Before you install: Windows security warnings

Windows will warn you at up to four separate points before DictDrop is running. Every warning is expected and safe to click through — this happens to all new software that hasn't yet built a track record with Microsoft, not just DictDrop. Here's exactly what to do at each step.

Step 1 — Browser download warning

Your browser may warn you when the download finishes. Find your browser below.

After any of these, go to your Downloads folder — you'll see the installer file (name starts with "DictDrop-Setup"). Double-click it to start the installer.

Step 2 — Windows SmartScreen (the most common warning)

When you double-click the installer, a blue pop-up says "Windows protected your PC." This is Windows SmartScreen. Look at the "Publisher" line — it shows a named, verified publisher, not "Unknown publisher." That comes from a digital signature check proving the file came from us and wasn't changed by anyone else. Windows still shows this for new software until enough people have run it; it does not mean DictDrop is dangerous.

Want to check this yourself instead of taking our word for it? Right-click the installer, choose Properties → Digital Signatures tab, and confirm the signer name reads "Marshall Taah." DictDrop has been signed under that name since July 2026.

That's all — the SmartScreen warning does not return after this. If your antivirus flags the file at any point, you can also report it to Microsoft directly at microsoft.com/wdsi/filesubmission; Microsoft reviews it, which can speed up how fast the warning goes away for everyone.

Step 3 — Windows Defender Antivirus (if it appears)

In rare cases Windows Defender pauses the installer with a warning that the file "might be harmful," or quarantines it silently. This is a false alarm triggered because DictDrop uses your microphone and types text — the same two actions some malware uses. DictDrop only does these things on your voice and your command.

Option A — allow it through Defender: Open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Protection history → find the DictDrop entry → click Allow or Restore.

Option B — temporary exclusion before installing: Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Manage settings → Exclusions → Add or remove exclusions → Add an exclusion → File → browse to your Downloads folder and select the DictDrop installer → run it. You can remove the exclusion after install if you prefer.

Email [email protected] if you need help — we respond within 24 hours.

Step 4 — Third-party antivirus (Norton, McAfee, Malwarebytes, etc.)

If a non-Microsoft antivirus blocks DictDrop, the steps vary by product but the principle is the same: find the blocked file in your antivirus dashboard or notification, look for an option like "Allow," "Trust," "Add exception," or "Restore from quarantine," and add the DictDrop installer to the trusted list. If you can't find that option, search "[your antivirus name] how to allow a blocked file" — every antivirus has this feature.

Why does all this happen?

DictDrop is new software with no Microsoft reputation history yet. SmartScreen and antivirus programs use reputation (how many people have run the file without problems) as a trust signal. Because DictDrop types text using your keyboard, records from your microphone, and is new and not yet widely distributed, it trips several heuristics designed to catch malware — even though it's doing exactly what it says: listen to your voice and type the words. On the Standard edition your audio never leaves your machine except to go to your own AI provider API key; we never see it. On DictDrop Pro your audio is relayed through DictDrop's own server to our AI provider (that's what the subscription pays for), and it's never stored or logged, as described in the Privacy Policy. As DictDrop reaches more users, these warnings reduce automatically as Microsoft builds trust in the publisher.

After install: what happens

DictDrop starts automatically in the background as soon as the installer finishes — you don't need to open anything, it's already running and listening. Every time you restart your computer, DictDrop starts itself automatically. You never have to open it manually.

How to use it

1. Click inside any text field on your computer — email, Word, Slack, a browser, a chat app, a code editor, literally anything that accepts typing.

2. Speak naturally out loud, at your normal speed. You don't need to press any button — DictDrop is always listening.

3. Pause for about 2 seconds when you're done speaking a sentence. That pause is the signal that tells DictDrop you're finished; your words then appear in the text field.

That's the entire workflow. No button. No hotkey. Just speak and pause.

The floating status icon (bottom-right of your screen)

A small microphone icon appears near the bottom-right corner of your screen to show what DictDrop is doing right now. This one is watch-only — there is nothing to click on it.

• GRAY DictDrop is on and listening. This is the normal idle state — the icon is always visible so you know the service is running even when you're not speaking.
• GREEN DictDrop heard your voice and is currently recording. Keep talking.
• RED + X DictDrop is paused. You turned it off temporarily; it will not record anything until you turn it back on.

The gray mic icon stays on screen at all times while DictDrop is running. If you don't see it at all, the service isn't running — restart it from Start Menu → DictDrop → DictDrop (Start Manually).

The tray icon (near your Windows clock — a second, different icon)

DictDrop also places a second icon in your Windows tray — the row of small icons next to the clock, usually bottom-right of your taskbar. This is not the same icon as the floating one above. If you don't see it right away, click the small up arrow (^) next to the clock to show hidden icons — DictDrop's mic icon is in there.

Hovering your mouse over the tray icon (no clicking) shows a small label confirming what it's doing, using the same gray/green/red states described above.

Unlike the floating icon, this one you do click:

If you ever want to stop DictDrop, right-click the tray icon and choose Quit. Closing the floating mic icon or any other window will not do it.

The beep sounds

DictDrop plays short beep sounds to confirm what it's doing. There are five distinct sounds, each meaning something different.

