KotoType GitHub

Voice-to-Text for macOS

Speak naturally. Type anywhere.

KotoType stays in your menu bar. Hold your hotkey while speaking, release it to transcribe, and insert text directly at your cursor.

Download Latest Release Install Guide
KotoType banner

Start in 3 steps

Step 2: Complete initial setup

Use the setup window buttons in order until all checks pass.

View first-launch steps

Compatibility at a glance

macOS 13+ Apple Silicon / Intel Accessibility permission Microphone permission Screen Recording permission Requires system `ffmpeg`

Setup checklist

1. Install the app

Download the latest release, open the DMG, and drag KotoType.app into Applications.

Update note: After upgrading to a new version, you need to grant macOS permissions again.

2. Install FFmpeg (required)

FFmpeg is not bundled. Install it once, then confirm it is available in your terminal.

brew install ffmpeg
ffmpeg -version

3. Complete first launch checks

  1. Launch KotoType. The Initial Setup window opens.
  2. Click Grant Accessibility and enable KotoType in System Settings.
  3. Click Grant Microphone and allow microphone access.
  4. Click Grant Screen Recording and enable KotoType.
  5. Click Re-check until all required checks pass, then click Finish setup and start.

4. Run your first dictation

  1. Open any app and click the text field where you want output.
  2. Hold your hotkey (default: ⌘+⌥) to start recording.
  3. Speak while holding the hotkey.
  4. Release the hotkey to stop recording and start transcription.
  5. Wait a few seconds; recognized text is inserted at your cursor.

See the flow in 5 seconds

This quick demo summarizes how recording works: hold hotkey, speak, release, and text is inserted.

Hold hotkey default: ⌘+⌥
Speak
Release hotkey lift fingers to stop recording
Text inserted

Why KotoType

Direct input into any app

Hold a global hotkey while speaking, then release to transcribe and insert text at the active cursor position. The indicator clearly shows recording/processing/warning states. If you start another recording while a previous one is still finalizing, KotoType keeps each recording isolated and finalizes them in stop order.

Works in real-world audio

Noise reduction, normalization, and automatic gain handling improve transcription from noisy or quiet input.

Local-first by design

Built around local processing, so your workflow stays fast and privacy-friendly without mandatory cloud usage.

Made for daily use

Menu bar UX, setup checks, transcription history, audio-file import, and launch-at-login support.

Get started in 30 seconds

  1. Download the latest release and move KotoType to Applications.
  2. Install FFmpeg: brew install ffmpeg.
  3. Launch KotoType and pass the Initial Setup checks.
  4. Focus a text field, hold your hotkey, speak, then release to finalize and insert text.

First recording walkthrough

  1. Confirm setup is complete and KotoType is running in the menu bar.
  2. Focus an editable text field in your target app.
  3. Hold your configured hotkey (default: ⌘+⌥).
  4. Speak while holding the hotkey. The indicator shows recording/processing status.
  5. Release the hotkey to finalize. KotoType inserts only the finalized transcription at the active cursor.
  6. If you start another recording before finalization completes, each recording is finalized independently in stop order.
  7. If text is not inserted, re-check Accessibility permission and cursor focus.

After setup: next 3 actions

  1. Click the text field where you want KotoType to type.
  2. Hold your hotkey while speaking (recording runs only while held).
  3. Release the hotkey and wait for automatic text insertion.

Unsigned app launch (macOS 26 / 15 / 14)

KotoType is currently distributed without Apple Developer signing. If macOS blocks launch, use the version-specific Gatekeeper override below.

macOS 26

  1. Try opening KotoType once from Finder.
  2. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security.
  3. In Security, click Open Anyway, then confirm.

Apple guide

macOS 15 / 14

  1. Try opening KotoType once from Finder.
  2. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security.
  3. In Security, click Open Anyway, then confirm.

Apple guide

In Apple’s official override steps, this is handled in Gatekeeper (Privacy & Security), not in firewall settings.

Privacy

KotoType is designed for local-first operation. There is no mandatory cloud upload in the core workflow.

FAQ

KotoType is blocked and does not open. What should I do?

Open System Settings > Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway for KotoType, then reopen the app.

Hotkey does not start recording. What should I check first?

Re-check Accessibility permission and confirm KotoType is enabled in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility.

Recording stops but text is not inserted. Why?

Make sure the target app has an active editable cursor and re-check Accessibility permission from the setup window.

How do I install FFmpeg?

Run brew install ffmpeg in Terminal, then verify with ffmpeg -version.

Do I need to reconfigure anything after updating?

Yes. After upgrading to a new version, macOS permissions for Accessibility, Microphone, and Screen Recording need to be granted again. Restart KotoType if needed and complete the setup checks again before dictation.

Does KotoType send audio to the cloud?

Core usage is local-first and does not require mandatory cloud upload.

Troubleshooting

If setup or recognition fails, start from the troubleshooting and support guides.

Open Troubleshooting

Latest updates

Track current release notes, known limitations, and fixes.

View Releases

Ready to try KotoType?

Download View on GitHub FFmpeg Guide Basic Operation