v0.28.0: Dictation is easier to use, correct, and recover

v0.28.0: Dictation is easier to use, correct, and recover

This release gives dictation a smaller, quieter interface and makes it easier to recover text when delivery needs attention. It also fixes settings-file recovery, narrows automatic name correction, and improves first-run Coach setup.

What changed

A quieter dictation flow

The recording pill uses a compact waveform, with less status text during capture and delivery. The start cue finishes before the microphone records, so the cue does not become part of your dictation.

Natural and Casual writing remove common hesitation clusters and handle supported spoken corrections. These are bounded local rules, not general voice editing: uncertain repairs stay literal, and the original recognized text remains available in Recent Text. Literal writing keeps your words as recognized. The default recognition engine is unchanged. (#1078)

Corrections and recovery stay within reach

Dictation settings bring recent text, delivery checks, recovery, microphone preferences, snippets, and dictionary controls together. You can review a spelling correction before remembering it. Optional shortcuts for Paste Last and Recent Dictations are off until you enable them.

Cursor context is opt-in and Mac-only. It uses supported text fields and excludes secure fields and other sensitive or unsupported controls. Broader accuracy across accents, languages, Bluetooth microphones, and destination apps remains a separate qualification task. (#1078)

Repair a settings file without losing it

If your settings file cannot be read or parsed, Minutes preserves it and shows the file path, a safe error location, and the fallback settings. After you repair the file, Check again offers Restart to reload settings that load at startup, including shortcuts.

Restart is blocked while recording, dictating, or processing. If a Recall session will close, Minutes waits for an explicit native confirmation. (#1091, #1098)

Also in this release

• Meeting name correction excludes people who were merely mentioned and speakers with uncertain attribution. Existing trusted attendee evidence still participates in correction. (#1091)
• MCP Coach reports guided setup when the local model is missing, without claiming the engine is running. Failed starts still report an error. (#1097)
• Calendar filters can exclude title fragments such as “focus time” or “lunch,” or require an attendee or meeting link. Both filters are opt-in. Thanks to @erikcw. (#1077)
• MCP explains known Linux missing-library and glibc failures without exposing command output or private paths. The prebuilt Linux engine requires glibc 2.39 and the documented audio runtime packages. Debian 12 users should build from source. (#1091)
• Focused updates patch Next.js, MCP transport, image-processing, source-map, and Rust TLS dependencies. (#1096)

Who should care

People who dictate into other apps, use meeting recall, or maintain a custom Minutes settings file. CLI and MCP users also receive the configuration, name-correction, and Coach fixes.

Install / update

Download the macOS DMG or Windows installer from its release assets. For the CLI, use brew upgrade silverstein/tap/minutes or cargo install minutes-cli --version 0.28.0. For MCP, use npx -y minutes-mcp@0.28.0, or replace the Claude Desktop extension with the new minutes.mcpb and restart the host.

CLI / MCP / desktop impact

• Desktop: dictation controls, settings-file recovery, and safe restart confirmation.
• CLI: settings preservation, the participant correction gate, and Linux compatibility guidance.
• MCP: guided Coach setup and transport dependency updates. No tool-count changes.

Breaking changes or migration notes

No manual migration is required for a valid existing settings file. The new calendar filters and extra dictation shortcuts are opt-in. This release does not change recognition defaults or enable automatic updates.

Known issues

The Windows installer is unsigned and may show a SmartScreen warning. The macOS release DMG is for Apple Silicon.

If you manually extract the macOS sherpa CLI archive, run chmod +x minutes-macos-arm64-sherpa/minutes before starting the CLI. The MCP installer sets the executable permission automatically.

Opt-in automatic call capture with core-audio-tap and a Bluetooth HFP microphone can still capture a silent microphone stem. Use the default cpal backend, a non-headset input, or ordinary manual recording for that setup. (#1057)

Very quiet input with the Tiny model and VAD disabled can still produce false speech. The capture remains available for recovery; this release does not establish recognition quality across all microphones, accents, languages, or destination apps.