Dictato 1.1.0: pick your speech engine

What's new

Pick your speech engine. Dictato now works with five providers. Bring your own API key for any of them and switch whenever you like, in Settings or from the menu bar.

Engine	Words appear	Translation
OpenAI (gpt-live-transcribe)	live, as you speak	—
Deepgram (Nova-3)	live, as you speak	—
ElevenLabs (Scribe v2 Realtime)	live, as you speak	—
Groq (Whisper large v3 turbo)	all at once when you let go	into English
Soniox (stt-rt-v6)	live, as you speak	into any of 60 languages

• Each engine keeps its own key in your macOS Keychain, with a Test button to check it.
• Translation options grey out, with an explanation, when the engine can't translate.
• Your dictionary is sent to OpenAI, Deepgram, Groq and Soniox to help them spell your words.
• Upgrading with a Soniox key? You stay on Soniox, and nothing else changes.

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How to install

Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Works on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.

1. Download

Under Assets below, click Dictato-1.1.0-macOS.zip.

2. Unzip and move to Applications

1. Open your Downloads folder and double-click the zip. You'll get Dictato.app.
2. Drag Dictato.app into your Applications folder.
   • Upgrading? Quit the old one first (menu bar potato → Quit Dictato), then choose Replace.

3. Open it the first time

Dictato isn't notarized by Apple yet, so macOS blocks the first launch:

1. Double-click Dictato in Applications. macOS says it can't be opened. Click Done.
2. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security and scroll to the bottom.
3. Next to "Dictato" was blocked, click Open Anyway, enter your Mac password, then click Open Anyway again.

Prefer Terminal?

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Dictato.app && open /Applications/Dictato.app

A potato appears in your menu bar and the Dictato window opens.

4. Allow the microphone

On the Home screen, click Allow next to Allow the microphone, then Allow in the macOS prompt.

5. Allow Accessibility

Dictato needs this to notice the shortcut in other apps and type for you.

1. Click Allow next to Allow Accessibility on the Home screen. System Settings opens at Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
2. Switch Dictato on. If it isn't listed, click +, pick Dictato from Applications, then switch it on.
3. Upgrading and it still says it's off? Select the old Dictato entry, click – to remove it, then add it again with +.

6. Pick a speech engine and add your key

1. Go to Settings → Speech engine and pick one: OpenAI, Deepgram, ElevenLabs, Groq or Soniox.
2. Click Create one at … to get an API key from that provider, and copy it.
3. Paste it into the key box (⌘V) and click Save. You should see Connected.

7. Stop fn from opening emoji (if needed)

If pressing fn opens the emoji picker: System Settings → Keyboard → "Press 🌐 key to" → Do Nothing. Or pick another key under Settings → Shortcut.

8. Try it

1. Click into any text box, such as Notes, Mail, Slack, or the Try it here box on Dictato's Home screen.
2. Hold fn and talk. Words are typed as you speak; let go when you're done.
3. Tap fn once for hands-free mode and tap again to finish. Esc stops.

Troubleshooting

• Nothing gets typed: make sure Dictato is switched on in Accessibility (step 5), and that you clicked into a text box first.
• "API key rejected": re-copy the key from the provider and click Save again.
• Translate is greyed out: only Soniox (any language) and Groq (into English) can translate. Switch engine in Settings.
• Text arrives all at once: that's normal for Groq, which transcribes after you let go. The others type live.

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SHA-256 of Dictato-1.1.0-macOS.zip: 0a4d363406e3c0f641291b4c89f81167a38964c5a67688452d3b37b395e88664

Dictato 1.0.2

Fixes

• Accessibility stays on. Builds are now signed with a stable identity, so macOS no longer forgets the Accessibility permission (the "it's on but still asks" bug). Updates signed the same way keep it too.
• Fixed the app signature. 1.0.0 and 1.0.1 were modified after signing, which macOS could report as damaged. This build verifies cleanly.

New

• New mascot: the cheerful potato in a straw hat, on the app icon, menu bar, avatars and listening pill.

Install / upgrade

1. Download Dictato-1.0.2-macOS.zip, unzip, move Dictato.app to /Applications (replace the old one).
2. First launch: right-click → Open → Open (not notarized yet).
3. In System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility, remove any old Dictato entry with –, then switch the new one on. This is the last time you'll need to.

SHA-256: 25575f4c84c124fe5cc78b364f62e0759a91250fb67823fdf5d482d30b6b4b84

Dictato 1.0.1

Fixes

• Paste works in the app again. ⌘V / ⌘C / ⌘X / ⌘A / ⌘Z now work in the API key field and other text boxes (the app was missing its Edit menu).
• Clear message when Accessibility is off. Dictating without Accessibility permission now says so and opens the prompt, instead of silently typing nothing.

Install

Download Dictato-1.0.1-macOS.zip, unzip, move Dictato.app to /Applications, then right-click → Open the first time (the build isn't notarized). If you're upgrading, toggle Dictato off and on in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.

SHA-256: 4d94d9963aafa1bb8cda6c933def7f5c5e79fdbbe965b45cf8e1a10207b82d53

Dictato 1.0.0

First release of Dictato, Wispr Flow–style dictation for macOS powered by Soniox.

What it does

• Hold fn (or right ⌥ / ⌘ / ⌃) in any app and talk; let go and the text is typed at your cursor. Tap once for hands-free, esc cancels.
• All 60 Soniox languages, auto-detected or pinned to the ones you speak.
• Keep same language or translate live into English (or any supported language).
• Words typed straight into the focused field as you speak, personal dictionary, history and stats.
• Bring your own Soniox API key (stored in the macOS Keychain).

Install

1. Download Dictato-1.0.0-macOS.zip below, unzip, and move Dictato.app to /Applications.
2. This build isn't notarized: the first time, right-click the app → Open → Open, or run xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Dictato.app.
3. Add your Soniox key in Settings and allow Microphone + Accessibility.

Universal binary (Apple Silicon + Intel), macOS 14 or later.

SHA-256: 938c9422476e49c46466862265211020b5d69c5003e3fd3d5504f036da7991da