[FEATURE] Add voice conversation mode to Dispatch — talk to Claude, not type to it
Feature request
Add a real-time voice conversation mode to the Dispatch UI on iOS (and ideally desktop). Right now Dispatch is a text-message-style interface — type, hit send, wait for text reply. Voice conversation would let users speak to Claude and hear responses back, like a phone call.
Why this matters
For users on iPad-only / accessibility / hands-free workflows, the current "type-and-tap" model is high-friction. A voice mode (similar to ChatGPT's Voice Mode or Gemini Live) would unlock:
- Long-form planning conversations — verbalize ideas, get pushback, iterate fast
- Workflow operation while away from keyboard — driving, lying back, walking, recovering from injury (literal use case for me right now)
- Accessibility — users who can't type comfortably (RSI, mobility, vision)
- Speed — speaking is 3-4x faster than typing
Proposed UX
- Toggle in Dispatch header: "Voice Mode"
- Tap → switches to fullscreen voice UI with waveform indicator
- Claude speaks responses out loud while continuing to use sub-tasks/tools in the background
- Visual log of the conversation shown below the waveform for reference
- Tap to interrupt mid-response (like ChatGPT)
- Auto-detect speaker silence to commit each turn (no manual "send")
- Optional speech-to-text fallback for review/editing
Existing reference points
- ChatGPT Voice Mode — Standard + Advanced (real-time, low-latency)
- Gemini Live — full duplex, can interrupt
- Claude Voice Mode (web) — Anthropic already shipped this for claude.ai chat per support article 11101966; just not in iOS Dispatch
Severity / impact
For some users this is the difference between "I can use Claude as my CTO" and "I can't realistically work with Claude today." Voice unlocks AI as a true working partner for non-keyboard contexts.
Related issues
- #32597 — Voice input not available in Dispatch
- #36581 — Voice/microphone for Code web interface
- #30808 — Mic icon in chat input
This is the bigger ask those bugs hint at. Even a tap-to-talk mode (no full duplex) would be a major win.
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