Recording Modes
BiBi Keyboard provides two microphone trigger modes, plus optional auto-stop behavior for different workflows.
Overview
| Mode | How to trigger | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Press and hold | hold the mic button to record; release to stop | classic IME feel; precise control |
| Tap to toggle | tap the mic button to start/stop | long dictation; hands-free |
Press-and-hold on the keyboard suppresses auto-stop on silence until you release. "Continuous recording while visible" reduces the startup delay after you press the mic; see Continuous Recording While Visible below.
Press and hold (default)
How to use
- Start: press and hold the mic button
- Continue: keep holding
- Stop: release finger
Setting
- Path:
Settings → Input → Input Settings → Input Behavior → Tap to start/stop recording(off by default, i.e. press-and-hold)
Pros / cons
Pros
- ✅ intuitive; matches most keyboards
- ✅ precise control of duration
- ✅ quick stop on release
Cons
- ⚠️ finger fatigue for long recordings
- ⚠️ you must keep holding, hard to do other actions
Gestures
- Swipe left: cancel recording
- Swipe right: send/commit recognition immediately
- Swipe down: temporarily lock recording (press-and-hold mode only)
Tap to toggle
How to use
- Start: tap the mic button
- Continue: hands-free recording
- Stop: tap the mic button again
Setting
- Path:
Settings → Input → Input Settings → Input Behavior → Tap to start/stop recording(on)
Pros / cons
Pros
- ✅ hands-free, good for long recording
- ✅ you can read/scroll while recording
- ✅ no finger pressure
- ✅ good for long dictation
Cons
- ⚠️ easy to forget to stop
- ⚠️ slightly higher accidental trigger risk
Gestures
- Swipe left: cancel recording
- Swipe right: send/commit recognition immediately
Recommended scenarios
- long dictation (articles, reports)
- meeting notes
- record while doing other actions
Working with Other Features
Shared recording settings
Floating-ball, volume-key, and shake recording share the same "Shared recording settings": stop recording when the keyboard disappears, recording status reminder, show screen animation while recording, and feedback when recording starts or stops. See Floating Ball → Shared recording settings for details.
Recording auto-stop mode
Under Settings → Smart → Speech Recognition Settings → Auto-stop on Silence → Recording auto-stop mode, choose when recording should end automatically:
| Mode | Description | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Manual control | release the mic or tap it again to stop | precise manual control |
| Stop when speech ends | stop after you stop speaking for a while | daily input, short messages, chat |
| Timeout stop | stop when "Maximum recording duration" is reached | avoiding forgotten tap-to-toggle recordings |
"Timeout stop" does not detect speech; it only stops by duration. Use Auto-stop on Silence when you want recording to stop based on pauses.
Continuous recording while visible
To make mic starts feel faster, enable Settings → Input Settings → Continuous recording while visible. When enabled, BiBi Keyboard records locally while the keyboard or floating ball is visible. Audio before you press the mic is not uploaded; it is used only to reduce startup latency after you trigger recognition.
Note
This keeps the microphone listening locally while the keyboard or floating ball is visible, which may increase battery usage. Keep it off if you are sensitive to privacy or power consumption.
Keep screen on while recording
During long dictation or when thinking while speaking, the screen might timeout and lock due to inactivity.
You can enable Settings → Input → Input Settings → Input Behavior → Keep screen on while recording (off by default). When enabled, the screen stays awake while recording in either the keyboard or the floating ball, preventing unexpected screen shutoff; once recording ends or is cancelled, normal system screen sleep behavior resumes.
You can also add the "Keep screen on while recording" extension button to your custom keyboard layout to toggle this setting directly while typing.
Quick switch button
If you often switch between short messages and long dictation, add the "Recording mode switch" action to your keyboard layout:
- Open
Settings → Input → UI Settings → Keyboard UI → Custom keyboard layout - Pick an action-row or keyboard button position
- Set its action to
Recording mode switch - Return to the keyboard and tap it to switch between press-and-hold and tap-to-toggle recording