If you'd rather work in silence, or just want the beeps quieter: right-click the DictDrop tray icon and open the "Sounds" submenu — pick Off, 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100%. Takes effect immediately on the next beep, no restart, and the choice is saved across restarts. New installs default to 100%.

Pausing DictDrop

Two ways to pause DictDrop when you want to speak freely without it capturing anything — for example during a phone call, a conversation in the room, or singing along to music.

Both methods produce the same result — think of it like a mute button for DictDrop.

While paused, DictDrop still listens for sound but never records or transcribes anything ("ghost-listen" mode). If someone speaks while paused, DictDrop plays a short double-low "duh-duh" tone as a reminder the mic is off — once, then stays silent for 10 minutes before reminding again if speech continues. This sound only plays while paused.

The transcription delay

After you pause for 2 seconds, there's a short delay (usually 1–3 seconds) before your words appear — this is normal. DictDrop sends your audio to your AI provider, it transcribes it, and DictDrop types the result into wherever your cursor is. The delay depends on your internet connection and how long you spoke; short sentences are faster. Tip: don't move your cursor while waiting — DictDrop types into wherever the cursor is at the moment it finishes.

Your dictation history

Click the tray icon to open the popup showing your recent dictations — your last 200 entries, searchable right there. Once you pass 200, DictDrop automatically saves that batch to a file on your own computer and starts fresh; nothing is ever deleted. Click "Open Archive" in the popup (next to "Export .txt") to jump straight to those saved files in File Explorer. The search box only searches your current (most recent) batch — open an archive file directly to look further back. (Advanced: the folder also lives at Documents\DictDrop\History Archive\.) "Export .txt" is separate — it lets you manually save whatever's currently on screen to a .txt file any time.

Tips for best results

• Speak clearly and at a normal pace — you don't need to slow down.
• Pause clearly at the end of a sentence; a 2-second silence is the trigger.
• Make sure your microphone is the default recording device: Windows Settings → Sound → Input.
• DictDrop auto-detects 100 languages — no setup needed, and different people can speak different languages on the same machine.
• If transcription seems wrong or slow, check your internet connection — transcription is a cloud service and requires internet.

Service management (advanced)

You should never need these under normal use — DictDrop manages itself.

Run these in PowerShell if you ever need to manually control the service. Start Menu shortcut: DictDrop → DictDrop (Start Manually).

Getting the latest version

DictDrop never updates itself automatically — on purpose, so it never phones home or changes anything without your say-so. Updating takes about two minutes:

1. Download the newest installer: click the download link in your original DictDrop purchase email (works anytime, always gives you the newest version), or log in to your Polar account → Orders → find your DictDrop order → "Access Purchase" → download.

2. Run it — double-click the installer file, same as the first time. You do not need to uninstall or close anything first; the installer takes care of that automatically.

3. When the Setup Wizard opens, it asks "Reconfigure? [y/N]" — press Enter (or type N) to keep your existing AI key and settings exactly as they are. The new version installs either way; this question only controls whether the wizard re-asks your setup questions.

4. Done — DictDrop restarts on the new version automatically.

Lost your purchase email or has it expired? Email [email protected] with your order ID and we'll send a new download link within 24 hours.

Update your AI API key

If your AI API key stops working or you want to use a new one: Start Menu → DictDrop → DictDrop Setup Wizard (Reconfigure). The wizard asks for your new key, tests it live, and saves it.

Add a backup AI key (automatic failover)

Free AI provider accounts have a daily spend/rate limit. If you have more than one free AI provider account, DictDrop can automatically switch to a backup key if your primary one hits its limit mid-session, with no interruption. Start Menu → DictDrop → DictDrop Setup Wizard (Reconfigure); after your primary key, the wizard asks "Add a backup key? [y/N]" — answer y and paste each additional key (tested live, same as your primary). This is entirely optional — with a single key, DictDrop behaves exactly as before, falling back to a slower on-device transcription mode if that key hits its limit.

Languages

By default DictDrop detects the language you're speaking automatically, utterance by utterance — no setup needed. Speak English, then switch to Spanish, Mandarin, or any of 100 supported languages, any time, with nothing to configure; two people can use the same machine in two different languages back to back.

If you'll always speak just one language, you can optionally pin it for a small accuracy/speed improvement — fastest way: right-click the DictDrop tray icon and pick your language from the menu (takes effect immediately, no restart; pick "Auto-detect" at the top to go back). Or use Start Menu → DictDrop → DictDrop Setup Wizard (Reconfigure). Or edit %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\DictDrop\config.json directly and set the "language" field to a 2-letter code (e.g. "es" for Spanish), then restart from Start Menu → DictDrop → DictDrop (Start Manually); set it back to "" to return to auto-detect.

If DictDrop ever transcribes a short phrase in the wrong language (rare, but can happen with very short utterances or a strong accent), pin your language using any method above — the tray right-click is fastest for fixing it mid-conversation.

Uninstall

Settings → Apps → DictDrop → Uninstall. The uninstaller removes the app, the scheduled tasks, and all program files — nothing is left behind, no registry entries.

Support

Email: [email protected] — response within 24 hours, every day.

30-day refund guarantee, no questions asked.