Set up Skald

Account and usable state

Connect your Skald account or continue with the licensed state available on this PC.

Sign in through the existing login gate or use a valid offline license. Onboarding continues after a successful bootstrap or when an active lease is available.

Processing route and privacy

Skald shows the active data path before you use it. Available choices depend on your platform, account, and organization settings.

• Local transcription: audio and transcript stay on this PC.
• Local transcription + cloud polish: audio stays local; transcript text is sent through the selected Azure or Skald EU route.
• Cloud transcription: audio is sent through the selected Azure or Skald EU route.
• Cloud transcription + cloud polish: audio and transcript text are sent through the selected route(s).

Local engine and model

Skald recommends a model for this PC. Larger models can improve accuracy but need more memory and take longer to download.

• 16 GiB RAM or more: the app recommends a large-v3-turbo variant when supported by the hardware catalog.
• 8–15 GiB RAM: the app recommends a small model.
• Below 8 GiB RAM: the app recommends a base model.

Model download is always an explicit user action. No large download starts silently. You can review download size, minimum RAM requirements, and installed state before confirming.

Dictation controls and defaults

Press Ctrl + Alt + Space to start and stop. With "Paste after copy" enabled, Skald copies the finished transcript and sends Ctrl+V to the currently focused eligible app.

• Default hotkey: Ctrl + Alt + Space (customizable).
• Recording mode: toggle or push-to-talk.
• Paste after copy: on for a fresh installation. When enabled, Skald copies the transcript and simulates Ctrl+V. Not every elevated, secure, remote, or protected target accepts synthetic paste input.
• Start Skald with Windows: on for a fresh installation. Disable this in Settings if you prefer.
• Microphone: select your preferred input device when multiple microphones are connected.

Language and task

• Default language detection: automatic.
• Task: transcribe in the original language or translate to English.
• Polish: improves grammar and sentence structure without inventing facts. Requires external text processing through your selected Azure or Skald EU route. The original transcript always remains available.
• The app interface language is independent from the transcription language.

Guided test and summary

The guided test takes place in the Windows app. Onboarding tells you when to speak.

Say: "This is my first Skald transcription." Then use your hotkey again to stop.

After the test, Skald shows a summary with your active processing path, selected model, hotkey and recording mode, paste-after-copy and Windows-startup state, and links to Home, Settings, Models, and reopening onboarding.

The test is optional. You can finish onboarding without recording.

Sign in and register this device

Sign in with your existing Skald account. The app shows your current registration state.

Register the device only after a deliberate user action when it is not yet allowed. Onboarding does not continue to a fake success state if the account cannot process mobile transcription.

Mobile processing and retention

Android recordings are processed through Skald EU. Skald shows the result in local history and keeps retryable audio on this device until it is sent or deleted.

Local transcription is currently unavailable on mobile devices. Mobile devices use Skald EU exclusively.

• Audio stays on the device until transfer completes or you delete the retained history entry.
• Successful results are kept in local history for later review and reuse.
• Temporary processing artifacts in Skald EU are scheduled for deletion within 24 hours.

Microphone and first recording

Skald uses the microphone only after you start a recording.

The Android permission prompt appears when you tap Allow microphone or start recording. Skald requests the permission in context — not during first launch.

Optional Quick Bubble

Quick Bubble is optional. Skald transcription works without it. Enable it or skip for now.

• The Bubble remains visible over other apps until disabled.
• One tap starts a recording, a second tap stops it.
• Android shows a persistent notification while the Bubble or recording service is active.
• Successful transcripts are copied to the clipboard and saved in local history.
• The Bubble does not inspect text fields and does not insert text automatically. Direct insertion is not available through Quick Bubble.
• Long press opens the full Skald app.

Permission sequence after you opt in:

1. Notification permission: so foreground activity remains visible.
2. Display over other apps permission: through Android system settings.
3. Skald rechecks both permissions on return before enabling the Bubble.

Language and result

• Language: automatic detection, German, or English.
• Task: transcribe or translate to English.
• Polish: optional when your account capability permits it. The Skald EU route is visible next to the choice.

Guided test and summary

The guided test takes place in the Android app. Onboarding tells you when to speak.

Use a normal in-app recording first. If you enabled Quick Bubble, try it after onboarding finishes.

Say: "This is my first Skald transcription." Then stop the recording.

The success summary shows your signed-in account and device-registration status, Skald EU as the data path, microphone state, Quick Bubble state and its prerequisites, and links to History, Settings, and reopening onboarding.

The test is optional. You can finish onboarding without recording.