Back to Knowledge Base

Auto-Detect & App Detection

LotusQ automatically identifies your active application and chooses the best way to insert text, no configuration needed.

How Auto-Detect Works

When you dictate, LotusQ inspects the window that currently has focus. Based on the application type, it selects the optimal paste strategy so your text arrives cleanly every time, whether you're in a terminal, a chat app, or a code editor.

๐Ÿ’ก Auto-Detect is the default mode. Most users never need to change it.

Paste Strategies

LotusQ uses three different methods to insert text depending on the target app:

Ctrl + V (Standard Paste)

Used for most desktop applications: browsers, office suites, note-taking apps. The text is placed on the clipboard and pasted with a standard keystroke.

Ctrl + Shift + V (Terminal Paste)

Used automatically when a terminal emulator is detected. Terminals intercept Ctrl+V for other purposes, so LotusQ sends the Shift modifier to ensure a clean paste.

Single-Paste Mode (Electron Apps)

Apps built on Electron (Discord, Slack, Notion, etc.) consume the clipboard on paste. LotusQ sends exactly one paste attempt and re-sets the clipboard for any follow-up edits, preventing duplicate text.

Detected Terminal Apps

The following terminal emulators are detected automatically. When any of these are focused, LotusQ switches to the Ctrl+Shift+V strategy:

Windows TerminalCMDPowerShellAlacrittyWezTermHyperMinttyKittyTabbyGNOME TerminalKonsoleXfce4 TerminalTilixTerminatorFootSakuraGuakeYakuakeRioGhostty

Detected Electron & Rich-Text Apps

These applications use Electron or rich-text editors that require special clipboard handling. LotusQ uses single-paste mode with extended timing to avoid double-paste or lost text:

DiscordSlackWhatsAppTelegramSignalMicrosoft TeamsNotionObsidianFigmaSpotifyMicrosoft EdgeOutlook

Detected IDEs with Embedded Terminals

Code editors that embed terminals get special treatment on Linux. LotusQ detects them and applies Electron-aware timing plus terminal paste shortcuts when appropriate:

VS CodeCursorChromiumGoogle ChromeBrave BrowserMicrosoft Edge

Switching Paste Mode Manually

If auto-detect doesn't pick the right strategy for a particular app, you can override it:

  • 1. Open Settings in LotusQ
  • 2. Scroll to Paste Method
  • 3. Choose Auto-Detect, Ctrl+V, or Ctrl+Shift+V

You can also cycle through paste modes on the fly with Ctrl+Shift+F5.

๐Ÿ’ก On macOS, paste always uses Cmd+V and auto-detect is not needed. The setting is hidden.

Platform Support

Windows Full auto-detect by executable name. Supports terminal, Electron, and standard app detection.
macOS Universal Cmd+V paste. No auto-detect needed, all apps use the same shortcut.
Linux Auto-detect via WM_CLASS (X11). Detects terminals and Electron apps by window class name.

Related