Talk to Arro
You can ask Arro what it can access, what it has done, and why a task failed. Arro declines requests for its private instructions or confidential implementation details and offers a general explanation of its capabilities.1
Start talking
Hold your push-to-talk keys (Left Ctrl + Win by default on Windows, Left Control + Command on a Mac) while
you speak. The icon lights up while it listens.
2
Speak your request
Talk naturally, for example “what does this error mean?”. Arro replies out loud in plain, conversational sentences.
To interrupt, hold your push-to-talk keys and start talking. Arro stops speaking when it hears you. Press Esc to
stop its speech, even while another app has focus.
3
Mute when you need quiet
Click the mic button on the dynamic dock, or press Ctrl+Shift+M (the Control key on a
Mac too, not Command). Muting silences your mic everywhere, screen recordings included.
If the answer is ready first, it starts with the answer. The reply goes straight to the answer or next step without
repeating the acknowledgement. Longer tasks still include useful progress updates.
Replies are brief by default. Ask for more detail when you need it.
Arro offers further help when there’s something to clarify, a blocker to resolve, or a useful next step.
After starting background work, Arro gives one brief confirmation, even if it acknowledged your request first.
When it finishes, Arro gives the outcome and any important limitation or next step.
Open the task for the full result.
Arro acknowledges each kind of request once while you keep talking, so follow-up questions about the same screen go
straight to the answer.
What Arro does
Most of what you can ask for falls under one of three pillars.Work
Run a task in the background, or replay a workflow you saved.
Guide
Answer about your screen, point things out, or coach you step by step.
Create
Build a spreadsheet, report, presentation, picture, track of music, or an app.
See Computer use for using your open apps and stopping control.
Arro can also edit an image you name or open a file.
Transcribing recordings
Ask what is said in a recording on your computer, such as a meeting, call, voice memo, interview, podcast or video, and Arro transcribes it and answers from the transcript. Name the file or the folder it is in. Arro can transcribe just part of a recording (“the last ten minutes”) and label who is speaking as Speaker 1, Speaker 2 and so on. Transcription runs in the background, so you can keep talking to Arro. The transcript is saved as a text file in the Transcripts folder of your Audimate folder, and each line starts with its time in the recording. A background task can also transcribe recordings as part of bigger work, such as captions or meeting notes. To transcribe a recording, its audio is uploaded to a speech-to-text provider, then deleted from Audimate’s storage once it is transcribed. A recording outside the folders Arro may read is checked against what you asked, the same as any other file Arro reads. Transcribing draws on your monthly usage by the length of audio sent. It still counts if the transcription fails or times out after the audio was sent. One transcription covers up to 24 hours of audio, so ask for a longer recording in parts.Drawing on your screen
While talking to Arro, hold the left mouse button and draw to show what you mean. Circle a region, draw an arrow, cross something out, or make another freehand mark. Your strokes stay as you drew them. On your screen, they match your chosen Arro cursor color with a white outline. Arro receives the same strokes in red with a white outline. You can draw while you hold your push-to-talk keys. While drawing is active, clicks and drags go to Arro, so drawing over text does not select it in the app underneath. The dock remains usable. The underlying app keeps keyboard focus unless you open a dock keyboard control. Nearby strokes made within about a second join the same drawing. An arrow’s shaft and head can therefore share one screenshot. A drawing elsewhere starts a separate image. Each image is captured when its drawing starts and referenced at that point in your spoken request, so Arro can distinguish “move this” from “over here”. Each request can include up to six images from drawing or pointing. A drawing lasts up to 30 seconds. At the limit, Arro stops adding strokes and shows a notice. Release the mouse button, then start another stroke to continue. To cancel an unfinished stroke, press the right mouse button while still holding the left button. Released strokes stay attached to your request. Escape does not erase them. Drawings stay on your screen until Arro finishes responding. If the microphone closes without sending a request, those drawings disappear. The drawing notice says “Left click to draw. Right click to cancel.” It does not display your transcript. If capture fails, Arro shows “Some drawings could not be attached. Your spoken request will still be sent.” Arro receives your words without the failed drawings. Repeat your request with a fresh drawing.Pointing at things
Point your cursor and say “this” or “here” to send Arro a screenshot with a small red circle at that spot. The circle appears only in the image Arro receives, with no indicator on your screen. Once you start drawing, further pointing words add no circles to that request, including pauses between strokes. Drawing and pointing captures are unavailable during screen recording, while typing a request, or while Arro is hidden. If you already have text selected, Arro can also receive that selection with your request. Text selected in a password or other sensitive field is never read. Arro can also look closely at one part of your screen to read something small, like fine print or one value in a dense table. Editing a picture already open on your screen works this way. To turn off drawing and pointing captures, open Arro → General in settings and switch off Draw on your screen while talking. Arro still works without it. The setting is saved per device.Microphone
Open Settings from the user menu, then Arro → Microphone. The gear button on the dynamic dock opens the same settings. These apply to talking to Arro and to screen recordings alike, and they belong to this computer. Narration while recording is set under Recording.
