Listen mode
toby listen opens a foreground recorder for microphone and/or system audio. Recordings are saved under ~/.toby/listen/recordings/<recording-id>/ by default with audio, metadata, and transcript files.
Commands
toby listen
toby listen --mic-only
toby listen --system-only
toby listen --out-dir ./recordings
toby listen transcribe ~/.toby/listen/recordings/<recording-id>
UI layout
The listen UI has two panes:
- Left pane — recent recordings plus Start new recording.
- Right pane — source toggles, live recording controls, or saved recording details.
Keyboard shortcuts:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
↑ / ↓ | Move within the focused pane |
Tab | Switch panes |
Enter | Select, toggle, edit, or run the focused action |
s | Stop and save while recording |
d | Stop and discard while recording |
Esc | Return focus to the left pane |
q | Quit, confirming discard if needed |
Saved recordings can be renamed, described, opened in Finder, deleted, or retranscribed.
Recording in chat
Inside toby chat, use:
/listen
/stop-listening
/listen starts recording in the current chat session. /stop-listening saves and transcribes the audio, then adds the transcript as context so you can ask Toby to summarize the conversation or extract action items.
macOS helper and permissions
Audio capture is currently macOS-only and is handled by the native Toby.app. The CLI launches Toby.app and routes recording through its native localhost server (~/.toby/native-port).
Depending on selected sources, macOS may request Microphone, Screen/System Audio Recording, and Speech Recognition permissions.