Email

Dictate emails in half the time

Open Gmail, Apple Mail, or Outlook. Hold the key, speak your reply, release. Your email is written. Arugula learns the names you email most, so "send this to Priya" won't become "send this to Praia" after a few corrections.

Many people find they write longer, more thoughtful emails when they can speak instead of type. The friction of the keyboard disappears.

Documents & writing

First drafts by voice, refinement by keyboard

Writers, journalists, and content creators use Arugula to get ideas down fast. Speak a rough paragraph, then edit it into shape. It's faster than staring at a blinking cursor waiting for the right words.

Works in Google Docs, Pages, Word, Notion, Bear, Obsidian — any app with a text field.

Meeting notes

Capture key points as they happen

During a video call, hold the key and speak the important takeaway. Arugula inserts it into your notes app immediately. No scrambling to type fast enough, no forgetting what someone said five minutes later.

Since Arugula runs entirely on your Mac and doesn't record or store audio, there are no privacy concerns about dictating during sensitive meetings.

Messaging

Talk instead of text in Slack and Messages

Quick replies don't need the keyboard. Hold, speak, release — your message appears in the chat field. Works with Slack, Discord, Messages, WhatsApp Desktop, Teams, and any other messaging app.

Code comments & documentation

Explain your code without leaving your editor

Developers use Arugula to dictate code comments, PR descriptions, and documentation. It's faster than typing long-form text when your hands are already busy with code. Works in VS Code, Xcode, IntelliJ, Terminal — anywhere you can place a cursor.

Arugula learns technical terms and function names from your corrections, so after a few uses it gets your codebase vocabulary right.

Accessibility

Type less when you need to

If typing is painful or difficult — due to RSI, arthritis, injury, or disability — voice dictation can be transformative. Arugula's hold-to-talk model gives you precise control over when dictation is active, and it works in every app without special setup.

Unlike cloud-based alternatives, your voice data stays completely private — an important consideration for personal and medical contexts.

Journaling & personal notes

Think out loud, capture everything

Sometimes the fastest way to capture a thought is to say it. Use Arugula with Apple Notes, Obsidian, Day One, or any journaling app. Hold the key, say what you're thinking, release. Your words are saved.

With correction learning, Arugula gets better at understanding the names, places, and terms that matter in your personal life — not just work vocabulary.