While muted, the dock can show Microphone is muted:
Sound detection runs locally while Arro is visible, with a cooldown between reminders.
It keeps the microphone active without recording or sending the sound for transcription.
Push-to-talk reminders need no microphone access.
Your computer has to allow the microphone before any of this works. The first time you talk to
Arro, a card appears in the dynamic dock with Allow. The settings
above cannot override the operating system. See
Windows permissions and
macOS permissions.
Continuous narration keeps the mic on for the whole recording, so you can talk hands-free while you
demonstrate. See Watch mode.
Keybinds
The Keybinds page sets Arro’s global shortcuts. They work anywhere, even when Audimate is not the active window. Click Record on a row, then press the key or combination you want. Single keys and modifier combinations both work, including two modifiers held together (the macOS push-to-talk default is one). Key names follow the platform: what Windows calls Ctrl, Alt and Win, macOS calls Control, Option and Command.Action button
Double-tap this key and Arro does whatever fits the moment.
Computer use takes priority whenever Arro is controlling your screen. Only a quick double-tap triggers
the key, so using it normally in shortcuts does nothing. Clear the keybind to disable it.
On Windows, while the action button is set to a Shift key, Arro pauses the Sticky Keys shortcut
(pressing Shift five times) so it cannot interrupt you, and puts it back when you close Arro or
rebind to another key. If you already use Sticky Keys, Arro leaves your setting alone. macOS has
no equivalent shortcut, so there is nothing to pause there.
Type a prompt
Opens a text box on the dynamic dock with the cursor ready, so you can type to Arro instead of speaking. Press Enter to send, or Esc to put it away, which works even after you have clicked into another window. When the dock is expanded, a send button and an × appear too. Closing the box clears it, so it always opens fresh. Text you have typed sticks around while the box stays open, including while the dock collapses and expands. Arro does not listen to your mic while the box is open. While Arro is recording your screen, the box becomes a note field instead: what you send is added to the recording’s narration, the same as speaking while you record, and Arro does not reply.Your conversation on Home
In the desktop app, Home shows your conversation with Arro. Type in Home’s box, or talk to Arro anywhere, and Home becomes the chat. It is laid out like texting: your messages in lavender bubbles on the right, Arro’s replies in grey bubbles on the left. Three dots show while Arro works on its reply. The box moves under the conversation so you can keep replying. When a chat gets long, Arro summarizes the earlier messages so it can keep going. A Chat compacted divider marks where that happened. The full chat stays visible above it, and Arro can still look up details from it when you ask. Below the reply box, a reminder reads: “Arro is an AI agent and can make mistakes.” Pictures and music Arro makes appear in the conversation once they are ready. Play music right there, or open a picture or a track in its own window. Any other file Arro makes, like a PDF it downloads, appears as a card you can select to open. When Arro starts a background task, its card appears in the conversation and shows what the task is doing. Select the card to open the task. If the task needs you, you can answer on the card. When the task finishes, its main file appears under the card, and the number beside it lists any other files it made. A result that is not a file, like a link, a folder or a page, gets Open on the card instead. Hover over a file’s card and select Show in folder to find it on your computer. A Tasks panel also opens on the right of Home, listing this conversation’s tasks newest first. Its cards show Open for any result. It shows the 50 most recent, and older ones are in Tasks. Select Hide tasks on the panel or at the top right of Home to hide it, and Show tasks to bring it back. Once hidden, it stays hidden as new tasks start. On a narrow window it covers the conversation, so it opens only when you select Show tasks. Arro waits in the middle of Home. It says hello the first time you open Home in each part of the day, then asks how it can help. It moves to the top of the chat when you start. It wears the color you picked and acts out what it is doing.
