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On-device dictation screenshot
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On-device & private
Apple’s on-device engines — including the new macOS 26 Speech — transcribe right on your Mac. Audio never has to leave the machine.
macOS dictation · on-device & private
(Est. 2026 — v1.0)
Stop typing. Start talking.
Dictation so native you’d swear Apple shipped it. Private on-device transcription, the best cloud engines when you want them, and a model picked per language.
16:9 · Product demo
Drop a video file or YouTube/Vimeo embed here
Looks like Apple
made it.
(Features 01—06)
Only the Mac — never a cross-platform port. Built in Swift & AppKit to feel like it shipped with the system.
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App window / about screen
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Truly native
Built in Swift & AppKit — tiny and instant, never an Electron wrapper. Made for macOS only, and always will be.
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Menu-bar bar + live waveform
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Lives in the menu bar
A global hotkey, a live waveform, and auto-insert straight into whatever app you’re typing in.
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Provider / model picker
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Cloud, your choice
Deepgram, OpenAI and ElevenLabs with your own key — and pick the exact model per provider.
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Language → engine routing
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Per-language engines
Route each language to the engine that handles it best — automatically, or by hand.
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Model download manager
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Downloadable models
Pre-fetch on-device language models so dictation starts the instant you press the key.
(Privacy)
Your voice never leaves your Mac.
Pick on-device and nothing ever touches a server — no account, no sign-in, no tracking. Reach for a cloud engine only when you want extra accuracy, and even then it’s your own API key talking straight to the provider.
One app, every engine worth having.
(Engines)
Apple Speech on-device
Deepgram
OpenAI
ElevenLabs
Bring your own key
Questions, answered.
(FAQ)Is VTT private? Does my audio leave my Mac?
By default VTT transcribes on-device using Apple’s Speech engine, so your audio never leaves your Mac. There’s no account and no analytics. If you enable a cloud engine, audio is sent directly to that provider using your own API key.
Is VTT free?
Yes — VTT is free to start, with no account required. On-device dictation costs nothing. Cloud engines are pay-as-you-go on your own provider API key, only if you choose to use them.
Which speech engines does VTT support?
Apple’s on-device Speech (including the macOS 26 models), plus optional cloud engines: Deepgram, OpenAI, and ElevenLabs. You can pick the engine per language.
What are the system requirements?
macOS 14 or later, on Apple Silicon or Intel. Download the build that matches your Mac — the site recommends the right one automatically.
Does VTT work offline?
Yes. On-device dictation works fully offline. An internet connection is only needed if you choose a cloud engine or to download additional language models.
How is VTT different from Apple’s built-in Dictation?
VTT keeps the on-device privacy of Apple Dictation but adds engine choice (including large cloud models via your own key), per-language routing, downloadable models, and a real menu-bar workflow with a global hotkey and auto-insert.
(Download — free)