Manual Fix a problem
My hotkey doesn't work
Nothing happens when you press the shortcut — conflicts, blocked keys, and the fallbacks Neato Echo tries on its own.
You press your dictation shortcut and nothing happens. Almost always, another application registered the same combination first — whoever asks Windows first wins, and Neato Echo is told it can't have it.
Every hotkey lives in Settings → Hotkeys under App. That section holds Dictation Hotkey and the separate shortcuts for Voice Agent, Translation and Meeting recording. Only the dictation hotkey is set out of the box; the other three stay empty until you choose them.
The default
The default dictation hotkey is Ctrl + Win (the Windows key). Tap it to start and stop, or hold it while you speak, depending on your activation mode.
If the default can't be registered at startup, Neato Echo tries F8, then F9, then Ctrl+Shift+Space — so if your hotkey is one of those and you never chose it, that's why.
Quick checks
Try a different combination
The fastest way to prove a conflict. Open Settings → Hotkeys under App, set Dictation Hotkey to something unusual like Ctrl+Shift+K, and try again. If that works, the original was taken.
Add a second hotkey rather than replacing the first
Use Add another hotkey to bind a fallback. Both work, so you're covered if one is claimed by an application you only sometimes run.
Check the Shortcut Guide
The hotkey field shows a Shortcut Guide with the rules and recommended combinations. Some keys are refused outright — the app lists them under Blocked shortcuts, because Windows reserves them.
Check the app you're typing into
Full-screen games, remote desktop sessions and virtual machines capture keyboard input before anything else sees it. Test in Notepad to rule this out.
What makes a valid shortcut
The app enforces these, so a combination that breaks them won't save:
- It must include at least one modifier — Ctrl, Alt, Shift and so on.
- Three keys maximum.
- Single keys on their own aren't allowed.
- Reserved Windows shortcuts are refused.
Combinations that work well on Windows: Ctrl+Win (the default),
Ctrl+Alt, Ctrl+Shift+K.
The best choices are the ones that type nothing if they slip through while you're holding them — the default is modifier-only for exactly that reason.
Tap or hold
Activation Mode in the same section decides how the key behaves:
- Tap — press once to start, press again to stop.
- Hold — hold the key while you speak, release to finish.
If dictation stops the instant you start speaking, or never stops, you're probably in the other mode from the one you expect.
FAQ
It worked, then stopped after I opened another app.
That app claimed the shortcut. Close it and try again to confirm, then either change one of the two or add a second hotkey in Neato Echo.
It says 'Failed to register hotkey'.
Windows refused the combination — usually because it's already taken or it's reserved. Choose another; the Shortcut Guide lists ones that work.
My hotkey changed on its own.
If the one you set couldn't be registered at startup, Neato Echo falls back to F8, F9 or Ctrl+Shift+Space so dictation still works. Set it again and, if it keeps happening, something else is taking it first.
The voice agent, translation or meeting hotkey does nothing.
Those three have no default. Open Settings → Hotkeys under App and choose a combination for each one you want to use.
Related
Still need help?
Write to [email protected] with your Windows version, your Neato Echo version (Settings → System), and what you were doing. A person reads every message.