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Voice And Buddy

Voice and Buddy make Row-Bot feel less like a text box and more like a desktop companion. Voice handles speech input and optional spoken output. Buddy reflects app state and, in the native Windows and macOS apps, can be dragged from the sidebar into a compact always-on-top desktop overlay.

Row-Bot Voice settings.
Voice settings control Dictate, Talk, read-aloud, voice models, devices, and diagnostics.

Voice Modes​

  • Dictate turns speech into composer text so you can review it before sending.
  • Talk submits spoken input more directly for conversation.
  • Read-aloud speaks assistant responses when enabled.
  • Local voice uses Whisper by default, or the optional SenseVoice Small engine after you install it explicitly.
  • Realtime voice uses a compatible provider for lower-latency spoken conversation.

Choosing A Mode​

Use Dictate when accuracy and review matter. Use Talk when you want a faster hands-light conversation. Use local voice when privacy and offline-style behavior matter. Whisper remains the default local transcription engine. SenseVoice is an optional alternative on Windows, Linux, and Apple Silicon macOS; Intel macOS continues to use Whisper. Use realtime voice when latency matters and you accept internet access, provider requirements, and provider cost.

Optional SenseVoice Setup​

Open Settings -> Voice, choose Local FunASR / SenseVoice, and use the install action shown for SenseVoice Small. Installation is an explicit approximately 940 MB download from ModelScope. Row-Bot verifies the contained snapshot before saving it under the active data directory, and normal transcription then uses that local snapshot with update checks disabled. Startup, readiness checks, and ordinary transcription never download or repair the model automatically.

Devices And Diagnostics​

Select the microphone and output device in Settings -> Voice. Run diagnostics when audio is silent, delayed, or routed to the wrong device.

Row-Bot Buddy settings.
Buddy settings control companion visibility, personality, look, motion, and optional custom-look generation.

Buddy Controls​

  • Show Buddy controls companion visibility.
  • Drag to tear off moves Buddy itself from its sidebar dock into the native desktop overlay. Releasing over the dock cancels the drag.
  • The overlay follows the selected Chat, Developer, or Designer thread and shares its saved draft, current response, tools, and approval mode.
  • Enter sends and Shift+Enter adds a line. Stop stops the selected thread's active response.
  • Simple approvals can be approved or denied in Buddy. Complex approvals open the full thread for review.
  • Open full thread, Collapse/Expand, Dock Buddy, and Hide Buddy are in the overlay menu.
  • Tear-off is session-scoped; restarting Row-Bot returns placement to the normal sidebar dock. Browser/server mode does not create a native overlay.
  • Companion personality changes the tone of Buddy cues.
  • Bubble style changes status presentation.
  • Look cards choose bundled or custom appearances.
  • Generate full Buddy, Retry motion, and Use still only manage custom looks.

See Settings: Buddy for the complete drag, messaging, approval, tray-recovery, and troubleshooting walkthrough.

Talk To Buddy​

The desktop overlay accepts typed messages for the thread named in its header. It does not contain a separate microphone control: Talk and Dictate remain in the full Row-Bot thread, where device state, transcription, and provider disclosure are visible. Use Open full thread, start Talk or Dictate there, and Buddy will continue reflecting that selected conversation.

Use Dictate when you want to review speech as text before sending. Use Talk when you want the configured voice path to submit conversation turns. Undocking Buddy does not change which voice provider is used, create a new voice session, or bypass tool approvals.

Privacy And Safety​

Voice input can become chat text. Realtime voice and provider-backed speech may send audio or transcript data to the selected provider. Installing SenseVoice contacts ModelScope for the requested model and standard SDK metadata, but Row-Bot does not send audio, prompts, or usage data; inference stays local after installation. Buddy preferences and assets are local, but custom generation may call a configured media provider.

Troubleshooting​

  • If Dictate records nothing, check microphone selection and permissions.
  • If Talk sends too quickly, use Dictate instead.
  • If SenseVoice reports missing packages, install the voice extra for a source checkout or repair the packaged app. If its snapshot is missing or incomplete, reinstall it from Voice settings.
  • If SenseVoice is unavailable on Intel macOS, select local Whisper instead.
  • If realtime voice is unavailable, check Providers and Voice Models.
  • If Buddy does not appear, enable Show Buddy or use the tray's Show Buddy action when it is torn off.
  • If Buddy will not undock, use the native Windows or macOS app and start the drag on Buddy itself. Remote browsers and browser/server mode keep it docked.