01 · Get Started
Introduction
Learn how Steno records speech and turns it into text on your Mac.
What Steno Is
Steno is a free, MIT-licensed dictation app for Apple silicon Macs running macOS 13 or later. It records your speech, transcribes it with whisper.cpp on your Mac, applies local text rules, and attempts to insert the result into the app you were using. No account, API key, or transcription service is required.
These docs cover Steno 1.0.1. Download Steno or follow the installation guide to get started.
How Steno Works
- Click into the text field where you want the result.
- Hold Option, speak, and release. Keyboard shortcuts that use Option, such as Option+Arrow, don't start a recording. For hands-free recording, press the configured function key once to start and again to finish; the default is F18.
- Steno transcribes the completed recording locally. Optional live text is provisional and can change before completion.
- Steno applies word corrections, text shortcuts, and cleanup preferences to the final text, then tries your configured insertion methods, with clipboard paste prioritized for known terminals and remote-desktop apps.
- Check the result in the editor. Steno copies the text instead of inserting it when the cursor is in a password or other secure field, or when focus moved to a different field or app while it was transcribing. If Steno reports Copied, press Cmd+V yourself. History retains completed transcripts for recovery.
Core Capabilities
The 1.0 interface has Dictate, History, Insights, and Settings in its sidebar. It includes a compact recording control, an optional floating live transcript, local usage summaries, and settings drafts with Save changes and Discard.
The app includes the Small English model and Silero voice activity detection (VAD) model. Medium and Large V3 Turbo are optional downloads. Once the selected model is installed, dictation works offline. Model downloads require internet access.
Check your final text, especially names, technical terms, and commands. Recognition can mishear words, and some apps may block insertion. If that happens, copy the completed transcript from History.