yap
Free, open source voice dictation for macOS. On-device transcription with Apple's Speech framework. No cloud, no API keys, no account.
What is it?
What it is
A blazing-fast, privacy-focused voice dictation app for macOS that uses on-device speech-to-text to paste transcribed text directly into any active text field.
Why it exists
To provide a lightweight, private, and fast alternative to existing dictation tools that are often expensive, resource-heavy, closed-source, or rely on cloud-based processing.
Who should use it
macOS users seeking privacy-focused dictationApple Silicon Mac ownersDevelopers who want to avoid heavy AI models like WhisperUsers requiring offline speech-to-textPeople looking for a lightweight menu bar utility
Who should avoid it
Intel-based Mac usersUsers on macOS versions older than macOS 26 (Tahoe)Users requiring multi-language support (not currently implemented)Users who need cloud-based transcription
How it works
A quick walkthrough in plain English
How yap works
Step 1 of 3
You interact with it
Open yap, send a request, or connect it to your stack.
Features
Advantages
- Open source (MIT)
- Active Swift ecosystem
- Self-hosted deployment options
Disadvantages
- Requires operational ownership for self-hosted setups
- Community support varies by project maturity
Installation
native
brew install --cask frigadehq/tap/yap Or download the.dmg from Releases and drag it into your Applications folder.
FAQ
Does my audio or text ever leave my Mac?
No. Yap contains no network code and performs all transcription entirely on-device using Apple's Speech framework. Your transcript history is stored locally using SwiftData, and there is no telemetry or account required.
What are the hardware requirements to run Yap?
Yap requires macOS 26 (Tahoe) or later and must be running on an Apple Silicon Mac. Intel-based Macs are not supported because the on-device transcription API required for Yap's privacy guarantee is only available on Apple Silicon.
How do I change the default dictation shortcut?
The default shortcut is `⌘⇧D`, but you can rebind it in the settings to any combination you prefer, including a single modifier key like the right shift key.
Why does Yap need Accessibility and Automation permissions?
Yap requires Accessibility permissions to identify which application you are currently typing into and Automation permissions to programmatically paste the transcribed text into that active field.
How can I install Yap on my Mac?
You can install Yap via Homebrew using `brew install --cask frigadehq/tap/yap`, by downloading the `.dmg` directly from the official website, or by building it from source using Xcode.
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