Getting Started

How to install the extension?
Open Chrome Web Store, find "Vi Voice - Voice Input Assistant", click "Add to Chrome" and pin the extension to the browser panel (click the puzzle icon → pin).

How to start recording?
Press Ctrl+Space (on Mac: Cmd+Space) or click on the extension icon and press "Start Recording". On first launch, allow microphone and clipboard access when prompted - this is safe and necessary for the extension to work (see Security and Privacy section for details).

Which browsers are supported?
Only Chrome after 2023 updates. The extension uses Chrome Speech API, which is not available in other browsers.

Does it work offline?
No. Speech recognition happens on Google servers, constant internet connection is required.

In which languages can I dictate?
11 languages are supported: English, Russian, Ukrainian, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean.

Settings

How to change the recognition language?
Click on the extension icon → Settings → Language → select the needed language from the list.

What is "text accumulation"?
This function allows you to dictate text in parts - new recordings are added to previous ones, until 5000 characters accumulate (about 2-3 pages). Enabled by default.

How does auto-copy work?
When enabled (by default), text automatically copies to clipboard after stopping recording. You can immediately paste it where needed via Ctrl(Cmd)+V.

What is basic punctuation?
Built-in engine that adds periods, commas and question marks. Works for free for English, German, Ukrainian and Russian languages. Automatically disables when GPT is enabled.

Can I change the window appearance?
Yes. In settings you can choose theme (auto/dark/light), adjust window transparency (10-100%) and auto-hide time (1-60 seconds).

AI Enhancement (GPT)

What does GPT processing provide?
Professional punctuation placement, grammar error correction, proper text formatting. Works for all 11 languages. Quality is significantly higher than basic punctuation.

How to get OpenAI API key?

1. Register at platform.openai.com
2. Go to API Keys
3. Create a new key (starts with "sk-")
4. Copy and paste into extension settings

Detailed instruction: vi-voice.com/api-guide

How much does GPT usage cost?

• GPT-4o Mini: ~$0.00015 per 1K input tokens + $0.0006 per 1K output tokens (roughly $0.001 per 500 words)
• GPT-3.5 Turbo: ~$0.0005 per 1K input tokens + $0.0015 per 1K output tokens (roughly $0.002 per 500 words)
• GPT-4o: ~$0.0025 per 1K input tokens + $0.01 per 1K output tokens (roughly $0.02 per 500 words)

Current expenses are displayed in settings (Today / All time)
Prices may change depending on OpenAI conditions (current as of September 2025)

Why did GPT stop working?
Check:

1. Balance on OpenAI account (platform.openai.com)
2. System may delete key if Chrome crashed. Just add API key again
3. Not exceeded limit of 80 requests per hour, you will see a message

Is it safe to enter API key?
Yes. The key is encrypted with AES-256-GCM method and stored on vi-voice.com server in encrypted form. Decryption happens only in memory during text processing.

Is it safe to dictate text?
Yes. Your text is not saved on the server and passes through "zero knowledge" principle in encrypted form.

Troubleshooting

Why doesn't recording start?

1. Check if you granted microphone and clipboard permissions when prompted - without these the extension cannot work. To re-enable: click extension icon → Chrome will ask for permissions again
2. Check microphone permission in browser settings
3. Make sure you're not on a banking or payment site (blocked for security)
4. Reload the page and try again
5. Check if microphone is not busy by another application

Why is there no text after dictation?

1. Speak louder and clearer, closer to the microphone
2. Check correctness of selected language in settings
3. Ensure stable internet connection
4. Check if microphone is not muted in system

Why is text without punctuation?

1. Enable "Basic punctuation" in settings for basic punctuation
2. Or set up AI Enhancement (GPT) for professional processing
3. Make sure supported language is selected (EN, DE, UA, RU if using basic punctuation)

Why doesn't the window appear?

1. Click on extension icon → Start Recording
2. Use hotkey Ctrl+Space
3. Reload the page

Why don't hotkeys work?

1. May conflict with other extensions or site
2. Change combinations - click on this text to copy: chrome://extensions/shortcuts then paste it in your browser's address bar

Why does recording stop by itself?
Chrome automatically stops recording after ~30 seconds of silence. This is system optimization. Also, extension freezes after 5 minutes of inactivity for better performance of your browser.

Why doesn't the extension work on some sites?
The extension is automatically blocked on:

• Banking sites
• Payment pages (PayPal, Stripe)
• Login and password pages
• Government sites (.gov)

This is done for your security.

Features and Limitations

Can I record in multiple tabs?
Recording works only in one tab at a time (you can use as many tabs as you need). When starting recording in a new tab, the old one is automatically paused and saves all text.

What is the maximum text size?
5000 characters (approximately 2-3 pages). When exceeded, old text is trimmed, new is added.

How long is text stored?

• In active tab: while tab is open
• After closing tab: deleted
• In storage: auto-cleanup after 30 minutes of inactivity

Can I restore deleted text?
After clearing with Clear button or closing tab, text is deleted from popup window. But your text is in clipboard memory, press Ctrl(Cmd)+V. For Windows clipboard view Win + V.

Does it work in incognito mode?
No. Chrome blocks microphone access for extensions in incognito mode.

Security and Privacy

Where is my data stored?

• Text: locally in browser, automatically cleared
• API key: encrypted with AES-256 on vi-voice.com server
• Settings: in Chrome synchronized storage
• Audio: processed by Google, not saved anywhere

Why does the extension need microphone and clipboard permissions?
Microphone access is required for speech recognition - without it, the extension cannot capture your voice. Clipboard access is needed to automatically copy the processed text with punctuation. Important: The extension does NOT read your clipboard content - it only writes (pastes) the processed text to it. Without these permissions, the extension will not work at all. Both permissions are safe and used only for their intended purpose.

Who has access to my recordings?

• Text: only you in your browser
• Audio: Google (for recognition), not saved
• With GPT: OpenAI sees text only during processing

Is it GDPR compliant?
Yes:

• Server logs are deleted after 90 days
• No personal data is collected
• Only anonymous usage statistics
• You can delete all data with Delete button in AI Enhancement (GPT) settings

Can I use it for confidential information?
Not recommended to dictate passwords, card numbers and other sensitive data. Although extension is blocked on banking sites, audio is processed by Google servers.

Usage Tips

How to improve recognition quality?

• Speak at normal pace, not too fast
• Make short pauses between sentences
• Use quality microphone or headset
• Minimize background noise
• Speak at 15-30 cm distance from microphone

How to effectively dictate long texts?

• Dictate in parts of 1-2 minutes
• Use text accumulation function
• Periodically copy and save text

Which GPT model to choose?

• GPT-4o Mini: optimal choice - fast, cheap, quality
• GPT-3.5 Turbo: backup option if problems with Mini
• GPT-4o: maximum quality, but slower and 20 times more expensive

Support

Where to get help?

• Documentation: vi-voice.com/docs
• Support email: support@vi-voice.com
• Chrome Web Store: leave review or question on extension page

How to report a bug? Can I suggest a new feature?
Send email to support@vi-voice.com with problem description, Chrome version, operating system and error screenshot (if available). Or fill out form https://forms.gle/srUZX5y6as1Kqvjk9