Introduction

What Steno Is

Steno is an open-source dictation app for macOS that runs from the menu bar.

It is designed for two audiences:

• people who want fast, private voice-to-text without subscriptions
• developers and power users who need app-aware insertion, reliable hotkeys, and source-level control

Steno transcribes locally with whisper.cpp, then inserts text into your active app using a fallback chain that is tuned for real workflows (editors, terminals, and more).

How Steno Works

1. Start recording with a hotkey:
   • hold Option for press-to-talk
   • press your configured function key (default F18) for hands-free mode
2. Steno captures audio and runs local transcription through whisper-cli.
3. Steno cleans up text using either:
   • local rule-based cleanup, or
   • cloud cleanup (if configured and budget allows)
4. Text is inserted into the focused app with your preferred insertion method order.
5. A transcript entry is saved to history for search, copy, paste, and retry workflows.

Core Capabilities

• local transcription powered by whisper.cpp
• global hotkeys for press-to-talk and hands-free recording
• app-aware insertion with direct typing, accessibility insertion, and clipboard fallback
• optional OpenAI cleanup with budget guard protection
• style profiles, per-app style overrides, lexicon corrections, and snippets
• searchable history with insertion status and quick actions
• menu bar quick actions and onboarding flow for first-time setup

Choose Your Path

Use the path that matches your goal.