $150, including one year of software; the subscription is $15 monthly afterward.

  2. 02

    The macOS app works in any text field via a hotkey; Windows, iOS, and Android versions are planned but unavailable.

  3. 03

    Skills can create calendar events or draft messages, but require microphone access and optional screen snapshots for app control.

Relay has launched a macOS voice-to-text app powered by Google Gemini, while its planned Relay Q microphone is due in early 2027. The product starts as software, but its app actions can require microphone access and screen snapshots whenever Relay is activated.

Relay was founded by former Nothing employees Cookie Xu and Raymond Zhu. Zhu said their use of voice transcription at work exposed a practical gap: speaking loudly could be heard by a nearby coworker, while whispering too quietly into a Mac could fail to register. Relay’s response is dedicated hardware held close to the mouth, rather than another software-only dictation layer.

A key press becomes a request

At launch, Relay is limited to macOS. Users assign a hotkey, Fn by default, then hold it in any text field to dictate. Relay plans versions for Windows, iOS, and Android, but those platforms are not available yet.

The app also turns spoken requests into what Relay calls Skills. It can launch Slack, find a recipient and draft text, or create a Google Calendar event. Relay offers preset Skills for WhatsApp and Gmail, and users can make connections for other apps.

The microphone is the next test

The Relay Q is planned as a cylindrical microphone with a pressable top and a detachable button that can clip to clothing; a double-tap can send a message. Relay also plans a charging dock and a separate MagSafe grip for attaching it to an iPhone or Qi2-enabled device. Zhu said the close-held microphone should capture whispers, but that performance remains untested before release.

What Relay can tailor

  • Writing rules, such as omitting periods in Slack messages.
  • Tone for regular contacts, including formal messages to a boss and casual ones to friends.
  • Translation for a contact in another country.

Automation brings the sharper tradeoff

Skills require more access than ordinary dictation. Relay needs microphone permission and can be granted permission to record a screen snapshot each time it activates, which lets it carry out app actions. Relay says user data is stored locally and can be edited or deleted; when processing is needed, data passes through Relay’s servers to Google’s servers, but Relay says it does not retain it.

WIRED’s tester used a beta version of Relay’s macOS app and found missed words, punctuation errors, inconsistent emoji handling, and trouble with a Slack Skill, though calendar-event creation worked. The tester also observed a delay after the hotkey; dedicated hardware may shorten it, but that remains untested.

Sources

  1. wired.comStop Touching Your Keyboard. Use This AI-Powered Microphone Instead

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