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

# Voice and Hands-Free

> Log entries by speaking—perfect for driving, cooking, or workouts

<Info>
  **Time:** 12 minutes | **Level:** Intermediate\
  **Prerequisites:** [Logging Like a Pro](/tutorials/beginner/logging-like-a-pro)
</Info>

<Note>
  Voice features require a **Starter plan or higher** and use credits from your monthly allowance.
</Note>

## What You'll Learn

* Use Quick Voice for fast single entries
* Activate Hands-Free Mode for continuous voice logging
* Speak naturally for best recognition accuracy
* Understand credit costs for voice features
* Troubleshoot common voice issues

***

## Two Voice Modes

Peanuts offers two distinct voice experiences:

| Feature          | Quick Voice             | Hands-Free Mode                     |
| ---------------- | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| **Interface**    | Tap mic, speak, confirm | Full conversation loop              |
| **Confirmation** | Visual (tap to save)    | Voice ("Yes" to confirm)            |
| **Best for**     | Single quick entry      | Multiple entries, can't touch phone |
| **Credits**      | \~11 per entry          | \~26 per entry                      |

***

## Quick Voice Entry

The fastest way to log by voice when you can still glance at your screen.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Your Helper">
    Navigate to the helper where you want to add an entry.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Tap the Microphone">
    Look for the mic button next to the input area or "Add Entry" button.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Speak Naturally">
    Describe your entry in plain language:

    * *"Spent forty-five dollars on groceries at Whole Foods"*
    * *"Ran 5k in 28 minutes this morning"*
    * *"Meeting with Sarah, went well, follow up Friday"*
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review & Confirm">
    Peanuts shows what it understood. Check the parsed fields:

    * Tap **Add** to save
    * Tap **Edit** to adjust
    * Tap **Cancel** to discard
  </Step>
</Steps>

### What Gets Parsed Automatically

Peanuts extracts structured data from natural speech:

| You Say              | Peanuts Parses                     |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| "forty-five dollars" | Amount: \$45.00                    |
| "yesterday"          | Date: \[yesterday's date]          |
| "groceries"          | Category: Groceries (if it exists) |
| "at Whole Foods"     | Store: Whole Foods                 |

<Tip>
  Speak in complete thoughts. *"Coffee meeting with Tom, twelve dollars, downtown café"* works better than fragmented phrases.
</Tip>

***

## Hands-Free Mode

A full conversational experience—perfect when you can't touch your phone at all.

### Starting a Session

<Steps>
  <Step title="Enter Hands-Free Mode">
    Tap the **headphones icon** in your helper's action bar, or say "Hey Peanuts, hands-free mode" if voice activation is enabled.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Listen for the Prompt">
    Peanuts speaks: *"Ready to log. What would you like to add?"*
  </Step>

  <Step title="Speak Your Entry">
    Describe what you want to log naturally.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm by Voice">
    Peanuts reads back what it understood:

    * Say **"Yes"** or **"Confirm"** to save
    * Say **"Edit"** or **"Change"** to adjust
    * Say **"Cancel"** or **"Never mind"** to discard
  </Step>

  <Step title="Continue or Exit">
    After saving, Peanuts asks *"Anything else?"*

    * Describe another entry to continue
    * Say **"Done"** or **"That's all"** to exit
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Example Conversation

```
🎧 Peanuts: "Ready to log. What would you like to add?"

🎤 You: "Twenty dollars on an Uber to the airport"

🎧 Peanuts: "Got it. Twenty dollars for Uber, category Transport. 
             Should I save this?"

🎤 You: "Yes"

🎧 Peanuts: "Saved. Anything else?"

🎤 You: "Coffee at the terminal, five fifty"

🎧 Peanuts: "Five dollars fifty for coffee, category Food. Save it?"

🎤 You: "Yes"

🎧 Peanuts: "Done. Anything else?"

🎤 You: "That's all"

🎧 Peanuts: "All set. Have a great trip!"
```

### Visual Feedback

Even in hands-free mode, you get visual cues if you glance at the screen:

| Visual                 | Meaning                         |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| **Pulsing waveform**   | Peanuts is listening            |
| **Processing spinner** | Transcribing your speech        |
| **Entry preview card** | Shows parsed data before saving |
| **Checkmark**          | Entry saved successfully        |

