Prontafon

A voice-to-keyboard bridge that lets you dictate text directly into any application on your Linux desktop using your Android phone.

Features

• Seamless Dictation: Speak on your phone, text appears at cursor on your PC
• Voice Commands: Control your desktop with commands like "enter", "select all", "copy"
• Secure Connection: AES-256-GCM encrypted Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication
• Works Everywhere: Types into any application - IDEs, browsers, terminals
• Low Latency: Direct BLE connection, no internet required

Components

Component	Technology	Description
Android App	Kotlin + Jetpack Compose	Speech recognition, BLE GATT client
Linux Desktop	Rust + GTK4	BLE GATT server, keyboard simulation, system tray

Quick Start

Linux Desktop

# Install
cd desktop
./scripts/install.sh

# Start
prontafon-desktop
# Or: systemctl --user start prontafon

Android

1. Install the APK from releases
2. Grant microphone and Bluetooth permissions
3. Open Prontafon and scan for devices
4. Select your computer and connect

First-Time Pairing

1. Start the desktop app (it will appear in system tray)
2. Open the Android app and tap "Scan for Devices"
3. Select your computer from the list and tap "Connect"
4. Accept the connection on your desktop when prompted
5. Start speaking!

Voice Commands

Default voice commands:

Say	Action
"enter"	Press Enter
"select all"	Ctrl+A
"copy"	Ctrl+C
"paste"	Ctrl+V
"cut"	Ctrl+X
"cancel"	Discard current text

Custom Voice Commands

You can customize voice command phrases by editing ~/.config/prontafon/voice_commands.json:

{
  "version": 1,
  "mappings": [
    {"phrase": "enter", "command": "ENTER", "created_at": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"},
    {"phrase": "select all", "command": "SELECT_ALL", "created_at": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"},
    {"phrase": "copy", "command": "COPY", "created_at": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"},
    {"phrase": "paste", "command": "PASTE", "created_at": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"},
    {"phrase": "cut", "command": "CUT", "created_at": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"},
    {"phrase": "cancel", "command": "CANCEL", "created_at": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"}
  ]
}

The desktop app will reload custom phrases automatically when the file changes.

Building from Source

Prerequisites

• Android: Android Studio, JDK 17+, Android SDK (API 35 for target, API 33+ minimum)
• Linux: Rust 1.70+, GTK4 dev libraries, BlueZ 5.50+

Build

# Android
cd android/android
./gradlew assembleDebug
# Or for release: ./gradlew assembleRelease

# Linux
cd desktop
cargo build --release

System Requirements

Android

• Android 13.0 (API 33) or higher
• Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) support
• Microphone

Linux

• X11 or Wayland (with ydotool)
• Bluetooth adapter with BLE support
• BlueZ 5.x with BLE GATT support

Configuration

Desktop config: ~/.config/prontafon/config.toml

[bluetooth]
# Note: device_name is automatically set to the computer's hostname
auto_accept = true  # Auto-accept reconnections from previously paired devices

[input]
typing_delay_ms = 10  # Delay between keystrokes
prefer_backend = "auto"  # Options: "auto", "x11", "wayland"

Troubleshooting

Bluetooth not connecting

# Check Bluetooth status
sudo systemctl status bluetooth

# Restart Bluetooth
sudo systemctl restart bluetooth

# Ensure your adapter supports BLE
hciconfig -a | grep -i "le"

# Check if device is paired
bluetoothctl paired-devices

Text not typing (Wayland)

# Install ydotool
sudo apt install ydotool

# Start ydotool daemon
systemctl --user enable ydotoold
systemctl --user start ydotoold

Permission issues on Android

• Go to Settings > Apps > Prontafon > Permissions
• Enable Microphone and Nearby devices (Bluetooth)

Releases

Installing Pre-built Packages

Download the latest release from the Releases page.

Linux:

• .deb - For Ubuntu/Debian: sudo dpkg -i prontafon-*.deb
• .rpm - For Fedora/RHEL: sudo rpm -i prontafon-*.rpm
• .AppImage - Universal: chmod +x Prontafon-*.AppImage && ./Prontafon-*.AppImage

Android:

• .apk - Enable "Install from Unknown Sources", then install

Creating a Release

For maintainers: Releases are automated via GitHub Actions.

1. Ensure all tests pass and changes are committed
2. Go to Actions → Release Build → Run workflow
3. Enter the version number (e.g., 1.2.3)
4. The workflow will:
   • Update version numbers
   • Create a git tag
   • Build all packages (deb, rpm, AppImage, APK)
   • Create a GitHub Release with all artifacts

See .github/workflows/README.md for detailed setup instructions.

License

This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

Patent Grant

The Apache 2.0 license includes an explicit patent grant, which means:

• You receive patent rights for any patentable aspects of the software
• Contributors grant you patent licenses for their contributions
• If someone sues claiming patent infringement, their license terminates

For the full license terms, see http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

Contributing

Contributions welcome! Please:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes with tests
4. Submit a pull request

For bug reports and feature requests, please open an issue on GitHub.