Status bar & appearance
Read recording and delivery states, use the toolbar and place TawkType where it suits your workspace.
On this page
The bar at rest#
The bar normally remains visible between dictations, dimmed and showing your shortcut. The active mode appears on the right. It returns to full visibility when a dictation starts.
The bar is designed to avoid taking keyboard focus. Clicking a toolbar action or dragging its non-activating surface should not redirect the caret away from the app you were using; the Settings or History window you explicitly open has its own normal focus behavior.
Recognize each state#
| State | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Resting / ready | No active recording. | Click the destination and start your shortcut. |
| Listening | The microphone is recording; the meter and timer respond. | Speak, then release the hold key or press the toggle key again. |
| Transcribing | The local engine is converting the completed recording. | Keep the intended destination focused. |
| Rewriting with Claude | The optional external rewrite pass is running. | Wait for it or cancel pending processing with Esc. |
| Copied — ready to paste | Automatic insertion was withheld or the destination was unsuitable. | Paste in the intended field or open recovery. |
| Delivery problem | A completed result could not be delivered as intended. | Open the dictation box and review the available actions. |
The state display is separate from your document. TawkType does not insert status messages such as “Listening…” as dictated text.
Use the toolbar#
The toolbar provides quick access to Settings, History and Copy last dictation. A recovery button is shown when the last completed dictation needs attention. Copy last uses the available completed result; it is not a recording replay.
The system-tray menu is another way to open the app’s windows and guided setup. If you cannot see the icon, check Windows’ hidden tray icons.
Position and visibility#
Drag the bar to a comfortable location. Placement is remembered and checked against connected displays so a disconnected monitor should not leave it permanently offscreen.
Under Settings → Appearance, choose whether to keep the pill visible between dictations and a standard position: bottom centre, bottom right, bottom left, top centre, top right or top left. The default is bottom centre.
Choose a window theme#
Theme offers light, dark and System. System follows the Windows app theme and tracks later changes. Apply the selection by saving settings.
The floating status pill stays dark in either window theme because it appears over other apps. This docs area has its own reading layout; changing the website does not change the desktop app’s theme.