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FREE LOCAL DICTATION FOR MAC
Your local
transcription app.
Speak a thought. Transcribe a recording.
Keep every word on your Mac.
Hold a key and talk. Clean text lands where you type.
Get Dictation KeyMade for MacApple silicon & IntelmacOS 14+
ONE APP. ALL YOUR WORDS.
Dictation, wherever you type.File transcription, when you need it.
01 Audio stays on your Mac02 Cleans up as it goes03 Works offline after setup
MEET DICTATION KEY
Say it.
It’s written.
Hold one key, talk, let go. Clean text lands in any app, and your voice never leaves your Mac.
47 seconds · Sound onOpen the filmProduct film with music and a voiceover. Interface scenes are illustrations of the app. A full transcript is below.
Read the video transcript
Wi-Fi off. Voiceover: “Turn off your Wi-Fi. Now just talk.” Someone holds Fn and says “hey sam um can you send me the the deck before friday thanks.” Smart cleanup writes “Hey Sam, can you send me the deck before Friday? Thanks” Voiceover: “Still works. Free, and it never leaves your Mac.”
Say it. It’s written. Voiceover: “Say it. It’s written.”
Every app. Same key. Text lands in an email, a chat and a note. Voiceover: “Email, chat, notes. Same key, every app.”
Messy in. Neat out. “Um, so here’s my to-do list: one, call shiv on about dinner, two, pick up the the dry cleaning, three, book the flights” becomes a numbered list with Siobhan spelled right. Voiceover: “Talk the way you talk. It clears the ums and the repeats, and makes the list.”
Voice memos? Written out. An audio file becomes a timestamped transcript. Voiceover: “Got a voice memo? Drop it in, and read it back.”
Your voice never leaves. Works offline. Voiceover: “Your voice stays on your Mac. Online or off.”
Free. No subscription. Voiceover: “And yes, it’s actually free.”
Recap: hold one key, tap twice for hands-free, Smart cleanup, names spelled your way, voice memos, works offline, stays out of your way, free. End card: Dictation Key. Say it. It’s written. dictationkey.com. Voiceover: “Dictation Key. Say it. It’s written.”
01 / DICTATION
Hold a key.
Let the words out.
Stay in the app you’re using. Dictation Key listens when you ask, then inserts your words when you finish.
Opens the moment you press
A thought, written down.Interaction illustration · the handle opens into a waveform as soon as you press the key
Hold Fn / Globe and speak
The slim handle opens into a waveform the instant you press, so you know it’s listening.
Release to insert
Your words land in the app you’re using, already cleaned up.
Prefer hands-free? Double-tap Fn to start. Tap again to finish. Escape cancels. You can change the shortcut in the app.
02 / CLEANUP
Say it messy.
Get it clean.
Dictation Key tidies your words before they land, with a small AI model that runs right on your Mac. It fixes, it doesn’t invent.
YOU SAID
“Um, so here’s my to-do list: one, fix the cube her netties deploy, two, review the the launch video, three, ship it.”
IT WROTE
So here’s my to-do list:
- fix the Kubernetes deploy
- review the launch video
- ship it.
- Fillers out. “Um”, “uh” and accidental repeats like “the the” disappear. Emphasis like “very, very” stays.
- Changed your mind? Say “Thursday, no wait, Wednesday” and Smart cleanup writes “Wednesday”, with punctuation and capitals fixed.
- Lists numbered. Say “here’s my list: one…, two…” and get a numbered list.
- Your spelling. Saved corrections turn “cube her netties” into Kubernetes every time.
Works in English. Smart cleanup runs on your Mac and needs Apple silicon. Turn any of these off in settings.
03 / YOUR SETUP
It fits the way
you work.
Your shortcut. Your language. Your own words. A few useful controls, right where you need them.
Your words, remembered.
Save a misheard name or phrase once. Your dictionary applies that correction in future dictations.
Saved on your Mac. Always editable.
WHAT IT HEARDcube her nettiesWHAT TO WRITEKubernetes ✓
A key that feels right.
Use Fn, pick another key, or record your own combination. Hold to speak or double-tap to go hands-free.
Out of the way.
A slim handle rests at the edge of your screen. Drag it to the bottom, left or right and it snaps into place.
In your language.
Let Whisper detect your language, or choose one in settings.
Words as you speak.
On Apple silicon, English and 24 European languages transcribe while you talk. Whisper covers more languages and Intel Macs.
04 / AUDIO & VIDEO
From a recording
to words you can use.
Import recordings up to one hour long. Read, edit, and search the transcript. Export the words or take the subtitles with you.
TXTMarkdownSRTVTT
Saved locally. Ready to use elsewhere.
PRIVATE IS THE STARTING POINT
On your Mac.
And kept that way.
Your audio is processed locally. Download a model once, then dictate and transcribe offline. Recordings and transcripts never leave your Mac.
Read the privacy detailsGood to know.
Is Dictation Key free?
Yes. Dictation Key is free, with no subscription and no login. Your audio stays on your Mac.
Why does setup ask for my email?
Setup asks you to verify an email address once with a six-digit code. There is no password or login. Product-update emails are optional and off unless you tick the box. Your recordings and transcripts are never sent.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Download a speech model once, then dictate and transcribe files without an internet connection.
Which Macs is it for?
macOS 14 or later. The universal app contains versions for both Apple silicon and Intel processors.
Does it transcribe while I speak?
On Apple silicon, yes. In English and 24 European languages, it transcribes while you talk, so your text is ready moments after you let go. Hindi, Japanese, automatic language detection and Intel Macs use Whisper, which transcribes right after you finish.
Does it correct what I say?
It cleans up, it doesn’t rewrite. In English it removes “um” and “uh”, collapses accidental repeats and applies the corrections you’ve saved. On Apple silicon Macs with 16 GB of memory or more, Smart cleanup is on by default: a small AI model on your Mac fixes punctuation and capitals, follows self-corrections like “Thursday, no wait, Wednesday” and formats lists and emails. It never sends your words anywhere. If it’s unsure or slow, you get the standard cleanup instead, and you can restore the original text. It downloads once in the background (about 1.8 GB) and can be turned off in settings.
Can I change the keyboard shortcut?
Yes. Fn / Globe is the default. Pick Control or Option, or click Customize to record your own modifier-and-key combination. Both hold-to-dictate and double-tap hands-free recording work with your selected shortcut.
What does the personal dictionary remember?
Only the corrections you save. Enter a misheard word or phrase and its replacement. Edit, delete, or disable these rules whenever you like. It does not monitor everything you type or train a new speech model.
Which speech engine should I use?
The app chooses a default for your Mac. Fast dictation uses Parakeet for English and supported European languages on Apple silicon. Whisper handles other supported language modes, Intel Macs, and file transcription. You can adjust these under Advanced settings.
Where does the recording indicator go?
A slim handle sits at the bottom, left or right edge of your screen. It opens into a waveform the moment you press your shortcut, stays open while you talk and finishes, then tucks away. Drag it to another edge or pick a spot in settings.
What permissions does it need?
Microphone for recording and Accessibility for the keyboard shortcut and inserting text into other apps. Dictation is excluded from recognized password fields.
Where are my transcripts stored?
Imported-file transcripts are saved on your Mac. Your last dictation stays available until you clear it or quit. Original media files are not copied into the library.
Less typing.
More room to think.
Free local dictation for Mac. No subscription. No login.
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