Voice to Text for BetterTouchTool
BetterTouchTool lets you customize every gesture and shortcut on your Mac. But naming those gestures and documenting your actions takes forever. You're setting up a three-finger swipe, and you know exactly what it does, but typing 'Open Safari and navigate to today's calendar' interrupts your flow. Blurt lets you dictate gesture names, action descriptions, and preset notes naturally. Hold a button, describe your gesture, release. Your words appear in BetterTouchTool's text fields instantly. No context switching. Just talk and configure.
The Typing Problem
Naming gestures breaks your configuration flow
You just created the perfect four-finger tap gesture that opens your email, calendar, and Slack. Now you need to name it so you remember what it does next month. Switching from gesture configuration mode to typing mode kills your momentum. You either skip the name entirely or write something cryptic like 'morning apps.'
Action descriptions require too much typing
BetterTouchTool actions can be complex. You've chained together five actions that resize a window, move it to a specific display, and open a companion app. Documenting this in the notes field means typing out a paragraph. You know what it does now, but future you will be confused when you return to edit it.
Preset notes become afterthoughts
You're building a preset for video editing that includes 50 custom gestures. Each one should have a description. But after configuring gesture number 12, typing descriptions feels like a chore. You tell yourself you'll add notes later. You never do.
Explaining workflows to yourself is tedious
Your BetterTouchTool setup is brilliant. It took hours to perfect. But when you try to document it for yourself or share it with others, the typing overhead is enormous. The genius workflow lives only in your head because writing it down takes too long.
Quick edits turn into long typing sessions
You just need to rename one gesture. Just a quick description update. But your hands are already on the trackpad configuring things. Reaching for the keyboard to type feels like switching tools entirely. A 5-second thought becomes a 30-second interruption.
How It Works
Blurt works everywhere in BetterTouchTool where you can type. Gesture names, action notes, preset descriptions, AppleScript comments. Anywhere there's a text field, Blurt can insert.
Hold your hotkey
Press your chosen shortcut. A small indicator shows Blurt is listening.
Describe naturally
Say what the gesture does, dictate your action description, or explain the preset. Blurt handles punctuation automatically.
Release and done
Text appears in the text field instantly. Name field, notes field, wherever your cursor is focused.
Real Scenarios
Naming complex gesture chains
You built a trackpad gesture that opens Terminal, runs a specific command, and moves the window to your second monitor. Click the name field, hold your hotkey, and say 'Three finger swipe up: Open terminal, run dev server, and position on right monitor.' Complete gesture documentation in seconds. Future you will actually understand what this does.
Documenting action sequences
Your gesture triggers seven sequential actions. In the notes field, hold and speak: 'This action sequence first closes all Safari windows, then opens a new private window, navigates to the analytics dashboard, and takes a screenshot. Used for daily metrics check.' Full documentation without lifting your hands from the trackpad.
Describing preset purposes
You're creating a preset for video editing workflows. Hold your button and dictate: 'Video editing preset for DaVinci Resolve. Includes gestures for timeline navigation, clip selection, color grading panels, and export shortcuts. Optimized for Magic Trackpad.' Your presets become self-documenting.
Adding inline AppleScript comments
You're writing an AppleScript action in BetterTouchTool. Position your cursor above a complex block and dictate: 'This section handles the edge case where no windows are open. It creates a new window first before attempting to resize.' Comments flow as fast as your thoughts.
Labeling Touch Bar buttons
You're customizing Touch Bar widgets with descriptive names. Instead of typing 'Deploy to Prod' one letter at a time on that tiny keyboard, hold your button and say it. Label all your custom buttons in a fraction of the time.
Writing trigger conditions
You're setting up conditional activations. In the condition description field, dictate: 'Only activate when Figma is frontmost and at least one artboard is selected. Prevents accidental triggers during canvas panning.' Complex conditions, clearly documented.
Exporting preset documentation
You're sharing your BetterTouchTool preset with colleagues. They'll need context. Go through each gesture, hold your button, and dictate a clear description for each. Create shareable, documented presets that others can actually understand and use.
Why BetterTouchTool users choose Blurt over macOS Dictation
| Blurt | macOS Dictation | |
|---|---|---|
| Activation | Single hotkey, instant start | Press twice or click microphone icon |
| Speed | Text appears in under 500ms | 2-3 second delay common |
| App switching | Works while focused on BetterTouchTool | Sometimes loses focus when activated |
| Reliability | Consistent across sessions | Often fails silently or stops working |
Frequently Asked Questions
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