Dictation for Mac: speak into any app, text where your cursor is
MeetingEcho adds dictation to every Mac app: press Option-Space, speak, press again, and the text appears where your cursor is, with punctuation. Speech recognition runs on your Mac, with Apple's model or Whisper.
At a glance
- Shortcut
- Option-Space, or hold an Option key; any shortcut can be chosen
- Engines
- Apple's dictation model or Whisper, on the Mac
- Text after you stop
- About 0.25 s with Apple's model, about 1.5 s with Whisper
- Languages
- More than 100; detection picks the one you speak
- History
- The text of each dictation, never the audio; can be switched off
- Password fields
- Nothing typed or said at a password field is kept
How dictation works
Press Option-Space in any app, say what you want to write, and press it again. Esc cancels. Or hold one Option key on its own: speak while you hold it, let go, and the text goes in. Double-tap it to keep listening hands-free.
- Fast or precise. Apple's dictation model shows your words as you speak. Whisper is more accurate with names and accents, and finds the language by itself.
- In your languages. Dictate in any of your working languages. One tap switches the language for a single dictation.
- Enhance, if you want it. Remove filler words, turn rambling into a short email, or translate on the way in. Through your own AI provider, and only when you switch it on.
- Your history, as text. Every dictation is kept as text, with the app it went to. Never the audio. Never at a password field.
Two engines, both on your Mac
Apple's dictation model shows the words as you speak and has the final text about a quarter of a second after you stop. Whisper is more accurate with names and accents, detects the language by itself, and has the text about 1.5 seconds after you stop. Say punctuation and new lines in the language you speak.
A panel or a pill
A full panel shows the words as you speak; a small pill shows a waveform. Either sits at the top or the bottom of the screen. MeetingEcho pastes the text and puts your clipboard back, types it for apps that block pasting, or only copies it. Option-Shift-V pastes the last dictation again.
Enhance, if you want it
With an AI provider of your own, Enhance cleans up filler words and false starts, turns what you said into a short message or email, or translates it into your other working language. Only the text goes to the provider you chose, never the audio.
Questions and answers
Does the audio leave my Mac?
No. Both engines run on the Mac. Only if you switch on Enhance does the text, never the audio, go to the AI provider you set up yourself.
Which apps does it work in?
Any Mac app with a text field: Mail, Slack, Teams, Word, a browser, a code editor. MeetingEcho pastes the text where the cursor is, or types it for apps that block pasting.
Can I dictate in German and English?
Yes. With Whisper, MeetingEcho detects the language you speak; with Apple's model you pick it. Punctuation is said in the language you speak.
What happens to the clipboard?
MeetingEcho pastes the text and then puts your clipboard back as it was.
Getting started
A short welcome tour shows you around on the first launch, and Settings start simple. Everything works as it is; Advanced is there when you want more.
Choose your languages.
Up to four you work in, and the one you are learning.
Meet and dictate as usual.
MeetingEcho waits in the menu bar, notices calls, and listens only when you ask.
Read, search and practise.
Transcripts, notes and cards appear on your Mac, ready to search, export or practise.