Hover over a message to see when it was sent and copy it, or select Read aloud on one of
Arro’s replies to hear it, even with automatic voice off.
Recent audio from spoken replies and Read aloud is reused without generating speech again.
Arro keeps up to 20 clips while open, within a 64 MB limit, replacing older clips when either limit is reached.
An uncached reply, or a different voice or speed, generates audio once for reuse.
Clearing the chat, signing out, switching workspaces, or quitting clears saved audio.
Arro’s sound is on when the app opens, then follows how you last reached Arro. Typing on Home
turns it off, because you read the reply there.
While sound is off, Arro does not speak replies or acknowledgements, show subtitles, or play its
thinking sound. Background updates, like a finished or failed task, a task needing you, a ready
picture or an approval request, arrive unspoken in the chat. The dock’s
sound effects still play, the timer alarm
still rings, and Read aloud still reads a reply to you.
There is one conversation. It stays on Home while the app is open, and clears when you sign out,
switch workspaces, or quit the app.
Screenshots Arro takes in the chat are deleted when the conversation clears or, after you quit, the
next time the app starts. One you asked a background task to use is kept no longer than that task
runs.
To start over, select Clear chat at the top of Home: Arro begins a new conversation. With
memory on, it keeps a short recap of the old one and any lasting details you
shared.
Your timers and background tasks carry on. A task that finishes after you clear the chat is not
announced in the new conversation. Its result still shows in the dock and in Tasks.
Attach files
Select the paperclip (Attach files) in Home’s box, drag files onto the box, or paste a file into it, to send files with your message. You can send files without typing anything. Your message in the chat shows each file by name and size.
Arro reads a file up to its limit itself. A larger file attached from its folder goes to Arro as its
location on your computer. Arro hands it to a background task,
which opens the file there.
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OpenDocument, Pages, Numbers and RTF files go to Arro as their
location on your computer, and Arro opens them there. Attach one from its folder, because a pasted
one has no location to open. A bigger job on one goes to a background task.
A pasted file, or one dragged from a web page, is saved as a temporary copy a background task can
open. The copy is removed when you sign out, switch workspaces, or next open the app.
A message holds up to 3 files, and at most 2 of the files Arro reads itself can be documents rather
than images. One conversation holds 8 MB of files Arro reads itself. Select Clear chat to attach
more.
Personalize Arro
Generated speech requires an internet connection and uses your monthly AI allowance. If speech is unavailable, check your connection and try again. If a chat or microphone request hits a usage limit, Arro plays a recorded explanation alongside the dock notice. These recordings play locally without using your allowance. When Arro needs a closer look at your screen, it may say a short phrase while inspecting the detail. The phrases vary and pause between uses to avoid repetition. They follow your voice settings and stop when you interrupt. The General page tailors how Arro looks and sounds. Manage apps and expertise in Plugins.
To change the voice, voice output, volume, speaking speed, or color without leaving the chat, select Arro at the
top of Home’s chat.
Changing Voice, Volume, or Speaking speed plays a short sample with your new settings when Arro is idle.
Switching Voice output to Voice + subtitles or Voice only also plays the sample.
Slider previews play after you release the slider. Samples stay silent in Subtitles only mode and do not use your allowance.
Speed previews use recordings made at each pace, keeping the voice’s natural pitch.
You can also ask Arro to change its voice, volume, speaking speed, subtitles, cursor visibility, color, size, opacity, or sound effects.
Arro changes these only when you ask. Microphone, access, approval, and other settings require your action in settings.
