Advanced Tutorial20 min read

Voice Assistant Setup with Moltbot

Control Moltbot hands-free with voice commands. Set up wake word detection, talk mode for natural conversations, and high-quality voice responses using ElevenLabs.

Voice Features

Moltbot supports always-on voice interaction on macOS, iOS, and Android. Here's what you can do:

Voice Wake

Always-on wake word detection ("Hey Moltbot")

Talk Mode

Continuous conversation without repeating wake word

Voice Output

High-quality TTS with ElevenLabs integration

Push-to-Talk

Quick voice commands via overlay or hotkey

Platform Support

macOS

  • Voice Wake
  • Talk Mode
  • PTT Overlay
  • Menu Bar Control

iOS

  • Voice Wake
  • Talk Mode
  • Canvas Surface
  • Bonjour Pairing

Android

  • Talk Mode
  • Canvas Surface
  • Camera & Screen
  • Optional SMS

Setup Guide

1. Configure Voice Wake

// ~/.moltbot/moltbot.json
{
  "voice": {
    "enabled": true,
    "wakeWord": "Hey Moltbot",
    "sensitivity": "high",
    "platform": {
      "macos": {
        "enabled": true,
        "inputDevice": "default",
        "noiseCancellation": true
      },
      "ios": {
        "enabled": true,
        "backgroundListening": true
      }
    }
  }
}

2. Set Up ElevenLabs TTS

// Configure ElevenLabs for voice output
{
  "tts": {
    "provider": "elevenlabs",
    "apiKey": "${ELEVENLABS_API_KEY}",
    "voice": {
      "id": "pNInz6obpgDQGcFmaJgB", // Adam
      "settings": {
        "stability": 0.5,
        "similarity_boost": 0.75
      }
    },
    "playback": {
      "speed": 1.0,
      "device": "default"
    }
  }
}

// Or use OpenAI TTS as alternative
{
  "tts": {
    "provider": "openai",
    "voice": "alloy",
    "speed": 1.0
  }
}

3. Enable Talk Mode

// Talk mode allows continuous conversation
{
  "voice": {
    "talkMode": {
      "enabled": true,
      "timeoutSeconds": 30,
      "endPhrases": ["thanks", "that's all", "goodbye"],
      "visualIndicator": true
    }
  }
}

// Example conversation:
// You: "Hey Moltbot"
// Moltbot: *chime* "Yes?"
// You: "What's on my calendar today?"
// Moltbot: "You have three meetings..."
// You: "And tomorrow?" (no wake word needed!)
// Moltbot: "Tomorrow you have..."

4. macOS Menu Bar App

# Install macOS companion app
brew install moltbot-app

# Or download from GitHub releases
open https://github.com/moltbot/moltbot/releases

# The app provides:
# - Menu bar control plane
# - Voice Wake / PTT overlay
# - Talk Mode indicator
# - WebChat access
# - Remote gateway control

Example Voice Commands

Productivity

  • "Hey Moltbot, summarize my emails"
  • "What's on my calendar today?"
  • "Create a reminder to call John at 3 PM"
  • "Draft a response to the team thread"

Information

  • "What's the weather like?"
  • "Read me the latest news headlines"
  • "How's my stock portfolio doing?"
  • "Search for Thai restaurants nearby"

Automation

  • "Turn on the living room lights"
  • "Check the status of my 3D printer"
  • "Start my daily briefing"
  • "Organize my downloads folder"

Development

  • "Check the CI status for the main branch"
  • "Review my open pull requests"
  • "Debug this error: [paste]"
  • "Deploy the latest version to staging"

Pro Tips

  • Use a headset in noisy environments for better wake word detection
  • Customize the wake word to something unique if you have false triggers
  • Set up different voice profiles for work and personal modes
  • Use PTT overlay for quick commands when wake word feels awkward

Start Talking to Your AI

Voice control makes Moltbot feel like a true personal assistant. Set it up once, use it everywhere.

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