TegaroMac toolkit / Guides
Download for Mac
⌘
Guides/Dictation

04 / DICTATION · 6 min read

How to Use Private Local Dictation on Mac

Type with your voice in any app, without sending your audio to the internet.

You can turn on dictation in System Settings under Keyboard, or use a dictation app that works offline. With Tegaro Dictation you download a speech model once, then press a shortcut, speak, and the text appears where your cursor is. Your audio stays on your Mac.

Speaking is often faster than typing for emails, chat messages and notes. The catch is that many voice typing tools send your recording over the internet to be turned into text.

Why offline dictation is worth it

  1. Privacy: what you say can include names, health details or business plans. With offline dictation, the recording never leaves your Mac.
  2. It works without internet: on a plane, in a café with bad Wi-Fi, or anywhere else.
  3. No separate subscription for the service: the speech recognition runs on your own Mac.

Built-in macOS dictation

  1. Open System Settings and click Keyboard.
  2. Turn on Dictation and choose your language.
  3. Click in any text field and press the dictation shortcut shown in that settings screen.

Depending on your Mac and language, macOS may send some audio to Apple. The settings screen explains what is sent.

Setting up an offline dictation app

  1. Allow the microphone. Open System Settings, Privacy & Security, Microphone and switch on the app.
  2. Pick a shortcut. Choose a key combination that is comfortable to hold while you speak.
  3. Download a speech model. You do this once for your language. After that, dictation needs no internet.
  4. Try it. Click in any text field (Safari, Notes, Slack), hold your shortcut and speak normally.

Using Tegaro Dictation

Tegaro Dictation is one of ten tools in the Tegaro menu-bar icon.

  • Start with a shortcut: press ⌃⌥D, or hold the right ⌥ key while you speak.
  • Works offline: after you download the speech model once, your voice is turned into text on your Mac and is not uploaded.
  • Works in most apps: the text appears wherever your cursor is.
  • Free after the trial: after the 14-day trial, Dictation stays free up to 2,000 words per week.
Audio stays on your Mac

What you say is processed on your Mac. Tegaro needs no account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Mac local dictation require an internet connection?

Not with Tegaro. After the one-time speech model download, it works without internet.

Where do I turn on dictation in macOS?

Open System Settings, click Keyboard, and switch on Dictation. Choose your language and use the shortcut shown there.

Can I use local dictation in code editors and terminals?

Tegaro types the text where your cursor is, so it works in most apps. If a particular app does not accept it, try a different text field first.

Related reading

Dictation / Tegaro

Ten Mac tools, one icon

Tegaro puts Dictation, Clipboard, Displays, Power and more in one menu-bar icon. Everything is free for 14 days, no card needed; after that the core tools stay free and Pro unlocks the rest.