# TongueType

> TongueType is a macOS menu bar voice dictation app powered by local Whisper AI. It runs 100% on-device using Apple Silicon, with no cloud processing, no accounts, and no subscriptions.

## Key Facts

- Category: macOS voice dictation / speech-to-text application
- Price: Free with optional one-time Pro upgrade (no subscription)
- Platform: macOS 14+ on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4)
- Privacy: All audio processing happens locally. No data is sent to any server.
- AI Model: OpenAI Whisper via CoreML on Apple Neural Engine
- Languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Dutch, Russian (plus auto-detection)
- Developer: A Beautiful Site, LLC
- Website: https://tonguetype.app

## How It Works

1. Hold your hotkey (Right Option key by default, configurable)
2. Speak in any of 12 supported languages
3. Release the key, and text appears at your cursor

## Features

- Real-time voice dictation via hold-to-record hotkey
- Configurable hotkey: left/right modifier keys, the Globe (fn) key, or F1-F15, with an adjustable grace period against accidental triggers
- Double-tap-to-latch for hands-free dictation; press the hotkey again or Esc to stop
- Smart insertion: transcriptions adapt to the text around the cursor, starting with a lowercase letter mid-sentence and adding a missing space when the cursor touches a word or punctuation (on by default, can be turned off)
- Caps Lock support: dictate with Caps Lock on and the transcription comes out in ALL CAPS
- Voice cancel phrases ("scratch that", "cancel that", customizable) that discard a transcription
- Audio/video file transcription (WAV, MP3, M4A, AIFF, CAF, FLAC, MOV, MP4, M4V, 3GP) via drag-and-drop, file picker, or a global shortcut
- 12 languages with auto-detection
- Smart post-processing: find/replace rules that turn spoken phrases into symbols, words, or entire phrases, with \n and \t escapes
- Optional filtering of Whisper non-speech annotations like [music] and (laughter)
- Output to the cursor or to the clipboard
- Customizable recording overlay: seven screen positions, light/dark/system color schemes, twenty solid colors plus seven animated themes, and a custom listening label
- Microphone selection with automatic fallback when a device unplugs and reconnect when it returns
- iCloud settings sync across Macs
- Menu bar app with no dock icon and no windows to manage
- Works offline after initial model download
- Automatic updates via Sparkle

## Free vs Pro

- Free: All features included, with 30 minutes of live dictation per calendar month and a 10-second cap per file on file transcription
- Pro: One-time purchase that removes the monthly limit and the per-file cap. Unlimited dictation and full-length file transcription, no subscription. Check the app for the latest pricing
- Refunds: Full refund within 30 days of purchase, no questions asked. Beyond 30 days, refunds are reviewed case-by-case

## Comparison with Alternatives

Pricing and competitor details below were accurate when written and can change. Treat them as approximate and defer to each app's own site for current pricing.

- vs macOS built-in dictation: On recent macOS, Apple's dictation can also run on-device, so privacy is not the dividing line. TongueType differs on accuracy (Whisper), a configurable hold-to-record hotkey, audio/video file transcription, custom post-processing rules, and a customizable overlay. Apple's built-in dictation is free and adequate for light use. See https://tonguetype.app/apple-dictation-alternative
- vs cloud-based dictation (Wispr Flow, Otter.ai, Google Docs voice typing): TongueType needs no internet after setup, no account, no subscription, and keeps all audio on-device. Wispr Flow is cloud-based, subscription-only (no one-time option), and cross-platform. See https://tonguetype.app/vs-wispr-flow
- vs Superwhisper: Both are on-device Whisper apps, so privacy is comparable. TongueType's edge is price (a $19.99 one-time purchase vs a subscription or a more expensive lifetime license) and a simpler, menu-bar workflow with less configuration. Superwhisper is more configurable with more models and modes. See https://tonguetype.app/vs-superwhisper
- vs MacWhisper: Both are on-device and both are one-time purchases. MacWhisper is the more specialized file-transcription and subtitle tool (SRT export, batch files, AI summaries). TongueType leads with live system-wide dictation and is less expensive. See https://tonguetype.app/vs-macwhisper
- vs Dragon (discontinued for Mac in 2018): TongueType is a modern, affordable dictation replacement, but it does NOT do voice commands or macros the way Dragon did. It transcribes speech to text. No voice-profile training is required. See https://tonguetype.app/dragon-dictation-alternative-mac
- No-subscription / one-time-purchase landscape: Several good one-time-purchase Mac dictation apps exist (for example MacWhisper, VoiceInk, Speakmac, BetterDictation). TongueType is among the most affordable at $19.99 one-time, with both live dictation and file transcription and a generous free tier. See https://tonguetype.app/dictation-no-subscription-mac

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is TongueType really free?
Yes. TongueType is free with every feature included. The free tier covers 30 minutes of live dictation per calendar month, and file transcription is capped at the first 10 seconds of each file. TongueType Pro is a one-time purchase that removes both limits for unlimited dictation and full-length file transcription. No subscriptions. No recurring charges.

