DJI Mic Mini Dictation

A keyboard-first dictation/send workflow for macOS. Fn is the first-class trigger, and if you have a DJI Mic Mini you can optionally map its hardware button to the same workflow.

Works with any app that accepts text input: Claude Code, WeChat, Feishu/Lark, Telegram, Slack, VS Code, Notes, and more. If you find an app that doesn't work, open an issue or submit a PR!

中文文档

Install with the CLI

Run the installer directly:

npx github:Johnixr/dji-mic-dictation install

The installer checks for a connected DJI Mic Mini automatically:

• if detected, it enables the optional hardware trigger on top of the keyboard workflow
• if not detected, it installs the keyboard workflow by default and may ask if you want to preconfigure the optional DJI trigger anyway

Useful follow-up commands:

npx github:Johnixr/dji-mic-dictation update
npx github:Johnixr/dji-mic-dictation doctor
npx github:Johnixr/dji-mic-dictation config
npx github:Johnixr/dji-mic-dictation uninstall

Use the CLI as the default path. If you want an AI assistant to help, have it call the same CLI instead of reimplementing the setup steps.

Quick start

Step 1: Install Typeless (required for the current workflow)

Typeless adds an LLM layer on top of macOS dictation — it cleans up your speech, removes filler words, fixes grammar, and handles mixed Chinese/English seamlessly.

Free tier: 4,000 characters/week. Pro: $12/month.

Step 2: Decide if you want an optional hardware trigger

You can use the workflow with the keyboard alone. If you also have a DJI Mic Mini, you can enable it as an optional trigger that mirrors the same Fn workflow.

Buy DJI Mic Mini on JD.com

10g, clips to your collar, 400m range, active noise cancellation, ~$27 USD.

Step 3: Run the installer

npx github:Johnixr/dji-mic-dictation install

How it works

Fn press 1 → start dictation → speak freely, any duration
Fn press 2 → stop dictation → send window opens (ready overlay + sound once text lands)
Fn press 3 → send / Enter to current app → AI starts working

No press? → auto-reset after 4 seconds, no side effects

Optional: if you enable the DJI trigger during install, the Mic Mini button mirrors the same workflow.

Prerequisites

Requirement	Notes
macOS	Tested on macOS Sequoia
Karabiner-Elements	brew install --cask karabiner-elements
DJI Mic Mini	Optional hardware trigger; vendor_id: 11427, product_id: 16401
macOS Dictation	System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation → On
Typeless	Required in the current version because detection relies on the Typeless DB

What's in this repo

dji-mic-dictation/
├── cli/                           # CLI installer / update / doctor / config / uninstall
├── README.md                      # You're reading this
├── README_CN.md                   # 中文文档
├── CLAUDE.md                      # Instructions for AI assistants
├── AGENTS.md                      # Symlink to CLAUDE.md (for Codex)
├── package.json                   # npm bin entry for the CLI
├── scripts/
│   └── dictation-enter.sh         # Main script (save/tap/enter)
└── karabiner/
    └── dji-mic-mini.json          # Karabiner config to merge

Using a different external trigger?

Find your device's vendor_id and product_id:

# With Karabiner installed:
'/Library/Application Support/org.pqrs/Karabiner-Elements/bin/karabiner_cli' --list-connected-devices

Then update the managed device identifiers and reinstall with --trigger-mode keyboard+dji.

Troubleshooting

Check the debug log first:

cat /tmp/dji-dictation/debug.log

Checklist if something doesn't work

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
The optional hardware button does nothing	Karabiner can't see the device	Grant Input Monitoring permission to Karabiner in System Settings → Privacy & Security
The optional hardware button changes volume instead of dictation	The installer did not detect the device when you installed, so only the keyboard workflow was configured	Re-run npx github:Johnixr/dji-mic-dictation install with the DJI receiver connected
Dictation works but no sound / no ready overlay	Accessibility permission missing	Grant Accessibility permission to /usr/bin/osascript (or the terminal app running the script)
Sound plays but overlay doesn't appear	The ready overlay requires a compiled Swift binary; run npx github:Johnixr/dji-mic-dictation update to refresh. Some apps have non-standard windows (e.g. Electron overlay); already handled for Feishu/Lark; open an issue for other apps
CLI says Typeless DB is missing	Typeless is not installed or has never been opened	Install Typeless, launch it once, then run npx github:Johnixr/dji-mic-dictation install or npx github:Johnixr/dji-mic-dictation doctor again
Overlay shows but Enter doesn't send	Terminal app needs Accessibility permission	Grant Accessibility to your terminal (iTerm2 / Terminal.app)
Enter sends to wrong app	Old build or stale install	Run npx github:Johnixr/dji-mic-dictation update from the latest repo version

Permissions checklist

All of these must be granted in System Settings → Privacy & Security:

1. Input Monitoring → Karabiner-Elements, karabiner_grabber
2. Accessibility → Karabiner-Elements, your terminal app (iTerm2 / Terminal.app)
3. Dictation → System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation → On

License

MIT

Credits

Created by Johnixr and notdp.

Built with Claude Code via pure voice-driven Vibe Coding.