# Speakmac FAQ

Last updated: 2026-08-31

## What is Speakmac?
A macOS menu bar app for private, system-wide dictation. Hold a hotkey, speak, release, and it types at your cursor. Optional Clean Up Dictation turns supported rough English speech into cleaner text locally.

## Does it work offline?
Yes, after a one-time model download. The dictation engine runs locally on your Mac.

## Does my audio leave my Mac?
In on-device mode, no. Audio is processed locally.

If you enable a third-party transcription provider that requires an API key, your audio is sent to that provider.

## Do I need an account?
No account required for dictation.

## Which Macs are supported?
Apple Silicon and Intel Macs on macOS 13 or later. Speakmac selects a local model suited to the Mac; live preview is available only on supported newer Apple Silicon Macs.

## What permissions does it need?
- Microphone: to record your voice.
- Accessibility: to insert text into other apps.

## Where is the app? I can't find it in the Dock.
Speakmac lives in your menu bar (top-right of the screen). Look for the waveform icon.

## How do I start dictating?
1. Click where you want text (make sure there is a blinking cursor).
2. Hold your Speakmac hotkey.
3. Speak.
4. Release the hotkey to insert text.

## Does it work in VS Code, Slack, Notion, Gmail, etc?
Yes. If an app accepts typing into a normal text field, Speakmac can type there.

## How big is the model download?
About 200–650 MB depending on the Mac, downloaded once on first setup.

Clean Up Dictation is optional. Its current transfer is about 1.9 GB and it uses about 2.3 GB after installation.

## Can Speakmac transcribe an audio file?
Yes. Drag a local audio file into Speakmac or open it with Speakmac. Short files are the documented best fit; keep the original until you have checked the transcript.

## Can Speakmac record meetings?
Meeting Mode beta records your microphone and the Mac's system audio locally and creates a searchable transcript with You and Others speaker labels and timestamps. It requires macOS 15 or later and a paid Speakmac license. Tell participants before recording.

## Does Speakmac save my transcriptions or recordings?
Speakmac can keep a local transcription history on your Mac. You can also enable a "do not save" / privacy mode so recordings are deleted immediately and nothing is kept in history.

## How do I delete my data?
You can delete individual items (or all history) inside the app. Deleting a transcription also removes its associated local audio file.

## How much does it cost? Is it a subscription?
The free trial includes 30 private transcriptions on each Mac. No account is required.

Speakmac is a one-time purchase: $29 for 1 Mac or $39 for 2 Macs. Both include 12 months of updates; optional paid renewal after that is for future updates, not continued use of the version you own.

For current pricing, use the canonical buy page: https://www.speakmac.app/buy

## Do you offer refunds or invoices?
There is a 14-day refund window. Your Lemon Squeezy receipt email serves as an invoice.

## Where should I send support questions?
Email support@speakmac.app.