> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.neuralcleave.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Push-to-Talk

> Manual-trigger voice input — hold the PTT button to record, release to transcribe and reply.

Push-to-Talk (PTT) lets you trigger voice input manually by holding a button in the dashboard. This avoids the always-on microphone access required by wake word mode.

## How it works

1. Hold the **PTT button** (phone icon) in the chat toolbar or the `/voice` page.
2. Speak your message.
3. Release the button.
4. NeuralCleave transcribes via STT and generates a reply.
5. The reply is delivered as text (and played via TTS if configured).

## Configuration

PTT requires STT to be configured:

```toml theme={null}
[voice]
stt = "whisper"
stt_model = "base"
```

No additional PTT config is needed — the feature activates automatically when `stt` is set.

## PTT button states

| State                            | Appearance                                                                  |
| -------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Unavailable (STT not configured) | Dimmed, disabled — tooltip: "PTT not configured — enable voice in Settings" |
| Ready                            | Normal icon                                                                 |
| Recording                        | Pulsing green background                                                    |

The PTT button is always visible in the chat toolbar so users can see the feature exists even before configuring voice.

## API

You can trigger PTT programmatically:

```bash theme={null}
# Start recording
curl -X POST http://localhost:7432/api/v1/voice/ptt/start
# { "started": true }

# Stop recording and get transcript
curl -X POST http://localhost:7432/api/v1/voice/ptt/stop
# { "transcript": "What is the weather today?", "response": "It is..." }
```

## Compared to wake word

|                  | Wake word              | PTT                      |
| ---------------- | ---------------------- | ------------------------ |
| Hands-free       | Yes                    | No                       |
| Always listening | Yes                    | No (mic only while held) |
| Privacy          | Mic always on          | Mic only when pressed    |
| Latency          | Higher (handoff + VAD) | Lower (instant)          |
| False triggers   | Possible               | None                     |