Dictation keyboard shortcut now requires being held instead of toggling recording

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

Version 26.623.31921 • Released Jun 26, 2026

What subscription do you have?

PRO

What platform is your computer?

_No response_

What issue are you seeing?

After a recent update, the keyboard shortcut assigned to Start Dictation has changed its behavior.

Previously, pressing the shortcut once would start recording, allowing hands-free dictation until stopping it manually (or automatically when speech ended).

Now, the shortcut only records while the key combination is continuously held down. Releasing the keys immediately stops recording.

This significantly reduces usability for longer dictation sessions and appears to be a regression from the previous behavior.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Open Codex.
2. Go to Settings → Keyboard Shortcuts.
3. Assign a shortcut to Start Dictation (for example ⌃⌥D).
4. Return to the composer.
5. Press the shortcut once.

Current behavior:

• Dictation only works while the shortcut keys remain pressed.
• Releasing the keys immediately stops recording.

What is the expected behavior?

The shortcut should behave as it did previously:

• Press once → start dictation.
• Speak normally without holding any keys.
• Stop recording when appropriate (manual stop, timeout, or second shortcut press, depending on the intended UX).

This allows completely hands-free dictation and is much more ergonomic than requiring the shortcut to be held continuously.

Additional information

• Platform: macOS
• This worked correctly in previous versions of Codex.
• I couldn’t find any release notes mentioning this behavioral change, so it appears to be an unintended regression.
• If this change was intentional, it would be helpful to have an option to choose between Toggle-to-record and Push-to-talk modes, as the previous toggle behavior was significantly more convenient for long dictation.