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

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.