Private dictation for your Mac Say it.
OliType writes it.

Double-tap ⌥ Option, talk, and your words appear wherever you're typing: Mail, Messages, Word, your browser. It runs entirely on your Mac, so nothing you say is ever uploaded.

Option is just the default. Prefer another key, a middle or side mouse button, or a foot pedal? Pick your own hotkey in Settings.

Try it free for 30 days See how it works

Fully working free trial for 30 days, no card needed. Buy once for $19 to keep it. No subscription.macOS 15 Sequoia or later · Apple silicon

  • Nothing uploadedYour voice becomes text on your Mac.
  • No accountNothing to sign up for. Allow two permissions, download the speech model once, and talk.
  • Pay once, keep itNo subscription. Every future update is free.
  • Works offlineAfter setup, it works with Wi-Fi off.
Don't take our word for it: prove it's offline in two minutes
  1. Install OliType and finish setup, so the speech model is downloaded.
  2. Turn Wi-Fi off from the menu bar or Control Center, and unplug any network cable.
  3. Open Notes or TextEdit, click into the page, and press your hotkey (Left Option, double-tapped, unless you changed it).
  4. Say a sentence, then press the hotkey again. Your words appear, typed with no connection at all.

OliType only goes online to download a model (the speech model during setup, and AI cleanup if you add it), when you activate or remove your license or install an update, and, unless you turn it off in About, to check olitype.com for a newer version.

How OliType works, in three steps

You already know two of them.

  1. 1

    Click where the words go

    An email, a message, a document, a search box. Anywhere you'd type.

  2. 2

    Double-tap Option ⌥ and talk

    A soft chime plays and a small "Oli is listening" indicator appears. Speak normally.

  3. 3

    Double-tap again

    Your words appear right where you were typing. Read them, then send when you're ready.

A single press of Option does nothing, so using Option in other apps won't start it by accident. Prefer Tap, Hold, a different key, a mouse button, or a foot pedal? Change it in Settings.

Dictate with one hand, a mouse, or a foot pedal

One finger is enough.

OliType was built so dictating takes one key, one click, or one press of a foot pedal, whether you type with one hand or two. Settings and Help work with the mouse alone.

  • Left Option, double-tapped. One key at the bottom-left of your keyboard, easy to find without looking. Few apps use it by itself, so double-tapping it won't set off anything else. Using your right hand? Pick Right Option, or any key you can reach, in Settings.
  • Four ways to start. Double-tap, Tap, Hold (talk while you hold the key), or Tap or hold (a quick tap starts and stops, a longer press works like Hold). Choose whichever is easiest for you.
4 more ways to dictateShow fewer
  • Any key, a middle or side mouse button, or a foot pedal. Click the hotkey box and press it. That's it. Which pedals work.
  • A floating Dictate button for mouse-only days. Clicking it never takes you out of the app you're typing in, so your words still land where you left off.
  • Wrists or hands hurt? One key, a pedal, or a click replaces most typing. Dictation for RSI and wrist pain.
  • Talks to VoiceOver. If you use VoiceOver, the Mac's built-in screen reader, OliType announces each stage, "Listening," "Writing it down," and "Typed," so you know what's happening without looking.
OliType Settings: the Hotkey box set to Left Option, and How the hotkey works set to Double-tap, with Tap, Hold, and Tap or hold explained.
Settings, Hotkey Click the box and press the key, mouse button, or pedal you want. Then pick how it works: Double-tap, Tap, Hold, or Tap or hold.

Why OliType exists

When I broke my arm playing softball, I realized typing with one hand was going to be a challenge. I tried Apple's built-in dictation, but it kept getting my words wrong, and the tools that did better wanted a monthly subscription. I wanted dictation that was accurate, worked with one key, and kept my voice on my Mac. So I built the one I would want to use. I hope it helps you too.

Eric

Features: everything runs on your Mac

Fast, offline speech to text

NVIDIA Parakeet turns speech into text on your Mac, usually in about a second. It runs on Apple silicon, with no internet needed after setup.

25 languages

English, Spanish, French, German, and 21 more, detected automatically as you speak.

Teach it your words

Exact fixes correct a word every time: when OliType hears "Jon", it types "John". Names & terms help the optional AI cleanup spell people and places your way.

History you can search

Every dictation is kept as text on your Mac, so you can find and copy it again. Keep it forever, for a while, or not at all.

