ChatterKey v4.8.0 — Review edits. Record hands-free. Shared core.

ChatterKey v4.8.0 — Review edits. Record hands-free. Shared core.

Released September 13, 2026 · macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon download · Build 14

This release includes the reviewable voice-edit and Fn hands-free work previously available in local v4.7.0 test builds, plus the Mac/shared-core separation. It preserves the single-model Google Direct/OpenRouter architecture.

Review selected-text edits

• Compare original and proposed text before choosing Apply to Original, Copy & Close, or Discard. Closing the review discards the pending proposal.
• Local highlights show removed and added text. Large selections use a bounded changed-passage comparison.
• Changes to detected numbers, email addresses, and HTTP(S)/www URLs require acknowledgement before Apply. These are literal-value/count checks, not factual or semantic verification; intentional punctuation changes can also trigger warnings.
• Apply returns to the original app and rechecks the original field, selection range and selected text before dispatching a paste. Missing Accessibility information or changed selections use manual Copy recovery instead of guessing a destination.
• Temporary moved focus is distinguished from missing selection information. A verifiable original target is retained for rechecking when Apply is chosen.
• Review actions do not send another model request. Optional history stores the proposal only on Apply or Copy; Discard does not reverse the completed provider request or its usage record.
• Pending reviews block new dictation/history insertion. Ordinary dictation keeps direct insertion.

Hold to talk, or record hands-free

Select Settings → General → Recording shortcut → Fn:

• Hold Fn: speak and release to process.
• Double-tap Fn: continue recording hands-free; press Fn again or use Stop & Process to finish.
• Escape: cancel recording before processing.
• A short first Fn tap waits 350 ms for a second tap. Ordinary longer holds finish on release; other shortcuts remain hold-to-talk.
• The overlay and menu show hands-free status and stop instructions. Recording continues until explicitly stopped or cancelled.
• Manual Stop, shortcut changes, failed starts and event-tap interruption clear pending taps and recording locks. Gesture recognition uses physical event timestamps to handle delayed callbacks.

Separate native Mac application and shared processing

• Native code/resources now live in apps/macos; reusable Swift processing lives in core/Sources/ChatterKeyCore.
• The root Swift package builds separate targets. The Mac executable links the core directly; there is no extra server or runtime service.
• The core owns request construction/response handling, prompts, writing modes, snippets, edit diffs, protected-value checks, value models and usage estimates.
• Native adapters supply completed WAV bytes, processing settings and HTTP transport. Microphone access, Fn gestures, Accessibility/clipboard handling, Keychain, preferences/history storage and UI lifecycle stay on the Mac side.
• The HTTP adapter retains the existing timeout policy and rejects redirects. Audio file reads remain outside the UI actor and outside the core.
• Packaging, source checks, README and the website are updated for the new layout.
• No Android implementation, Android/Kotlin tooling or mobile bridge is included. A Swift module is not proof of Android compatibility. Hindi/Hinglish controls, app-specific preferences and approved corrections remain roadmap work.

What stays unchanged

• One configurable audio-capable model and one model request per attempt.
• Google Direct using a Gemini API key, with OpenRouter optional.
• No hidden transcription stage, automatic retry, repair request, fallback model or connection switch.
• Separate provider credentials, models and rate preferences; existing settings and history formats are preserved.
• No changes or integrations to other applications are required by this release. Automatic insertion/replacement still depends on the destination editor.

Validation and known limits

• The existing regression harness compiles the core as a separate module and exercises both providers, all writing modes, single-request behavior, migrations, literal output, preview/protected-value checks, synthetic hotkey events, private clipboard fixtures, cancellation, history and audio conversion.
• Native audio handoff checks cover exact prepared WAV bytes, missing files and cancellation.
• A pre/post-refactor comparison of 96 fixture combinations produced identical request payloads/headers, settings/history/usage serialization, processed text and estimated costs.
• Core, debug and release builds pass with warnings treated as errors. Packaging, signature, archive integrity, source-safety and website checks are part of release validation.
• Automated tests use fixtures and mock provider responses, not live microphone recordings or provider credentials. Synthetic hotkey tests do not post system-wide keys.
• No new live-provider accuracy/latency test, clean-account Mac test, or installed-app end-to-end cross-application compatibility test is claimed for this release. Hardware Fn behavior and the full review/apply flow still need testing in each intended editor.
• Read-only content cannot be replaced in place. Apps without sufficient Accessibility information remain Copy-only for reviewed edits. A dispatched paste is not confirmation that the destination accepted it.
• Keep the original selection intact, review the full result, and use Copy if verification or automatic paste fails. Value warnings can miss semantic changes or unusual formats.

Download and installation

The ZIP contains ChatterKey 4.8.0, build 14, for Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 14 or later. It is an ad-hoc signed community-test build, not Developer ID signed or Apple-notarized. Gatekeeper may block it; do not disable system-wide security protections.

1. Quit the previous app and extract ChatterKey-v4.8.0.zip.
2. Replace ChatterKey.app in Applications and launch it.
3. Existing preferences and Keychain accounts are retained; recheck Accessibility/Microphone permissions if macOS requests them.
4. Verify the archive with the accompanying checksum:

shasum -a 256 -c ChatterKey-v4.8.0.zip.sha256

A checksum verifies download integrity, not Apple approval or publisher identity.