Orca v1.4.256 sets up dictation in one click and keeps your phone drafts

Orca now sets up dictation in one click, with an on-device speech model suggested for your language. You can add your own vocabulary for code terms, and filler words like um and uh are removed.

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Orca now sets up dictation in one click

Setup

Voice settings suggests an on-device model for your language

Vocabulary

personal and per-repository words for code terms

Cleanup

filler words like “um” and “uh” are removed

Orca's speech models now run on transcribe-cpp. If you already downloaded a local model, it may need an update before dictation works again, so finish that update before you rely on dictation offline.

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Speech models now run on transcribe-cpp

Engine

GGUF speech models on transcribe-cpp, with a CPU fallback

Update

existing local model downloads may need an update before dictation works again

Offline

finish the update in the dictation pill or Voice settings first

Voice settings also adds a Use GPU switch and OpenAI-compatible transcription services.

The dictation pill now shows your words as each phrase lands. A failed recording is kept so you can retry it, and pressing Enter mid-sentence waits for your last words before sending.

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The dictation pill shows your words as you speak

Words

each phrase appears in the pill as it lands

Retry

a failed recording is kept, so you can retry it

Send

Enter or Send while dictating waits for the last words

You can also dictate into a page’s fields in Orca’s browser.

Orca's phone app now keeps your drafts. Commit messages, PR descriptions and review notes survive closing the app, and chats open on their last messages. It needs the matching phone app update.

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Orca’s phone app keeps your drafts after you close it

Drafts

commit messages, PR descriptions, comments and review notes

Tasks

task and new-workspace drafts

Chats

recent messages show while the chat reconnects

Needs the matching phone app update.

On the phone, the terminal key row gains Shift, Ctrl and Alt latches, plus an optional Smart rail of agent actions. And a floating pill keeps dictation going while you move to another screen.

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The phone terminal gets Shift, Ctrl and Alt

Latches

Shift, Ctrl and Alt latch for the next key

Smart rail

optional agent actions beside the keys

Dictation

a floating pill keeps listening on other screens

Needs the matching phone app update.

Start a chat with an agent you haven't installed, and Orca now guides the install and sign-in right there. OpenCode subagents get their own cards, and Codex replies can be forked after a rewind.

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Orca walks you through installing an agent where you start a chat

Install

supported missing agents offer install and sign-in guidance

OpenCode

subagents get their own cards and keep the chat active

Codex

replies can be forked after a rewind

VM workspaces now show their state in the sidebar, with Suspend and Resume, and the browser's tools sit under one Annotate button. If you dictate to your agents, I'd update for the one-click setup alone.

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VM workspaces get Suspend and Resume

VMs

the sidebar shows each VM’s state, with Suspend and Resume

Browser

tools grouped into one Annotate button and one menu

Usage

limited chats that are due continue in one pass

Dictate to your agents? Update for the one-click setup.

Orca’s Nov 10 release notes on GitHub