4 more featuresShow fewer

Cancel without losing words

Press Esc once and nothing is typed. Changed your mind? The recording waits in History for a day, and Restore brings your words back.

Out of the way when you share your screen

The listening indicator, the floating button, and OliType's messages are left out of macOS screenshots and screen recordings, and out of screen shares in apps that respect macOS's window privacy setting. The words you dictate still show, because they're typed into your app.

Optional AI cleanup

A free add-on: a small AI writer that runs on your Mac (16 GB of memory or more) and polishes punctuation and false starts. Not installed by default; add it in Settings any time, and once added it's on. If it ever changes a number or rewrites too much, OliType types your exact words instead.

Never sends for you

OliType never presses Return or Send. You always get to read your words first.

A quick look at the app

Plain words, no jargon.

Every setting explains itself, and the whole guide is built in, so help works offline too.

OliType Vocabulary, Exact fixes: Oli type, Olitype, Oli-type, Ollie type, and five more spellings all change to OliType.
Vocabulary, Exact fixes On the left, what OliType wrongly writes; on the right, what you want instead. Here nine ways of hearing "OliType" all become OliType, every time.
OliType Help: a Search help box and the list of guide sections beside the start of the OliType Guide.
Help, built in The whole OliType Guide inside the app. Search it or jump to any section, even with Wi-Fi off.

Pricing: try it free, buy it once

Then it's yours to keep.

The free trial is the full app: every feature, for 30 days, no account and no card. If OliType earns a place on your Mac, buy it once. No subscription, and every future update is free.

OliType

$19 once

For 1 Mac

Buy OliType

Try it free for 30 days first.

OliType for up to 3 Macs

$29 once

Desktop, laptop, and one more

Buy for up to 3 Macs

Try it free for 30 days first.

Education

$9 once

Students, K-12 teachers, and college faculty · 1 Mac

We email your code right away. No school email? Send it anyway and we'll check and reply within 2 business days. Prefer email? support@olitype.com

OliType 1.0.9, released October 12, 2026

What happens after you buy

  1. The trial comes first. Every feature is free for 30 days, with no account and no card. Buy only once OliType has earned it. Because the trial is the full app, all sales are final.
  2. Pay on Polar. Checkout is by Polar, our payment partner. Your license key arrives in the receipt email.
  3. Enter the key. In OliType, open About > License, paste the key, and click Activate. It checks the key once, then keeps working with Wi-Fi off.

What dictation costs over 3 years

Subscription prices from each company's own site, checked October 12, 2026. Both also have free plans; the comparison pages explain what they include.

Upgrades, gifts, taxes, and the trial's endShow less
  • Moving from 1 Mac to 3? Pay only the $10 difference: email support@olitype.com. Need more Macs, or licenses for a team? Email us too.
  • Buying for someone else? A parent, partner, school or counselor can buy it and pass the key on: the key arrives in the receipt email, and the user pastes it into OliType. Buying for an organization? At checkout, tick "I'm purchasing as a business" and enter its name. How it works.
  • After the trial, dictation pauses until you enter a key. Nothing you saved is lost.
  • Prices are in US dollars. Checkout is by Polar, our payment partner, which adds any sales tax or VAT. Your card statement shows Polar.

Try it before you buy it

30 days free · Every feature, nothing held back · No credit card · No account

Download the free trial
An illustration of Oli, a long-haired tabby cat with tall tufted ears.

Why "Oli"?

OliType is named for Oli, our family's long-haired tabby. The ears on the O in the icon are his, and the little indicator says Oli is listening while you talk.

Frequently asked questions

Good questions, straight answers.

How much does OliType cost?

Try every feature free for 30 days, no account and no card. Then buy it once: $19 for 1 Mac, or $29 for up to 3 Macs. Students, K-12 teachers, and college faculty pay $9 for 1 Mac: email us from your school address, or from any address if you don't have one. Buying for a team? Email us about bulk licenses. No subscription, and every future update is free.

Can I buy OliType for someone else?

Yes. Parents, partners, schools, and rehab or disability counselors often buy it for the person who will use it. Buy with the email you want to manage the license: the key arrives in that receipt email. Send the key to the person using OliType, and they paste it into About > License on their Mac. Buying for an organization? At checkout, tick "I'm purchasing as a business" and enter the organization's name (and tax ID, if it has one). Receipts stay at polar.sh/olitype/portal under the buyer's email, and that's where a Mac can be freed if the user replaces theirs. For several people, email support@olitype.com about bulk licenses.

