21be80ddb4
Each dictation previously spawned whisper-cli with -m, reloading the full 1.5-1.6GB model (+ ~10s Metal init) every single time. This adds a WhisperServer manager that keeps a whisper-server child process alive with the model preloaded, so each utterance is a fast local HTTP POST to /inference (~0.5s) instead of a multi-second cold start. - Bundles whisper-server alongside whisper-cli (bundle-whisper.sh). - Server (re)starts on launch and on model change; stops on terminate; picks a free loopback port; -nt (plain text) + -sns (fewer hallucinations). - transcribe() prefers the warm server and falls back to a per-call whisper-cli spawn if the server is unavailable. - Warm-up now starts BEFORE the blocking accessibility prompt so the model load overlaps with the user granting permissions. - Info.plist: NSAllowsLocalNetworking for the loopback HTTP call. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
WhisperDictate
A simple menu bar app for voice dictation using OpenAI Whisper (local, offline).
Platforms
| Platform | Language | Status |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | Swift | ✅ Ready |
| Linux | Rust | 🔜 Planned |
| Windows | C# | 🔜 Planned |
macOS
Features
- 🎤 Global hotkey (⌃⌥D) to start/stop recording
- 🔒 Fully offline - uses local Whisper model
- ⚡ Automatic paste into any focused app
- 📋 Clipboard preservation - your copied content is restored after paste
- ⚙️ Settings window with model selection dropdown
- 📥 Built-in model downloader with progress indicator
- 🚀 Launch at login support
- 🔊 Sound feedback (optional)
- 📦 Self-contained - whisper-cli bundled in app
Requirements
- macOS 13.0+
- Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) or Intel Mac
Quick Install (Download)
- Download the latest DMG from Releases
- Open the DMG and drag WhisperDictate to Applications
- Launch WhisperDictate
- On first run, select and download a Whisper model
- Grant permissions (Microphone + Accessibility)
Build from Source
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/hariel1985/WhisperDictate.git
cd WhisperDictate/macos
# Install whisper-cpp (required for bundling)
brew install whisper-cpp
# Build and install to /Applications
make install
Build Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
make build |
Compile the app and bundle whisper-cli |
make install |
Build and install to /Applications |
make run |
Build and run |
make dmg |
Create distributable DMG |
make clean |
Remove build artifacts |
Usage
- Launch WhisperDictate from Applications
- Look for the 🎤 icon in your menu bar
- Press ⌃⌥D (Control + Option + D) to start recording
- Speak (icon changes to 🔴)
- Press ⌃⌥D again to stop and transcribe
- Text is automatically pasted where your cursor is
Settings
Click the menu bar icon → Settings to configure:
- Language: Auto-detect or 31 supported languages
- Model: Select from installed models or download new ones
- Sound feedback: Toggle audio feedback on/off
- Launch at login: Start automatically when you log in
Whisper Models
Download models directly from the app or manually:
| Model | Size | Speed | Accuracy | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiny | 75 MB | ~1 sec | Basic | Quick tests, simple phrases |
| Base | 142 MB | ~2 sec | Good | Clear speech, quiet environment |
| Small | 466 MB | ~3 sec | Better | General use, some accents |
| Medium | 1.5 GB | ~5 sec | Great | Accents, noisy audio |
| Large v3 Turbo | 1.6 GB | ~4 sec | Best | Recommended - fast like Medium, accurate like Large |
| Large v3 | 3.1 GB | ~8 sec | Maximum | Difficult audio, max accuracy |
Models are stored in ~/.whisper-models/
Audio Feedback
- 🔔 Tink - Recording started
- 🔔 Pop - Recording stopped, processing
- 🔔 Glass - Success, text pasted
- 🔔 Basso - Error
Permissions
Grant these in System Settings → Privacy & Security:
| Permission | Why it's needed |
|---|---|
| Microphone | To record your voice for transcription |
| Accessibility | To simulate ⌘V keystroke and paste text into any app. macOS requires this permission for apps that send keyboard events to other applications. |
Note
: After reinstalling or updating, you may need to remove and re-add the app in Accessibility settings.
Security
- All processing is done locally - no data leaves your device
- Audio files are stored in private temp directory and deleted after transcription
- Clipboard is cleared after paste (transcript doesn't remain accessible)
- Original clipboard content is preserved and restored after paste
- Input validation prevents command injection
- No network access except for optional model downloads from Hugging Face
License
MIT License