Accessibility
Hands-free text entry on Mac for accessibility
Dictidy is a free, open-source macOS app that dictates by voice and rewrites selected text anywhere you type, all from one shortcut, with dictation running on-device. If you want to type less, whether because of RSI, limited mobility, or simple preference, it lets you enter finished text by speaking, in any app, privately.
macOS 13.3+ · Apple Silicon · MIT licensed · No telemetry
Who this is for
Some people need to reduce how much they type, and some simply prefer to. Dictidy is built to help either way. It is a general-purpose tool, not a medical device, and it makes no health claims. What it does is straightforward: it turns speaking into finished text so your hands do less of the work.
- RSI and hand or wrist strain. If long typing sessions are uncomfortable, dictating shifts the effort from your hands to your voice.
- Limited mobility. If reaching a full keyboard is difficult, one shortcut plus speech can replace a lot of keystrokes.
- Anyone who wants to type less. Long emails, notes, and messages are faster to speak than to type for many people.
How it works
Put your cursor wherever you want text, press one keyboard shortcut, and speak. Dictidy transcribes what you said on-device, cleans it up (removing filler words like "um" and "uh" and fixing grammar), and types the finished text where your cursor already is. You can also select text you have already written and have Dictidy rewrite it in place, so editing does not mean retyping.
What makes it a good fit
- Works in any app. Mail, Messages, Slack, your browser, notes, and editors. You dictate straight into whatever you are using, not into a separate window you then copy from.
- One shortcut. The whole flow is a single key press to start. There is no complex grammar or command language to learn.
- On-device and private. Dictation runs on your Mac with Whisper large-v3-turbo, so your voice never leaves the device. Cleanup runs on-device by default too. This matters if you dictate personal, medical, or private matters.
- Free. No subscription, no trial, no word cap. Accessibility should not sit behind a paywall, and here it does not.
- Cleaned-up output. You do not have to speak in perfect sentences. Dictidy removes the fillers and fixes the grammar, so the effort of self-editing is lower.
Getting started
- 1. Download Dictidy (free) and open it. On first launch, because the app is self-signed rather than notarized, macOS shows a one-time "unidentified developer" prompt. Right-click the app and choose Open, or run the one-line Terminal command from the site. You only do this once.
- 2. Grant permissions. Dictidy asks for microphone access and the accessibility permission it needs to type into other apps.
- 3. Pick a shortcut that is comfortable for you to reach.
- 4. Start dictating. Put your cursor where you want text, press the shortcut, and speak.
A note on scope
Dictidy is a dictation and rewrite tool, not a full voice-control system for driving the whole computer by voice. If you need to operate the entire Mac hands-free (moving the pointer, clicking, running commands by voice), macOS Voice Control and dedicated voice-control software are built for that. Dictidy is focused on one job, done well: turning speech into clean text, and rewriting text, in any app. It pairs fine with those tools.
FAQ
Can I use Dictidy to type less by voice on a Mac?
Yes. Dictidy lets you enter text by speaking instead of typing, in any app, from one keyboard shortcut. You put your cursor where you want text, press the shortcut, speak, and the finished text is typed for you, so you can reduce how much you type.
Does hands-free text entry work in every app?
Yes. Dictidy works system-wide in any app that accepts text, including Mail, Messages, Slack, browsers, notes, and editors. You do not have to dictate into a separate window and copy the result over.
Is my voice kept private?
Yes. Dictation runs on-device with Whisper large-v3-turbo, so your audio never leaves your Mac, and cleanup runs on-device by default. Using your own Claude API key for cleanup is an opt-in choice. There is no telemetry.
How much does it cost?
Nothing. Dictidy is free and open source under the MIT license, with no subscription, no trial, and no word cap. It runs on Apple Silicon Macs on macOS 13.3 or later.
Try Dictidy
It is free, open source, and dictation runs entirely on your Mac. See for yourself.