You can dictate text on your Mac without Siri, without Apple servers, and without an internet connection. Chirp is a standalone dictation app that transcribes all speech locally using whisper.cpp. There's no account to create, your voice never leaves your machine, and it works in any app that accepts pasted text.
How macOS Built-In Dictation Handles Your Voice
Apple's built-in dictation is free and convenient, and on Apple Silicon Macs it can run on the device for supported languages. The catch is that it doesn't always. When dictation isn't processed on the device — on Intel Macs, or for languages that aren't supported on-device — your audio is sent to Apple's servers. Apple says it doesn't store that audio unless you've turned on “Improve Siri & Dictation” (off unless you opt in). Keyboard settings show whether dictation is processed on your Mac.
A few practical points follow from that:
- Privacy depends on your setup. Whether your words leave your Mac depends on your hardware and language, which is easy to lose track of.
- Internet dependency in some cases. When dictation goes to Apple's servers, it needs a connection.
- It stops when you pause. Apple's dictation stops by itself after about 30 seconds without speech.
- No history. Once text is inserted, there's no record of what you dictated to search later.
Apple Dictation also supports many languages, which Chirp does not. If you dictate in something other than English, or you're happy that your Mac processes dictation on-device, the built-in option may be all you need.
The Alternative: Always-Local Dictation with Chirp
Chirp is local by design, on every Mac it supports. It runs from the menu bar and uses a global hotkey to start and stop recording. When you stop, the transcribed text is pasted at your cursor position in whatever app you're using.
How to Set Up Chirp as Your Dictation Tool
Step 1: Download and Install
Go to chirp.la/mac and download the macOS version. It's a single universal download that runs natively on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs (macOS 13 or later). Open the .dmg and drag Chirp to Applications.
Step 2: Grant Permissions
On first launch, Chirp asks for microphone access so it can hear you, and Accessibility access, which it needs to detect the Fn key and to paste text into your active app. macOS may also ask whether Chirp can control System Events, which is how the paste is sent.
Step 3: Change Apple's Dictation Shortcut (Optional)
Chirp works independently of Apple's dictation, so you can leave it on. If you want to avoid triggering both, go to System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation and either turn Apple's dictation off or change its shortcut away from the Fn/Globe key.
Step 4: Start Dictating
Press the Fn key (or Option+M) to start recording. Speak naturally. Press it again to stop. Your transcribed text is pasted at your cursor, usually within a second on Apple Silicon. Each recording can run up to five minutes. Note that the transcript also replaces whatever was on your clipboard.
Side-by-Side Comparison: Apple Dictation vs. Chirp
| Feature | Apple Dictation | Chirp |
|---|---|---|
| Processing | On-device on Apple Silicon for supported languages; otherwise Apple's servers | Always on-device (whisper.cpp) |
| Internet Required | Only when processed on servers | Not for transcription |
| Stops Automatically | After ~30 seconds of silence | When you press the key again (5-minute cap) |
| Transcription History | No | Yes (searchable, CSV export) |
| Languages | Many | English only |
| Platforms | Apple devices | macOS and Windows |
| Cost | Free, built in | 28 free, then $9.99/yr |
Why This Matters for Privacy-Conscious Users
If you dictate meeting notes, personal journal entries, patient records, legal observations, or anything else you would not want on someone else's server, you want to know for certain where your audio goes. With Chirp, the audio goes from your microphone to the whisper.cpp engine running on your Mac, the recording is deleted as soon as it's transcribed, and the text is saved only in your local history. Chirp sends no analytics.
Works Without Internet
Transcription never needs a connection, so Chirp is useful on planes, in secure environments, or anywhere with bad Wi-Fi. The whisper.cpp model (ggml-tiny.en, roughly 30 MB) ships with the app — there is nothing extra to download. Chirp does go online for two small things: it checks for updates when it launches, and once you have a license it checks it about once a day, working for up to seven days offline between checks. For a deeper look, read our guide to private, offline dictation on Mac and Windows.
Getting Started
Chirp includes 28 free transcriptions so you can try the full experience before deciding. After that, a $9.99/year license unlocks unlimited dictation on up to 5 devices. Download it at chirp.la/mac.