Desktop recording and keyboard shortcuts
Record from any program with the CaseClock Desktop shortcut, use hold to speak and pause, and approve, edit or delete the entry from the notification.
With CaseClock Desktop you do not have to leave the document or email you are working in. Press the shortcut, say what you did, press it again. This guide describes version 0.2.53. Recording works the same way in every version from 0.2.47.
Before you begin
Install and set up the app: Install and set up the CaseClock desktop app.
Record with the shortcut
From any program, press Command Shift R (Mac) or Ctrl Shift R (Windows), or click the CaseClock icon and press the record button. The recorder appears and the icon changes to show it is recording.
Speak. Say the client or matter, what you did and how long. Several pieces of work can go in one recording; name the next client as you move on. A tip line under the record button suggests things to try.
Press the shortcut again, or Stop. The recording is saved on your computer first and then uploaded, so a dropped connection loses nothing.
Two ways to use the shortcut:
| Habit | What to do |
|---|---|
| Press to start, press to stop | The default. |
| Hold to speak | Turn it on under Settings, Recording. Hold the shortcut down while you talk; the recording stops when you release. On a Mac it needs Accessibility permission, which the app asks for. |
Recordings save themselves at 20 minutes; the recorder warns you as the limit approaches. You can add more to an entry afterwards by voice.
The recorder window
- Compact shrinks the recorder to a small always-on-top strip with REC or STOP and the timer. Turn on Keep recorder on top in Settings to keep the full window above other programs too.
- Pause appears beside the record control when Allow pausing a recording is on under Settings, Recording. Paused time is left out of the recording; the microphone stays open, and the window says so. A recording left paused for 30 minutes is saved.
- If the app or computer stopped mid-recording, the recorder offers the interrupted recording the next time it opens: upload it, or discard it.
The notification after processing
A few seconds after you stop, a card appears (unless you turned off Show notification panel): Generating entries…, then the drafted entry with its client, matter, duration, description, an estimated value, and a status such as Ready to approve, Needs attention or Billing code needed.
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Approve | Approves the entry. At Clio firms the menu beside it offers Approve and sync to Clio. |
| Review & approve | Shown when CaseClock has suggestions for the entry; opens them first. |
| Edit by voice | Say the change, for example "Make that point six." The menu beside it offers Edit manually, which opens the entry in the web app. |
| Dismiss | Hides the card. The draft stays in Entries on the web and your phone. |
| Delete | Deletes the entry permanently after you confirm. |
If the recording produced several entries, use the arrows on the card to move between them.
If your firm uses task-based billing codes, the card shows a billing code block with Add or Change and selectors for the activity and task codes. A matter that does not require codes says so; any you add go into your file export.
Tray and menu bar
The icon's menu shows who is signed in, whether a recording is in progress, and anything waiting to upload, with Open Recorder, Open CaseClock Web, Sign Out, Quit CaseClock, and Copy Diagnostics for support. When you have turned on the timer or computer activity, their controls appear here too; see Track time with the work timer and Computer activity in CaseClock Desktop.
What happens next
Review and approve on the web or your phone: Review, edit and approve entries. Combining several drafts into one entry is done on the web and the phone, not in the desktop app.
If something goes wrong
The shortcut does nothing. Another program may own that key combination. See Desktop install, tray icon and microphone problems.
I held the key down and got several short recordings. Turn on Hold to speak under Settings, Recording. Without it, each press of the shortcut starts or stops a recording.
No sound was recorded. Check the microphone: Desktop install, tray icon and microphone problems.
Related guides
Desktop app
Download the CaseClock desktop app for Mac or Windows, complete the five-step setup, find the app in your menu bar or tray, and keep it up to date.
Desktop settings
Every setting in CaseClock Desktop in plain words, section by section, from the shortcut and Hold to speak to the timer, computer activity, updates and appearance.