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Frequently Asked Questions

General

What makes Aqua different from other dictation tools?

Three things. It runs on Avalon, Aqua’s own speech model, which debuted at #1 among proprietary models on the independent Open ASR Leaderboard (6.24% word-error rate at launch). It’s context-aware: Deep Context reads what’s on screen, so code, names, and jargon come out correctly cased. And it doesn’t just transcribe. It strips filler, fixes grammar, and formats for the destination app, so you get finished writing instead of a raw stream of words.

Does Aqua really work in every app?

Yes, system-wide. Aqua isn’t a browser extension or a per-app plugin. Hold your hotkey anywhere there’s a text cursor (Cursor, Claude Code, Gmail, Slack, Notion, Google Docs, even a raw terminal) and the text lands right where you’re typing. No copy-paste, no window-switching.

How accurate is Aqua?

By Aqua’s own measurements, word-error rates are 0.9% for emails, 1.0% for technical reports, and 0.7% for book dictation. Independently, Avalon debuted at #1 among proprietary models on the public Open ASR Leaderboard (6.24% average WER, October 2025; the board is live, so standings shift). And in a 9to5Mac test against macOS Dictation on the same audio (Steve Jobs’ Stanford speech, recorded on the built-in Mac mic), Apple made 17 errors to Aqua’s 1, and Aqua added the paragraph breaks on its own.

How fast is Aqua?

Startup is under 50ms, and finished text appears about 450ms after you stop talking, quick enough to stay in the flow of typing. Speed is the single most-cited reason people stick with Aqua.

Does Aqua need an internet connection?

Yes, Aqua is cloud-based and needs a connection. Running Avalon in the cloud is the deliberate trade that delivers the ~450ms speed and the accuracy above.

Does Aqua have a free trial?

Yes, every account starts with 1,000 free words, no card required, with full system-wide dictation. After that, Pro is $8/month billed annually for unlimited use.

Does Aqua have a student discount?

Yes, sign up with a .edu email for 70% off annual plans (about $2.40/month effective).

Does Aqua have a Desktop app?

Yes, Aqua runs on macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Windows 10/11. Download it at aquavoice.com/download.

Does Aqua have an iOS app?

Yes, Aqua launched on iPhone in April 2026 as a full AI voice keyboard, built on Avalon 1.5 with improved multilingual support and a voice edit mode. Details are in the iOS launch post.

What languages does Aqua support?

More than half of daily users dictate outside English. We currently support these languages:

  • Arabic

  • Belarusian

  • Bengali

  • Bulgarian

  • Cantonese

  • Catalan

  • Croatian

  • Czech

  • Danish

  • Dutch

  • English

  • Estonian

  • Finnish

  • French

  • Galician

  • German

  • Greek

  • Hebrew

  • Hindi

  • Hungarian

  • Indonesian

  • Irish

  • Italian

  • Japanese

  • Korean

  • Latvian

  • Lithuanian

  • Malay

  • Maltese

  • Mandarin

  • Marathi

  • Mongolian

  • Norwegian

  • Persian

  • Polish

  • Portuguese

  • Romanian

  • Russian

  • Slovenian

  • Spanish

  • Swahili

  • Swedish

  • Tamil

  • Thai

  • Turkish

  • Ukrainian

  • Urdu

  • Vietnamese

  • Welsh

Can Aqua switch languages automatically?

Yes, set your language to “Auto-Detect” in Settings and Aqua switches between all supported languages on its own as you talk; there’s no mode to toggle.

I’m switching from Dragon. Will it handle my vocabulary?

It’s one of our most common switches. No per-user voice training: Avalon already knows modern technical, medical, and legal terms out of the box, and you can add up to 800 custom-dictionary entries plus standing style rules. One honest caveat for regulated work: Aqua doesn’t sign HIPAA BAAs yet, so it isn’t the right fit for protected health information.

How can I contact you?

You can email us at support@withaqua.com or join our Discord.

Can I dictate into spreadsheets?

Yes. In spreadsheets, Aqua inserts text into the currently selected cell or cells. Select different cells to fill them one by one.

How do I hide the black floating bar at the bottom?

Open Settings → System and toggle off “Show Floating Bar.”

I have a conflict with the default hotkey.