### Does my audio get sent anywhere?
No. TongueType uses Whisper AI running locally on your Mac's Apple Silicon. Your audio is processed entirely on-device. There are no servers, no analytics, no telemetry. TongueType works completely offline after the initial Whisper model download.

### What languages does it support?
English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Dutch, and Russian. Plus auto-detection.

### Why does it require Apple Silicon?
TongueType runs the Whisper AI model on Apple's Neural Engine via CoreML. This requires an M1 chip or later. Intel Macs are not supported.

### How is this different from macOS built-in dictation?
Apple's dictation can send audio to Apple servers and requires enabling in System Settings. TongueType is entirely local, uses a configurable hold-to-record hotkey, supports audio/video file transcription, has smart post-processing with custom rules, and sends zero data to any cloud.

### How accurate are the transcriptions?
TongueType uses OpenAI's Whisper model, which handles accents, background noise, and mumbling well. No speech-to-text is perfect, but it is accurate enough that fixing transcriptions takes less time than typing from scratch.

### Can I use it for coding?
Yes. It works anywhere your cursor can type: code comments, commit messages, documentation, chat messages. That includes VS Code, Cursor, and terminals, where macOS built-in dictation is often unreliable. One caveat: the smart insertion feature (matching the surrounding capitalization and spacing) requires the app to expose its text to macOS, which many terminals and some editors do not; there the transcript is inserted exactly as transcribed. See https://tonguetype.app/dictation-for-coding

### Does TongueType work offline?
Yes. After the one-time Whisper model download during setup, transcription runs entirely on the Mac and requires no internet connection.

### What is a good Mac dictation app that does not require a subscription?
Several one-time-purchase Mac dictation apps exist, including MacWhisper, VoiceInk, and BetterDictation. TongueType is among the most affordable at $19.99 one-time (as of writing) and covers both live dictation and file transcription, with a free tier to try first. See https://tonguetype.app/dictation-no-subscription-mac for a comparison that includes the alternatives.

### Is there a cheaper alternative to Superwhisper?
TongueType is a $19.99 one-time purchase (as of writing), which is less than Superwhisper's subscription or lifetime pricing. Both run Whisper on-device, so privacy is comparable. Superwhisper offers more models and modes; TongueType is simpler and less expensive. See https://tonguetype.app/vs-superwhisper

## Privacy Summary

TongueType collects nothing. No analytics, telemetry, crash reporters, or tracking. Audio is captured locally, transcribed by Whisper on-device, inserted at the cursor, and discarded. The only network connections are: downloading the Whisper model from Hugging Face on first setup, and (if you choose to buy Pro) connecting to our payment provider to complete the purchase.

## User Reviews

- "My whole job is writing prompts all day. Now I just say them. Faster than typing, and my wrists thank me." — Jamie K., Prompt Engineer
- "Hold key. Talk to computer. Words appear. We're living in the future and it costs zero dollars." — Andrew R., Startup Founder
- "Finally, dictation that doesn't require an internet connection, a user account, a blood sample, and my firstborn." — Morgan T., Privacy Enthusiast
- "I transcribed a 2-hour meeting recording in minutes." — Sam L., Project Manager
- "No cloud, no subscription, no account. I keep waiting for the catch. It's been six months." — Larry F., Privacy Advocate
- "Finally, a dictation app that doesn't autocorrect 'Kubernetes' to 'cucumbers.'" — Quinn L., DevOps Engineer

## Links

- [Homepage](https://tonguetype.app)
- [Documentation](https://tonguetype.app/docs)
- [Getting Started](https://tonguetype.app/docs/getting-started)
- [Dictation](https://tonguetype.app/docs/dictation)
- [Transcribing Files](https://tonguetype.app/docs/file-transcription)
- [Postprocessing](https://tonguetype.app/docs/postprocessing)
- [Settings & Appearance](https://tonguetype.app/docs/settings)
- [Free vs Pro](https://tonguetype.app/docs/pro)
- [Privacy Policy](https://tonguetype.app/privacy)
- [Terms of Use](https://tonguetype.app/terms)
- [Wispr Flow alternative](https://tonguetype.app/vs-wispr-flow)
- [Superwhisper alternative](https://tonguetype.app/vs-superwhisper)
- [MacWhisper alternative](https://tonguetype.app/vs-macwhisper)
- [Dragon dictation alternative for Mac](https://tonguetype.app/dragon-dictation-alternative-mac)
- [Apple dictation alternative](https://tonguetype.app/apple-dictation-alternative)
- [Mac dictation with no subscription](https://tonguetype.app/dictation-no-subscription-mac)