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Overview

VoiceTypr provides instant voice-to-text transcription that works system-wide across all your applications. Your voice recordings are transcribed locally on your device using state-of-the-art AI models, with automatic insertion at your cursor position.

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How It Works

1

Press Your Hotkey

Activate recording using your configured system-wide hotkey (default: Cmd+Shift+Space on macOS, Ctrl+Shift+Space on Windows).
2

Speak Naturally

VoiceTypr captures your voice using your selected microphone. Speak naturally - the AI handles grammar, punctuation, and formatting.
3

Stop Recording

Release or press your hotkey again (depending on your recording mode) to stop.
4

Automatic Transcription

The audio is transcribed locally on your device using your selected AI model. No cloud processing required.
5

Text Insertion

Transcribed text is automatically inserted at your cursor position in any application.

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Recording Modes

VoiceTypr supports two recording modes to fit your workflow:
Toggle mode (default) lets you press the hotkey once to start recording and press it again to stop.
recording_mode: 'toggle'
Best for:
  • Longer dictations
  • Hands-free operation after starting
  • Less physically demanding
Usage:
  1. Press hotkey → Recording starts
  2. Speak your content
  3. Press hotkey again → Recording stops

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Automatic Text Insertion

Once transcription completes, VoiceTypr automatically inserts the text at your current cursor position.

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How Text Insertion Works

  • Clipboard Preservation: Your original clipboard content is saved and restored after insertion (500ms delay)
  • Universal Compatibility: Works in any application that accepts text input
  • Cursor Position: Text appears exactly where your cursor is located
On macOS, automatic text insertion requires Accessibility Permission. VoiceTypr will prompt you to grant this permission during onboarding.

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Clipboard Fallback

If you prefer manual control, you can enable the keep_transcription_in_clipboard setting to keep the transcription in your clipboard instead of automatic insertion: 
keep_transcription_in_clipboard: true
With this enabled, you can paste the transcription wherever you want using Cmd+V (macOS) or Ctrl+V (Windows).

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Transcription History

VoiceTypr automatically saves all your transcriptions for easy access and reuse.

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Viewing History

1

Open VoiceTypr

Click the menubar icon to open the main window.
2

Navigate to Recordings

Go to the Recordings tab to see your transcription history.
3

Browse and Copy

View up to 50 recent transcriptions. Click any transcription to copy it to your clipboard.

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Managing History

Transcription history includes: 
interface TranscriptionHistory {
  id: string;           // Unique identifier
  text: string;         // Transcribed text
  timestamp: Date;      // When it was created
  model: string;        // Which model was used
}
Configure automatic cleanup of old transcriptions using the transcription_cleanup_days setting:
  • Set to null or undefined to keep transcriptions indefinitely
  • Set to a number (e.g., 30) to auto-delete transcriptions older than that many days
transcription_cleanup_days: 30  // Delete transcriptions older than 30 days

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Privacy and Offline Operation

VoiceTypr is designed with privacy as a core principle.

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100% Offline Transcription

All voice transcription happens locally on your device. Your voice recordings never leave your computer.
What stays offline:
  • Voice recording capture
  • Audio processing and transcription
  • All AI model inference
  • Transcription history storage
What requires internet:
  • Initial model downloads
  • AI enhancement features (optional)
  • License validation
  • App updates

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Data Storage

  • Recordings: Temporary audio files are deleted after transcription
  • Transcriptions: Stored locally in your app data directory
  • Models: Downloaded once and cached on your device
  • No Telemetry: VoiceTypr does not send usage data or analytics

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Advanced Features

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Silence Detection

VoiceTypr includes automatic silence detection to stop recording when you pause speaking:
  • Uses Voice Activity Detection (VAD) to monitor audio levels
  • Configurable silence threshold and duration
  • Helps prevent unnecessarily long recordings

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Quick Cancel

Made a mistake? Double-tap ESC to quickly cancel the current recording:
Press ESC twice quickly to cancel a recording without saving it. This is faster than waiting for transcription to complete.

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Audio Feedback

Configure audio feedback for recording events: 
play_sound_on_recording: true       // Play sound when recording starts
play_sound_on_recording_end: true   // Play sound when recording stops

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Visual Indicator

The pill indicator shows recording status on your screen: 
pill_indicator_mode: 'when_recording'  // Options: 'never' | 'always' | 'when_recording'
pill_indicator_position: 'top-center'  // Screen position
pill_indicator_offset: 20              // Distance from edge (10-100px)

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Supported Languages

VoiceTypr supports 99+ languages out of the box. Select your language in Settings: 
language: 'en'  // ISO 639-1 language code
Some models (like *.en Whisper variants and Parakeet -v2 models) only support English. VoiceTypr will automatically enforce English when these models are selected.

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Troubleshooting

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No Speech Detected

If you see “No speech detected” errors:
  1. Check your microphone is selected correctly in Settings
  2. Verify microphone permissions are granted
  3. Test your microphone in another app
  4. Adjust your recording environment to reduce background noise

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Text Not Inserting

On macOS:
  • Ensure Accessibility permission is granted
  • Check System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility
  • VoiceTypr should be listed and enabled
On Windows:
  • No special permissions required
  • Try the clipboard fallback mode if insertion fails

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Poor Transcription Quality

  • Use a better quality microphone
  • Reduce background noise
  • Speak clearly and at a moderate pace
  • Try a larger model for better accuracy (see AI Models)
  • Use AI Enhancement to clean up transcriptions (see AI Enhancement)