Sprecho is a desktop app: install it once and you can dictate into any Windows program — Outlook, Word, Teams, your browser, your practice or case-management software — by holding one key.
The install takes a few minutes. Most of that is Windows asking whether it should trust a new program, which is normal for anything that types on your behalf.
Before you start
- Windows 10 or later, 64-bit. Windows 11 works exactly the same way.
- An internet connection. Speech recognition and formatting run on Sprecho's servers in Germany, not on your PC.
- About 200 MB of free disk space.
- Permission to install software. On a work laptop you may need your IT team — see the MSI note below.
You do not need a paid plan to install. The free plan covers 2,000 words per week, and the 14-day Pro trial starts without a credit card.
1. Download the Windows installer
Open sprecho.ai/download. The page detects
Windows and offers Windows 64-bit. That file is a normal .exe setup
program.
If your company deploys software centrally, ask IT for the .msi build instead.
Every release ships one alongside the .exe, and it installs silently through
Intune, Group Policy or any comparable tool.
2. Run the installer and clear the SmartScreen prompt
Double-click the downloaded file. Windows may show a blue "Windows protected your PC" panel.
- Click More info.
- Check that the publisher line reads Melo Designer GmbH.
- Click Run anyway.
Every Sprecho installer is code-signed, so the publisher name is always shown. SmartScreen still warns about files it has not seen thousands of times yet; the warning is about how new the file is, not about whether it is signed.
Then follow the installer. It finishes in under a minute and puts Sprecho in the Start menu.
3. Start Sprecho and allow the microphone
On first launch, Sprecho walks you through a short setup: sign in, pick a theme, test the microphone and test the hotkey.
Windows asks once whether Sprecho may use the microphone. If you missed the prompt or clicked no, open Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone, turn on Microphone access, and make sure Let desktop apps access your microphone is on as well.
Windows needs no second permission. The Accessibility permission you may have read about is a macOS-only requirement — see Grant microphone and Accessibility permissions.
4. Dictate with the Insert key
Put your cursor where you want text to appear, hold Insert, speak, and let
go. A moment later your words land in the document, punctuated and cleaned up.
Insert is the Windows default because almost nothing else uses it. Hold it to
record and release to insert; a short tap instead starts a hands-free recording
that runs until you press the key again — see
Hold-to-talk vs lock mode.
If Insert clashes with something you use, change it in Settings → General →
Keyboard Shortcuts. You can also add a second shortcut that does the same job.
If the installer is blocked
| What you see | What it usually is |
|---|---|
| "Windows protected your PC" and no Run anyway link | The link is hidden behind More info — click that first |
| The installer disappears right after download | Antivirus quarantined it. Restore the file from the antivirus quarantine list and run it again |
| "Your administrator has blocked this app" | Company policy blocks unsigned or unknown installers. Ask IT to deploy the .msi build instead |
| The download never finishes | A proxy or web filter is intercepting it. Try a different network, or ask IT to allow sprecho.ai |
If dictation installs but no text arrives inside a Remote Desktop, Citrix or terminal-server window, switch the paste keystroke in Settings → General → Paste keystroke to Shift+Insert or Automatic. That setting exists purely for remote sessions and is only shown on Windows.