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Cursor

Cursor has voice input. Know what it does before adding another tool.

Cursor 3.1 added upgraded batch speech-to-text with a hold-to-speak shortcut and recording controls. IraVoice is not a replacement for Cursor’s native UI; it is a local text-first path when you want a reviewable brief before an agent receives it.

Source-reviewed

1. Use Cursor’s native voice input first

Update Cursor, open the agent input where voice is available, and press and hold Control-M. Cursor’s current interface shows a waveform, timer, and controls to cancel or confirm the recording.

Native input is the shortest path when the destination is already Cursor. It owns the input surface and keeps the prompt attached to the active agent context.

2. Treat batch speech-to-text as dictation, not live conversation

Cursor says the feature records the full voice clip and transcribes it with batch speech-to-text. That gives you text for the agent; it is not the same interaction model as a continuous spoken conversation with audio replies.

Review the transcript and the repository target before confirming, especially when the prompt can start an agent action.

3. Check current data controls instead of inferring

Cursor’s voice changelog explains the interface but does not specify the voice audio processor or retention rule. Do not infer local or cloud processing from the words “batch STT.”

Cursor’s Data Use page explains Privacy Mode, zero-data-retention agreements, risk-classifier exceptions, codebase indexing, and temporary caching for the broader service. Review that current page and your workspace settings before sensitive voice use.

4. Use IraVoice for local capture or a reusable specification

Use IraVoice when the speech-recognition stage should run on your Apple-silicon Mac or when you want the spoken request transformed into a Markdown brief before choosing the destination.

IraVoice does not have a direct Cursor destination. Use focused-app delivery or the clipboard to review and paste the brief into Cursor. Its guarded direct handoff is limited to Codex and Claude Code.

Decision guide

Native Cursor voice or IraVoice?

Choose the control point you actually need.

If you needChooseWhy
Speak directly into the active Cursor agent inputCursor voice inputIt is built into the current agent interface and preserves its active context.
Keep speech recognition on an Apple-silicon MacIraVoiceIraVoice documents local recognition; Cursor’s voice changelog does not claim local audio processing.
Review a structured requirement before Cursor receives itIraVoice Voice-to-SpecIt produces ordinary Markdown for review and manual paste.
Have a live spoken back-and-forth with audio repliesNeither path described hereBoth workflows are speech-to-text input, not a continuous spoken conversation.

Primary sources

Use the current documentation.

This guide was reviewed July 26, 2026. Product versions, settings, policies, and availability can change.

  1. Cursor 3.1: Upgraded voice input

    Official shortcut, batch speech-to-text behavior, and recording controls.

  2. Cursor: Data Use and Privacy

    Current Privacy Mode, provider retention, training, indexing, caching, and exception disclosures.

  3. Cursor privacy policy

    Current account, input, provider, retention, security, and user-control terms.

Questions

What readers usually ask next.

Does Cursor have built-in voice input?

Yes. Cursor 3.1 documents upgraded voice input using batch speech-to-text. Press and hold Control-M where the current interface exposes voice recording.

Is Cursor voice input processed locally?

Cursor’s 3.1 voice changelog does not make that claim. It describes batch speech-to-text without naming the voice processor or audio-retention path. Review Cursor’s current Data Use page and settings.

Can IraVoice send a specification directly to Cursor?

No. IraVoice’s explicit direct destinations are Codex and Claude Code. For Cursor, use focused-app delivery or the clipboard, review the Markdown, and paste it manually.

macOS 26+ · Apple-silicon

Try the local Mac workflow for yourself.

Dictate ordinary text or turn a rough technical thought into reviewable Markdown during the 14-day full trial.