Voice-to-Text for Windows
Chirp brings fast, private, offline voice-to-text to Windows. Press a hotkey, speak, and your transcribed text is automatically pasted into whatever application you're working in. No internet connection required, no account to create, no data sent to the cloud.
System Requirements
- Windows 10 or later (64-bit)
- x86_64 processor
- Approximately 95MB of disk space
- A working microphone (built-in or external)
Installation
Chirp for Windows is available in two installer formats:
- .exe installer — Standard executable installer. Download, run, and follow the prompts.
- .msi installer — Windows Installer package. Useful for enterprise deployments and group policy installations.
After installation, Chirp appears in your system tray and is ready to use immediately. Windows will ask for microphone permission on first use if it hasn't already been granted.
The Alt+M Hotkey
On Windows, Chirp uses Alt+M as the default global hotkey. Press Alt+M to start recording, speak your text, and press Alt+M again to stop. The transcribed text is automatically pasted into the active application. The hotkey is fully customizable in Chirp's settings — you can change it to any key combination that works for your workflow.
System Tray Integration
Chirp runs from the Windows system tray (notification area). A small icon indicates the current state — idle, recording, or processing. Right-click the tray icon to access your transcription history, preferences, and other options. Chirp stays out of your way until you need it.
Launch at Startup
Enable “Launch at Login” in Chirp's settings to have it start automatically when Windows boots. It launches silently into the system tray, ready for instant use.
Features
- 100% offline — all processing happens locally on your PC
- Auto-paste into any application
- Live streaming transcription
- Searchable transcription history (SQLite)
- CSV export
- 3 themes: Light, Dark, and Vampire
- 13+ customizable settings
- Sound feedback for recording state
- ~30MB AI model (ggml-tiny.en-q5_0)
Current Version
The latest Windows version is 4.7.3. See the changelog for details on recent updates.
Pricing
Chirp comes with 28 free transcriptions — no account required. Unlimited use is $9.99 per year. No subscription traps, no hidden fees.