When typing isn’t an option.
TongueType is a Mac dictation app built for people whose hands don’t cooperate with a keyboard. Hold a key, speak, release — your words appear in any app the same way typed text would. Everything runs on your Mac. Nothing is uploaded.
macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon · Free forever, Pro if you want
Conditions this can help with
Below is the population we have in mind when we build TongueType. We don’t make medical claims, and we’re not a replacement for advice from a doctor or occupational therapist. But if any of this sounds familiar, voice dictation may be the most comfortable way for you to write on a Mac.
Arthritis
Joint pain and stiffness in the fingers and hands make repeated key presses painful and slow. Speaking takes no joint movement at all.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Nerve compression causes numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hand. Long typing sessions tend to flare it up. Voice input gives the median nerve a break.
Tendonitis & RSI
Inflammation from overuse builds with every keystroke. Holding a single key for a few seconds, then releasing, is a fraction of the load of typing the same words out.
Trigger finger
Fingers that catch or lock in a bent position make precise key presses unreliable. Dictation removes the precision requirement.
Dupuytren’s contracture
Thickened palm tissue pulls fingers inward and limits how far they can stretch across a keyboard. Speaking doesn’t need finger reach.
Cerebral palsy
Affects muscle control and coordination. Targeting individual keys takes effort even on a slow day. A single hotkey is much easier than a full keyboard.
Parkinson’s disease
Tremors and rigidity interfere with accurate typing. Speech is often less affected than fine motor control, especially early.
Essential tremor
Involuntary shaking of the hands makes touch typing unreliable. Holding a single key with one finger is steadier than chasing thirty-odd targets.
Multiple sclerosis
Weakness, numbness, and coordination problems in the limbs come and go. Dictation is a reliable fallback on days when typing isn’t working.
Spinal cord injury
Partial or full paralysis can take typing off the table entirely. Voice input puts writing back on it. A single switch can trigger the hotkey.
Stroke & hemiparesis
Weakness or paralysis on one side often leaves only one hand fully usable. TongueType’s hotkey is a single modifier key, designed to be reachable one-handed.
Amputation & limb difference
Missing fingers, hands, or arms make standard two-handed typing impossible. Voice input adapts to whatever input setup you already have.
What makes TongueType suited to assistive use
One key, or no holding at all
The hotkey is a single modifier (Right Option by default) you hold while speaking. If holding isn’t comfortable, switch on Double-tap to latch: two quick taps start recording hands-free, one more tap stops it. No multi-key chord, no always-listening microphone.
One-handed friendly
Because the hotkey is one key, it works with one hand. Pick a modifier you can reach without stretching, or remap it to a footswitch, mouse button, or assistive switch.
Inserts text into any app
Your transcript lands at the cursor wherever you’re typing — email, Slack, Notes, code editors. The optional Accessibility permission unlocks that direct-insert mode; without it, TongueType falls back to putting text on the clipboard for you.
No subscription clock
The free tier covers 30 minutes of dictation per month with every feature included. Pro is a one-time purchase, not a recurring charge. You won’t lose access to a tool you’ve started to depend on.
Runs entirely on your Mac
Medical history, symptoms, and personal writing never leave your device. There’s no cloud transcription service, no “anonymous” usage data, no account to create.
Works offline
Because transcription is local, TongueType keeps working when the internet doesn’t. Useful in hospitals, clinics, rural areas, and any place where Wi-Fi is unreliable.
Setting it up so it’s comfortable
A few small choices can make a big difference. The defaults work, but if standard typing is hard, these are worth a minute:
Pick a hotkey you can reach
The default is Right Option, which most people can press with a thumb on the same hand they already rest there. If that’s not reachable, change it under Settings → Hotkey. Many users with limited motion prefer a function key (F13–F19) bound to a footswitch or assistive switch, or a modifier on a programmable keyboard.
If holding a key for a long sentence is uncomfortable, turn on Double-tap to latch under Settings → General. Two quick taps start recording; one more tap stops it. No holding required.
Grant Accessibility (optional, but useful)
TongueType uses the macOS Accessibility permission to insert transcribed text directly into other apps. It’s labelled Optional for a reason: if you skip it, the app still works — your transcript lands on the clipboard, and you paste it where you want it.
If pasting is a friction point (e.g. you’re using one hand), granting Accessibility removes that step. The full walk-through is in Getting Started.
Add your own words
Medical terms, drug names, surnames, and technical jargon can be tricky for any speech-to-text engine. TongueType’s postprocessing rules let you map what you say to what you mean — for instance, replacing the way Whisper writes a name with the spelling you actually use, or expanding “dx” to “diagnosis” automatically.
Try file transcription too
If speaking out loud isn’t always practical, you can record a voice memo on your iPhone (or any recorder), drop the file into TongueType, and get a transcript without saying a word in front of your Mac. Same Whisper model, same on-device processing. See Transcribing files.
Give your hands a break.
Download TongueType for free and try it for a few days. There’s no account to create and nothing leaves your Mac.
macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon · Direct download, no App Store