When a setting blocks a task, Arro can explain why and show a card with Open settings in chat and the dock.
The button opens the relevant page, including Browser when no compatible browser is configured. Opening the card changes no settings.
Turning off Show Arro cursor hides the decorative cursor, including thinking and speaking.
The control pointer stays visible during computer use.
Highlights, screen markers, subtitles, and the dock stay visible. The choice is saved on this device.
Voice + subtitles is the default. Subtitles appear at the bottom center of your main screen, with white text on translucent black.
Open Voice output using the icon to the left of the dock’s microphone, or in Settings → Arro → General.
Your choice is saved on this device.
Turning voice off applies during replies. Turning it back on enables speech for the next reply.
A reply already using subtitles stays visible until it finishes.
In Subtitles only, captions come directly from the reply. Long sentences split into shorter pieces,
and each caption stays for at least 2.2 seconds, with more time for longer text.
With Voice + subtitles, captions follow the spoken sentences through long replies.
Speech may start later or pause between sentences to keep the words and audio together.
Sound effects have their own volume, separate from Arro’s speaking voice. The
timer alarm is the one exception to switching them off: you asked
for it, so it rings anyway.
How hard Arro thinks
Open Settings → Arro → Models in the desktop app. Your models saves choices to your account across devices. You can also change both from the chat on your desktop home page. The level button in the message box names the tier Arro is on and opens both selectors. Arro switches from your next message.- Arro is the model Arro thinks with while you work together, and the one that reads back the recordings you make.
- Background work is the model behind every job Arro runs without you watching: background tasks, workflow runs, and scheduled ones.
Both selectors start on Fast on every plan, and an upgrade moves them only when the workspace
owner turns on better models (below). They stay on the page whatever plan you are on and tell you
which plan opens them. If your workspace changes
plan, Arro applies the plan’s available settings and workspace policies. Your saved choice returns when both allow it.
Workspace policies
Owners and admins manage model access under Workspace settings → Policies. Models shows your personal choices, subject to these workspace policies. “The active workspace changed. Reopen settings in the intended workspace.” means a request outlived a workspace switch. Reopen the settings page in the intended workspace before trying again. After a workspace upgrades to Plus or Pro, the workspace owner’s desktop home page asks Turn on better models for Arro? Turn on sets both selectors to the plan’s highest tier, Better on Plus and Best on Pro, and workspace policies still apply. Not now leaves them as they are. Any answer, including closing the question, clears it for good. Everyone else, and an owner whose workspace moves to another plan, sees a notice beneath Arro on the desktop home page instead. Review models opens your model preferences. Neither opening Models nor changing a preference dismisses the notice. Choose Dismiss to clear it for your account across devices. Teammates dismiss their own notices, and a later upgrade shows another notice. The picture dials on the same page are a separate ladder with their own plan levels, so Better there does not mean the same plan as Better here. See making pictures. Music quality sets how music is made; it has one option today.When Arro starts fresh
Arro’s conversation belongs to the account and workspace you are in. Signing out, or switching workspace, clears the conversation and any drawings, and starts a new conversation. It also closes open picture or music windows, so a track that is playing stops. What Arro remembers about you is kept separately in each workspace.Nothing you have already made is lost. Every picture and
track Arro makes is written to your Audimate folder the moment it is finished, so it is
a file on your computer before the switch and still a file on your computer after it. You will find them all in
Creations. Only work still in progress is abandoned.
Turn it off
The Enable Arro toggle at the top of the General page turns Arro on or off, hiding the Arro icon immediately. This belongs to this computer, so switching Arro off here leaves it on elsewhere.Usage
Voice sessions draw from your workspace’s monthly usage, the same usage chat and automation draw on. Audio is metered at a higher rate than text, so a long spoken conversation uses more of the month than a text-only chat. Making or editing a picture also uses more than a typical chat message, and a track of music uses more again.Related
The dynamic dock
Where Arro lives: background tasks, coaching, and timers in one place.
Desktop app
Computer use, allowed sites and folders, and approval modes.
Plan limits
What each plan includes, and what draws on monthly usage.