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
• ⚙️ Settings window (language, model path, sounds)
• 🚀 Launch at login support

Requirements

• macOS 13.0+
• Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) or Intel Mac
• whisper-cpp (brew install whisper-cpp)
• Whisper model file

Quick Install (Download)

1. Download the latest DMG from Releases
2. Open the DMG and drag WhisperDictate to Applications
3. Install dependencies:

# Install whisper-cpp
brew install whisper-cpp

# Download Whisper model
mkdir -p ~/.whisper-models
curl -L -o ~/.whisper-models/ggml-medium.bin \
  "https://huggingface.co/ggerganov/whisper.cpp/resolve/main/ggml-medium.bin"

4. Launch WhisperDictate and grant permissions (Microphone + Accessibility)

Build from Source

If you prefer to build the app yourself:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/hariel1985/WhisperDictate.git
cd WhisperDictate/macos

# Build and install to /Applications
make install

# Or just build without installing
make build

Build Commands

Command	Description
make build	Compile the app
make install	Build and install to /Applications
make run	Build and run
make dmg	Create distributable DMG
make clean	Remove build artifacts

Usage

1. Launch WhisperDictate from Applications
2. Look for the 🎤 icon in your menu bar
3. Press ⌃⌥D (Control + Option + D) to start recording
4. Speak (icon changes to 🔴)
5. Press ⌃⌥D again to stop and transcribe
6. Text is automatically pasted where your cursor is

Settings

Click the menu bar icon → Settings to configure:

• Language: 31 supported languages (dropdown)
• Model Path: Path to your Whisper model file
• Sound feedback: Toggle audio feedback on/off
• Launch at login: Start automatically when you log in

Whisper Models

Model	Size	Speed	Accuracy	Download
tiny	75 MB	Fastest	Basic	Download
base	142 MB	Fast	Good	Download
small	466 MB	Medium	Better	Download
medium	1.5 GB	Slow	Best	Download

For Intel Macs, consider using small or base models for faster transcription.

Audio Feedback

• 🔔 Tink - Recording started
• 🔔 Pop - Recording stopped, processing
• 🔔 Glass - Success, text pasted
• 🔔 Basso - Error

Permissions

Grant these in System Settings → Privacy & Security:

• Microphone - for recording
• Accessibility - for auto-paste

Note

: After reinstalling or updating, you may need to remove and re-add the app in Accessibility settings.

License

MIT License