Getting Started with Voibe: A Complete Setup Guide

TL;DR: Voibe is a private dictation app for Mac that converts speech to text in under 5 minutes of setup. Download, grant two permissions (Accessibility and Microphone), and start dictating by holding the Fn key. You choose how transcription runs: fully on-device on an Apple Silicon Mac (works offline, nothing leaves your Mac), or a private open-source cloud that's zero-retention and never trained on. Either way, no accounts required and your audio is never stored, sold, or used to train AI.

Before installing Voibe, confirm your Mac meets these requirements:

• macOS 13 (Ventura) or later — Voibe uses APIs introduced in macOS 13
• Apple Silicon chip for on-device mode — M1, M2, M3, or M4 (any variant including Pro, Max, Ultra); the on-device Whisper model runs on the Apple Silicon Neural Engine
• 2 GB free disk space — needed for the on-device AI model

Voibe works on all Macs; on-device mode requires an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later), which runs Whisper models locally with low latency. On an Intel Mac, use Voibe's private cloud mode instead. To check your chip, click the Apple menu and select "About This Mac."

Head to getvoibe.com and click the download button. Alternatively, use this direct download link.

Once the .dmg file downloads, open it and drag the Voibe icon to your Applications folder. Launch Voibe from your Applications folder or by searching "Voibe" in Spotlight (Cmd + Space).

On first launch, macOS may show a security prompt because Voibe is downloaded from the web. Click "Open" to proceed. If you see "Voibe can't be opened," go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and click "Open Anyway" next to the Voibe notification.

Voibe needs two macOS permissions to function. Both prompts appear automatically on first launch.

Accessibility Permission

Voibe uses Accessibility access to type text into other applications. When prompted, click "Open System Settings," navigate to Privacy & Security > Accessibility, and enable the toggle next to Voibe. You may need to click the lock icon and enter your password first.

Microphone Permission

Voibe needs microphone access to capture your speech. When the microphone prompt appears, click "OK" to grant access. If you accidentally deny it, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and enable Voibe manually.

Both permissions are standard macOS security requirements. Microphone access is used solely for speech recognition. In on-device mode, Voibe processes all audio locally and nothing leaves your Mac; in private cloud mode, audio goes over an encrypted connection to Voibe's own infrastructure and is deleted the moment transcription completes. Either way, your audio is never stored, sold, or used to train AI.

Click into any text field in any app — a document, email, chat, code editor, or browser. Voibe gives you two ways to dictate:

• Push-to-Talk — press and hold the Fn key, speak naturally, and release. Your text appears instantly. Best for short bursts: messages, search queries, quick replies.
• Hands-Free Mode — press Fn+Space (or double-tap Fn) to start continuous dictation, then press it again when you're done. Best for long-form writing where holding a key would be tiring, and for users with RSI or limited hand mobility.

Pressed the hotkey by accident or changed your mind mid-sentence? Press Escape to cancel the dictation instantly.

Voibe works system-wide. Wherever your cursor is, that is where dictated text appears. If you want to see your words on-screen as you speak and make real-time edits before the text is inserted, turn on Live Dictation mode in Voibe's settings.

For punctuation, speak naturally and Voibe handles the basics automatically. You can also say punctuation and symbols by name — "comma," "open bracket," "at sign," currency and math symbols, even email addresses — and structure text with commands like "new line," "new paragraph," "bullet point," and "numbered list." For a complete list of voice commands, see our Mac dictation voice commands guide.

Voibe works well with default settings, but you can customize it to match your workflow.

Change the Activation Hotkeys

If the default keys do not work well for your keyboard layout (especially on external keyboards), open Voibe's settings and assign different hotkeys for Push-to-Talk and Hands-Free Mode. The defaults are hold-Fn for Push-to-Talk and Fn+Space (or double-tap Fn) for Hands-Free.

Enable Developer Mode

If you use VS Code, Cursor, or Windsurf, enable Developer Mode in Voibe's settings. This feature detects your open IDE workspace and resolves file names, folder names, and project-specific terms when you dictate. It is particularly useful for dictating code comments, commit messages, and documentation that references specific files in your project.

Choose Speed vs Accuracy

Voibe lets you pick between Speed and Accuracy transcription modes, with model recommendations matched to your hardware. Larger, more accurate models use more memory and processing power; the default is a good balance for most users. If you have an M2 Pro or higher chip with 32+ GB RAM, consider the Accuracy mode for maximum precision.

Add Custom Vocabulary and Memory Shortcuts

Add team names, product names, and abbreviations to the custom dictionary so Voibe recognizes them on the first try — entries can be bulk-edited if you have a long list. The Memory tab goes a step further: create text shortcuts that expand into longer content, such as URLs, email signatures, or boilerplate paragraphs you dictate often.

Pick Your Microphone and Audio Behavior

Voibe lets you select your input device directly in the app — useful if you switch between the built-in mic, an external USB microphone, or a headset. There is also a "Mute Audio While Dictating" toggle that silences music or video playback while you speak, so background media never bleeds into your transcript.

Control Your Transcript History

Voibe stores your dictation history locally so you can copy past transcripts with one click. Prefer no stored history? Turn transcript storage off entirely in settings. And if you want Voibe out of sight, enable "Hide from Dock" to run it as a menu-bar-only app.

Voibe Is Not Typing Text

If you press the hotkey and speak but no text appears, check Accessibility permissions first. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility and verify Voibe is enabled. If it is enabled but still not working, remove Voibe from the list, then re-add it. This resets the permission and resolves most issues.