***

## Speaking Tips for Best Recognition

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Do" icon="check">
    * Speak clearly at normal pace
    * Use complete sentences
    * Include units ("dollars", "minutes", "miles")
    * Mention category names from your helper
    * Pause briefly before numbers
  </Card>

  <Card title="Avoid" icon="xmark">
    * Speaking too fast or mumbling
    * Background noise (TV, crowds, wind)
    * Very short fragments ("50, food")
    * Uncommon abbreviations
    * Trailing off at the end
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Natural Phrasing Examples

| Instead of... | Try...                                     |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| "50, food"    | "Spent fifty dollars on food"              |
| "Run 5k"      | "Ran five kilometers this morning"         |
| "Meeting Bob" | "Had a meeting with Bob about the project" |
| "Gym"         | "Went to the gym for an hour"              |

***

## Credit Usage

Voice features consume credits from your monthly allowance:

| Action                          | Credits |
| ------------------------------- | ------- |
| Voice-to-text (your speech)     | 10      |
| Text-to-speech (Peanuts speaks) | 15      |
| AI parsing                      | 1       |

### Cost Per Scenario

| Scenario                | Total Credits              |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------- |
| Quick Voice entry       | \~11 (STT + parsing)       |
| Hands-Free single entry | \~26 (STT + TTS + parsing) |
| Hands-Free with edit    | \~41 (extra TTS round)     |

<Info>
  Starter plan includes 200 credits/month. Pro includes 1,000 credits. Check [Pricing](/support/billing) for details.
</Info>

***

## Hands-Free Use Cases

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Driving" icon="car">
    Log expenses, mileage, or notes without taking hands off the wheel.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Cooking" icon="utensils">
    Track ingredients, recipes, or grocery needs with messy hands.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Workouts" icon="dumbbell">
    Log sets, reps, and exercises mid-workout.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Walking" icon="person-walking">
    Capture thoughts, tasks, or expenses on the go.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Exercise

<Card title="Practice: Log Without Touching" icon="dumbbell">
  Complete these tasks using only your voice:

  **Part 1: Quick Voice**

  1. Open your expense tracker
  2. Use Quick Voice to log: *"Coffee this morning, four dollars"*
  3. Verify the parsed amount and category, then save

  **Part 2: Hands-Free Mode**

  1. Enter Hands-Free Mode
  2. Log three entries in a row without touching your phone:
     * An expense
     * Edit one entry when Peanuts reads it back
     * Confirm the corrected version
  3. Exit with "That's all"

  **Bonus:** Try logging while doing another activity (washing dishes, walking, etc.)
</Card>

***

## Key Takeaways

<Tip>
  **Remember:**

  * Quick Voice = fast, visual confirmation (11 credits)
  * Hands-Free = conversational, voice confirmation (26 credits)
  * Speak in complete sentences with context
  * Say "Done" or "That's all" to exit Hands-Free mode
  * Check your credit usage in Settings → Usage
</Tip>

***

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Microphone not working">
    1. Check browser/app permissions (Settings → Privacy → Microphone)
    2. Ensure Peanuts has microphone access
    3. Try refreshing the page
    4. Test your mic in another app to rule out hardware issues
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Poor transcription accuracy">
    * Move to a quieter environment
    * Speak slightly slower and more clearly
    * Hold phone closer to your mouth
    * Check your internet connection (voice processing needs connectivity)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="'Upgrade required' message">
    Voice features require Starter plan or higher. Check your subscription in Settings → Billing.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="'Insufficient credits' error">
    You've used your monthly credit allowance. Options:

    * Wait for monthly reset
    * Purchase a credit top-up
    * Upgrade to a higher tier
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Hands-Free audio not playing">
    * Check phone volume and silent mode
    * Ensure "Read Aloud" is enabled in settings
    * Try with headphones
    * Check Bluetooth connection if using wireless audio
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Smart Scan Mastery" href="/tutorials/intermediate/smart-scan-mastery" icon="camera">
    Extract data from photos and documents
  </Card>

  <Card title="Hands-Free Mode Reference" href="/features/hands-free-mode" icon="headphones">
    Complete feature documentation
  </Card>
</CardGroup>