Change the activation key in Settings → Keybindings → pencil icon.

How do I reset my hotkeys to the default (Fn)?

Click on “Show Recommended” and select “Fn.”

I have a hotkey conflict in Outlook.

In Outlook on the web, disable “KeyTips” in Accessibility settings.

My antivirus flags the installer.

Some Windows antivirus tools have false positives. Whitelist Aqua Voice in your antivirus settings and proceed with install, specifically the files:

  • Aqua+Voice-0.9+Setup.exe

  • Update.exe

If issues persist, contact support.

I’m having issues with the client, what should I do?

Collect logs and share them with support.

  • On macOS, zip the contents of ~/Library/Logs/Aqua Voice/

  • On Windows, zip the contents of Users/<you>/AppData/Roaming/"Aqua Voice"/Logs

When I use AirPods, there seems to be a delay.

Yes, this is a known AirPods issue; Bluetooth mic-mode switching adds latency. A wired or the built-in mic avoids it. You can read more about this here.

Customizing Aqua

Do I have access to Avalon?

Yes, Avalon is included on Pro. Turn it on in Settings → Aqua Voice → Transcription model. (The free Starter tier uses the legacy engine.)

Do you support UK or British English?

You can enforce UK spelling via Custom Instructions (include concrete examples for reliability) such as:

Always use UK English, in a South African context.

Example of a good output: “The colour of the cheque showed that the project was cancelled after the organisation spent R200 on it.”

Example of a bad output: “The color of the check showed that the project was canceled after the organization spent 200 Rand on it.”

How can I control punctuation (e.g., title lines without periods; double spaces after periods)?

Use Custom Instructions. Examples help the model follow your style. For instance, you could write:

For bullet lists, do not add a trailing period. Example: Groceries:

  • One liter of milk (goat)

  • A dozen eggs

  • Two bags of ice

Accounts & Teams

Can I change the email address on my account?

Not yet. Today, you’ll need to create a new account with the desired email.

Can I rename a Team?

The owner of the team can change the name in Settings → Plan → Manage. Then click on the three dots above the list of team members, and click “Rename Team.”

Can I transfer Team ownership?

Email changes or transfers aren’t supported yet. If needed, create a new organization with the correct owner.

How do I delete my account?

Send a deletion request to support from your registered email. We’ll process deletion and confirm once complete.

Our corporate network blocks Aqua Voice. What endpoints and protocols are required?

Aqua Voice uses TLS-encrypted HTTPS and WSS (WebSockets) over port 443. Allow WSS on 443 to these hostnames and whitelist by hostname (IPs can change):

  • api.aquavoice.com

  • core.aquavoice.com

  • realtime.aquavoice.com

Explicit proxy configuration isn’t supported; the app uses system network settings. Corporate SSL inspection or proxies that block WSS may cause connection errors.

Do you offer analytics and admin controls for large deployments?

Team plans support centralized billing and an org-wide Privacy Mode. For enterprise deployments, contact us.

Is Aqua Voice SOC 2 certified?

Yes, Aqua is SOC 2 Type II certified, with a public Trust Center for its compliance reports and data-handling practices. Audio is processed in the cloud and is never sold or shared. By default, transcripts may be retained to improve the model; switch on Privacy Mode and they aren’t, and Team plans can enforce that org-wide and add Zero Data Retention. Deep Context (screen reading) stays off until you enable it and isn’t stored.

Plans & Billing

Can I pay monthly?

Yes, choose monthly or annual at checkout. Pro is $8/month billed annually, or $10 month-to-month.

How do I switch between monthly and annual after purchase?

If you don’t see a self-serve toggle on the Billing & Subscription page, contact support and we’ll switch it for you.

Can I change the name in my invoice?

Yes, go to Manage → Update Payment → Update Information.

Can I add my tax ID to my invoice?

Yes, go to Manage → Update Payment → Update Information to open the Stripe billing portal, where you can update your invoice name, add a tax ID, change the billing email, and view your invoice history.

Can I use multiple devices with the same Pro account?

Yes, one Pro account works across all your devices, and your dictionary, custom instructions, and settings sync between them.

Do I have to pay extra to get the iOS or the Desktop app?

No. Having one Pro account will give you unlimited access to both the iOS app and the Desktop app.