VoiceToText
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Free · Open source · macOS

Voice to text for Mac.
Speak. It types. Anywhere.

Press Option plus Space to dictate into any app. Runs locally on Apple Silicon — free, open source, and no account required.

Download for Mac — freeSee it in action

Signed & notarizedDirect DMGNo app telemetry

Built for Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) · Requires macOS 15.0 or later.

Speak in Notes, Slack, Mail, Notion, ChatGPT, a terminal, or any other text field. Review the result before it types, or turn on instant paste.

Trust, privacy, and local transcription

WhisperKit and FluidAudio run speech models locally on the Apple Neural Engine — audio stays on your Mac in local mode.Read the setup guide

See it work

From voice to a finished prompt in 20 seconds.

This is the real app dictating directly into a coding workspace — no copy and paste, no window switch, and no staged interface.

Real screen recording · 20 seconds · no audioPress ⌥Space, speak, press again.
Try it free on your MacRead the 5-minute setup guide

Three steps

Start dictating in any Mac app in three steps.

  • 01

    Press Option plus Space

    A floating HUD with a live waveform appears — from any app, no window switch. Esc cancels anytime. Prefer push-to-talk? Switch to hold-to-record in Settings.

  • 02

    Speak naturally

    Full sentences, paragraphs, casual or technical. Punctuation is inferred; with a streaming model the words appear live as you speak.

  • 03

    Press again — review, paste

    The transcript pops up for a quick edit — hit Return and it lands at the cursor of the focused app. Turn review off and it pastes instantly.

Read the complete Mac setup guide

Choose your workflow

Where will voice to text save you time?

Dictate everyday writing, longer AI prompts, or entire meetings. Pick a workflow to see how VoiceToText fits the Mac apps you already use.

Writing

Write emails, notes, and messages without breaking your flow.

Put the cursor where you want the text, speak naturally, review the result, and press Return. VoiceToText handles punctuation and types into the app already in front of you.

Quick update — I finished the proposal and shared it with the team. I’ll send the final version before lunch tomorrow.

  • Mail
  • Notes
  • Slack
  • Notion
Dictate your next message

What you get

Private dictation, designed for the Mac.

The essentials stay simple. Local transcription is the default; cloud models and AI actions are optional when you explicitly add your own provider key.

  • Your audio never leaves the Mac

    Local models run on-device by default — your voice never touches the network. No accounts, no servers, no telemetry. The app only connects to fetch models and check for updates.

  • Tap to talk — or hold

    Press Option plus Space to start, again to stop — or switch to hold-to-record push-to-talk. Esc cancels. Rebind to any shortcut, even Right Control alone.

  • Native Mac speed

    Pure SwiftUI with no Electron overhead — quick to launch, light in Activity Monitor, and built for Apple Silicon.

  • Works in every app that accepts text

    Slack, Mail, Notes, browser address bars, terminals, code editors — if macOS puts a cursor there, VoiceToText types into it.

FAQ

What you need to know before installing.

Eight direct answers about privacy, setup, compatibility, and everyday use.

Is VoiceToText free?
Yes — completely free, forever. VoiceToText is free and open source, with the full source code on GitHub. No paid tiers, no accounts, and no in-app purchases. Download it free.
Does it work offline? Is my voice data sent anywhere?
Yes, transcription works fully offline by default. Local models (Whisper, Parakeet) run on the Apple Neural Engine — your audio never leaves your Mac. The app's only network traffic is one-time model downloads and a daily update check against GitHub Releases. Cloud models are strictly opt-in: audio is sent directly to the provider (OpenAI or ElevenLabs) under your own API key only when you explicitly select a cloud engine, and AI transcript actions use your OpenAI key the same way. VoiceToText itself never receives your audio.
How do I use voice to text on my Mac?
Install from the DMG, grant Microphone and Accessibility permissions, then press Option plus Spacein any app, speak, and press it again. The transcript pops up for a quick review — hit Return and it’s pasted at the cursor. Prefer zero friction? Turn review off in Settings and text lands instantly. Prefer hold-to-talk? Switch the shortcut to hold-to-record. Works identically on MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Studio.
Why does it need Accessibility permission?
Accessibility permission is how macOS lets one app type into another. VoiceToText uses it to paste transcribed text at the cursor, register the global shortcut, and catch Esc so you can cancel a recording — it does not log your keystrokes, read your screen, or access any other app’s data. (Only the optional Right Control shortcut needs the separate Input Monitoring permission.) The source code is public if you want to verify exactly how the permissions are used.
What are the system requirements?
The current builds require macOS 15.0 or later and an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or newer). Intel Macs are not supported because the local models rely on the Apple Neural Engine. Cloud models work on any supported Mac with an internet connection.
How accurate is it? Which models does it use?
You choose from six local models: Parakeet TDT v3 is the fastest on-device option, Whisper Large v3 is the most accurate offline option, and Whisper Large v3 Turbo is the best balance — plus Small, Base, and Tiny for older or space-constrained Macs. For the highest accuracy across accents and technical jargon, bring your own API key and switch to GPT-4o Transcribe, GPT-4o Mini Transcribe, or Whisper-1 (OpenAI), or Scribe v2 Realtime (ElevenLabs) in Settings → Models.
What apps does VoiceToText work in?
Any Mac app with a text field. Apple Notes, Notion, Obsidian, Bear, Pages, Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Slack, Messages, Mail, Gmail, Outlook, WhatsApp, Discord, Safari and Chrome address bars, ChatGPT, Claude.ai — if macOS puts a cursor there, your voice types into it. No app-specific setup.
Do you collect any usage data or telemetry?
The app collects nothing: no accounts, no analytics, no first-party servers. With a local model your audio generates zero network traffic — the only connections the app makes are model downloads and an update check against GitHub Releases. If you opt in to a cloud model, audio goes directly from your Mac to the provider — VoiceToText is never in that path. The repo is public; verify it yourself or watch traffic with Little Snitch. (This website uses Google Analytics to count visits; the app itself contains no analytics code.)

Ready to dictate

Download VoiceToText — voice to text for macOS.

One DMG. Drag to Applications. Grant Microphone and Accessibility. Press Option plus Space and speak.

Download for Mac — freeSee all releases on GitHub

Free · Signed & notarized · Direct from GitHub · macOS 15.0+ · Apple Silicon

  1. 1

    Open the DMG

    Drag VoiceToText to /Applications. Takes 5 seconds.

  2. 2

    Launch the app

    The default local model (Parakeet TDT v3) downloads itself — no setup, no account.

  3. 3

    Grant Microphone and Accessibility

    One-time prompt — mic hears you, accessibility types into whatever app you’re in. Revoke anytime in System Settings.

  4. 4

    Press Option plus Space, speak, press again.

    Review the transcript, hit Return — it lands at the cursor. Prefer hold-to-talk? One switch in Settings.

Why two permissions? Microphone lets the app hear you. Accessibility lets it type into whatever app you’re in. Both stay on-device. Revoke anytime in System Settings.

Requirements: macOS 15.0 or later · Apple Silicon (M1 or newer). Updates are built in — the app checks GitHub Releases and installs new versions in place.