Push-to-talk, anywhere
Hold Ctrl + Option to record, release to transcribe and paste. Works in any app — notes, email, code, messages.
Private · Offline · macOS
Your voice, to text. Instantly. Privately.
DictumScribe is native push-to-talk dictation for your Mac. Hold Ctrl + Option, speak, and it pastes clean text into any app — powered entirely by on-device Whisper models. No cloud, no subscription, no one listening.
- 100% on-device
- English & Spanish auto-detect
- Free & open source
0
bytes sent to the cloud
2
languages, auto-detected
<1s
typical local transcription
100%
yours. forever.
Features
Everything you need. Nothing you don't.
A focused tool built for speed and privacy — not another bloated AI assistant.
100% private & offline
Whisper models run entirely on your Mac. Your voice never leaves the device, so your words stay your business.
English & Spanish auto-detect
Switch languages mid-sentence without touching a setting. DictumScribe detects who's speaking and transcribes accordingly.
Blazing fast & light
Built with Rust and Tauri 2 for a tiny footprint and native performance. Idles in your menu bar, ready when you are.
Pick your model
Trade speed for accuracy on the fly. Choose from fast base models
up to high-fidelity medium — all local.
Menu-bar native
Lives quietly in your menu bar with launch-at-login and a floating status pill that shows recording and transcribing state at a glance.
How it works
Three keystrokes. Zero friction.
1
Hold the hotkey
Press and hold Ctrl + Option. A subtle pill appears to let you know DictumScribe is listening.
2
Speak naturally
Talk in English or Spanish. DictumScribe captures your voice and detects the language automatically.
3
Release & paste
Release the keys. Your words are transcribed on-device and pasted into whatever you're working on. Done.
Models
Right-sized for every task.
All models run locally. Download once, use offline forever.
| Model | Languages | Size | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| base.en | English | 142 MB | Fastest, quick notes |
| base | English · Spanish | 142 MB | Fast multilingual |
| small.en | English | 466 MB | Balanced accuracy |
| small | English · Spanish | 466 MB | Balanced multilingual |
| medium | English · Spanish | 1.5 GB | Highest accuracy |
Get started
Ready to dictate at the speed of thought?
Free, open source, and yours to keep. Download for Apple Silicon or Intel Macs running macOS 10.15 or later.
Requires macOS 10.15+. After first launch, grant Accessibility and Microphone permission when prompted.