Microphone Not Detected

If Voibe does not respond to speech, verify microphone access in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone. Then check which input device is selected in Voibe's own settings — Voibe has a built-in microphone picker, so external microphones and headsets can be selected directly in the app without changing your system-wide input.

High CPU Usage or Slow Performance

If dictation feels slow or your Mac's fans spin up, close unnecessary apps to free up memory and CPU resources. On-device speech recognition uses your Mac's Neural Engine, which shares resources with other apps. Macs with 8 GB RAM may experience slowdowns when running large models alongside memory-intensive applications.

Hotkey Conflict

If pressing the Fn key does not activate Voibe, another app may be using the same shortcut. Check for conflicts in System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts. Alternatively, change Voibe's hotkey to a unique key combination in its settings.

• Speak naturally — Voibe handles natural speech patterns, pauses, and filler words. Do not over-enunciate.
• Speak your punctuation and structure — say "period," "comma," "open bracket," or "at sign" for symbols, and "new line," "new paragraph," "bullet point," or "numbered list" to format as you go. See our Mac dictation voice commands guide for a full cheat sheet.
• Use Hands-Free Mode for long sessions — press Fn+Space to dictate continuously for up to 5 minutes per session without holding a key.
• Turn on Live Dictation for visibility — see your words on-screen as you speak and fix anything before the text is inserted.
• Try Developer Mode — if you use Cursor, VS Code, or Windsurf, enable Developer Mode in settings for automatic file and folder name resolution.
• Use an external microphone — even a basic USB microphone improves accuracy by reducing background noise. Pick it directly in Voibe's microphone settings.
• Recover a lost transcript — press Ctrl+Option+V to paste your last transcript anytime, or grab any earlier one from the local dictation history.
• Dictate in short bursts — phrases of 10-30 words produce the best results. Pause briefly between thoughts.

Now that Voibe is running, here are resources to help you get more out of dictation:

• Complete Guide to Dictation on Mac — compare Voibe with Apple Dictation, Wispr Flow, Superwhisper, and other speech-to-text tools
• Mac Dictation Voice Commands — learn punctuation, formatting, and editing commands to dictate more efficiently
• Dictation Use Cases — discover how developers, lawyers, writers, and other professionals use dictation in their daily workflows
• Free Dictation Tools — test your typing speed versus your speaking speed with our upcoming browser-based tools
• Why Offline Dictation Matters — understand the privacy and performance benefits of on-device speech-to-text
• Voice Input Workflow: A Complete Guide for Developers and Writers — the Talk-Draft-Polish loop, hotkey and capture patterns, and the editing passes that make voice drafts actually land faster than typing
• How to Voice-Prompt ChatGPT, Claude, and Cursor — the Five-Part Voice Prompt framework (Goal / Inputs / Constraints / Example / Output) with worked examples for every major AI tool

Have questions? Visit getvoibe.com for the latest updates, or check the help resources within the app.

Setup

What Mac do I need to run Voibe?

Voibe works on all Macs running macOS 13 (Ventura) or later. Voibe's on-device mode requires an Apple Silicon Mac (M1, M2, M3, or M4 chip) because it runs Whisper AI models locally on the Apple Silicon Neural Engine; on an Intel Mac, use Voibe's private cloud mode instead.

How much disk space does Voibe need?

Approximately 2 GB of free disk space for the AI model. The app itself is lightweight — the disk space is used by the on-device Whisper model.

How much does Voibe cost?

Voibe offers a 7-day free trial of every plan with no account required. Paid plans are $7.50 per month, $59 per year, or $149 for a lifetime license. All features are included at every tier.

Usage

What is the default hotkey to start dictating?

Voibe has two modes: hold the Fn key for Push-to-Talk (release when done), or press Fn+Space — alternatively double-tap Fn — for Hands-Free continuous dictation. Press Escape to cancel a dictation instantly. Both hotkeys can be changed in Voibe's settings.

Can I dictate punctuation, symbols, and formatting?

Yes. Say punctuation and symbols by name — commas, brackets, the @ sign, math and currency symbols, even email addresses — and use commands like "new line," "new paragraph," "bullet point," and "numbered list" to structure text by voice. In on-device mode, all of this is processed on your Mac.

Does Voibe store my dictation history?

Voibe keeps a local, on-device dictation history so you can copy past transcripts with one click or re-paste your last transcript with Ctrl+Option+V. You can disable transcript storage entirely in settings.

Can I use Voibe in any application?

Yes. Voibe works system-wide on macOS, inserting text wherever your cursor is — browsers, email clients, word processors, code editors, and messaging apps.

Does Voibe require an internet connection?

It depends on your mode. Voibe works fully offline in on-device mode (Apple Silicon), where nothing leaves your Mac and all 100+ supported languages work offline. Private cloud mode routes audio over an encrypted connection to Voibe's own infrastructure — open-source models only, deleted the moment transcription completes — and does require internet. Choose your mode in Settings.

Troubleshooting

Why is Voibe not typing text into my app?

This usually means Voibe does not have Accessibility permission. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility and make sure Voibe is enabled. If it is enabled but still not working, remove and re-add it to reset the permission.

How do I enable Developer Mode for VS Code or Cursor?

Open Voibe's settings and toggle Developer Mode on. Once enabled, Voibe will automatically detect open IDE windows and resolve file names and project terms when you dictate. For app-specific walkthroughs, see how to dictate in Cursor, VS Code, Google Docs, Notion, Slack, and Gmail.