Speech to text anywhere
Dictate into the app you are already using instead of moving text between a recorder and your work.
NanoVoice
Speech to text on Mac
Turn spoken thoughts into text where you type.
NanoVoice gives macOS a keyboard-first speech-to-text workflow: start dictation, speak naturally, then paste the transcript into the focused app.
Download NanoVoice
Free. Lifetime is $4.99 one-time. Purchase a license
NanoVoice
Menu bar dictation for Mac
⌃⌘W
1Speak in any Mac text field
2Paste polished text at the cursor
3Keep recordings and meetings local
Free to start
Apple Speech is included. Lifetime adds local Whisper, templates, Meeting Mode, themes, and BYOK providers.
Paste at the cursor
NanoVoice turns speech into text and commits it where you were typing.
Shortcut-driven
Default shortcuts cover dictation, recordings history, and Meeting Mode.
Useful for messages
Speak a rough thought and optionally reshape it into a cleaner message, reply, or note.
On-device transcription
The free tier uses Apple Speech. Lifetime can use local Whisper through WhisperKit.
Optional AI cleanup
Use templates with local, Ollama, or BYOK providers when you want polished text instead of raw transcript.
Choosing a workflow
Built-in Dictation is fine. NanoVoice is for daily use.
Apple's built-in Dictation is useful for occasional text entry. NanoVoice is for people who dictate throughout the day and want history, templates, meeting capture, and a repeatable keyboard flow.
If your priority is privacy, compare local Whisper dictation on Mac. If your priority is price, read the no-subscription dictation app guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I do speech to text on Mac?
macOS includes built-in Dictation, and NanoVoice adds a faster menu bar workflow: press a shortcut, speak, and paste text into the current app.
Does NanoVoice send my speech to NanoApps?
No. NanoVoice does not proxy speech transcription. Apple Speech and local Whisper run on your Mac; optional cloud formatting uses your own provider key when you choose it.
Can NanoVoice turn speech into formatted text?
Yes. Lifetime templates can turn a raw transcript into an email, message, notes, summaries, or custom formats.
Small app.
Serious dictation.
Download NanoVoice for free. Press ⌃⌘W and get words where you are already typing.
Download NanoVoice
Free. Lifetime is $4.99 one-time. Purchase a license