What happens when the trial ends?

Dictation pauses until you enter a license key. Your History, Vocabulary, and Settings keep working, and nothing is lost.

Can I get a refund?

All sales are final, which is why the trial is the full app for 30 days. If something goes wrong after you buy, email support@olitype.com and we'll look at it.

I lost my license key, or replaced my Mac. What now?

Sign in at polar.sh/olitype/portal, our payment partner Polar's customer page, with the email you bought OliType with. You'll get a one-time code by email. There you can see your key, download receipts, and free a Mac you no longer have. Inside OliType, About > License > Find My License Key opens the same page. Stuck? Write to support@olitype.com.

Can I move my license to a new Mac?

Yes. In About > License on the old Mac, click Remove License from This Mac (nothing else on that Mac changes), then enter your key on the new one. If the old Mac is gone, remove it at polar.sh/olitype/portal. Moving from 1 Mac to 3? Pay only the $10 difference: email support@olitype.com. Need more Macs than that? Email us too.

17 more questionsShow fewer

Does anything I say leave my Mac?

No. Your voice is turned into text on your Mac, and the text goes straight into the app you are using. OliType has no telemetry, no accounts, and no cloud AI. It goes online only to download a model (the speech model during setup, and AI cleanup if you add it), when you activate or remove your license or install an update, and, unless you turn it off, to check olitype.com for a newer version. Dictation itself works with Wi-Fi off.

Does OliType work without an internet connection?

Yes. After the one-time speech model download during setup, dictation works with Wi-Fi off. OliType goes online only to download a model (the speech model during setup, and AI cleanup if you add it), when you activate or remove your license or install an update, and to check for updates unless you turn that off.

How is OliType different from cloud dictation apps?

Many dictation apps send your audio to a server to be turned into text. OliType does that work on your Mac, so your voice is never uploaded, it works offline, and there is no account or subscription. See how it compares with Wispr Flow.

Which Macs does it run on?

A Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or newer) running macOS 15 or later, with about 1 GB of free storage space (about 3.5 GB with AI cleanup). Intel Macs are not supported. Dictation runs fine on 8 GB of memory. The optional AI cleanup add-on needs 16 GB of memory or more, because its writing model loads into memory while it works. To check your Mac, open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac: look at Chip, macOS, and Memory. Memory is not the same as storage space.

Which languages does it understand?

25 languages, detected automatically as you speak: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, and Ukrainian.

Does it work in every app?

It works almost anywhere you can type: Mail, Messages, Word, Google Docs in your browser, Slack, Notes, and more. OliType pastes your words where you're typing. If you're not in a text box, your words wait on the clipboard so you can paste them yourself.

Does it work in Google Docs, Slack, VS Code, or Terminal?

Yes. OliType types by pasting into whatever box has your cursor, so it works in Google Docs and Slack (in the browser or their apps), in code editors like VS Code, and in Terminal. If your cursor isn't in a place that accepts text, your words wait on the clipboard.

Can OliType transcribe audio files or meetings?

No. OliType is for live dictation: you talk, and it types into the app you're using. It doesn't open audio or video files or record meetings.

How accurate is it?

OliType uses NVIDIA Parakeet, a speech model that runs on your Mac. Accuracy depends on your voice, your microphone, and the room; a headset or a quiet room helps. If it keeps getting one word wrong, add an exact fix in Vocabulary. If it often mishears your English, try Parakeet V2 in Settings. The 30-day free trial is the best way to see how it does with your voice.

Why does it ask for Accessibility permission?

macOS uses the Accessibility permission for two things OliType needs: noticing your hotkey while you are in another app, and typing your words into that app for you. (Microphone is a separate permission, used only between start and stop.)

Can I use it with one hand, a mouse, or a foot pedal?

Yes, that was the point. The default hotkey is a double-tap of Left Option, one key at the bottom-left of your keyboard. You can switch to Tap, Hold, or Tap or hold, pick any key or a middle or side mouse button, or record a USB foot pedal as your hotkey. A floating Dictate button and the menu bar icon do everything the hotkey does.

What is AI cleanup?

A free, optional add-on: a small AI writing model (about 2.3 GB) that runs on your Mac, never online. It removes false starts, keeps only your correction when you change your mind, fixes punctuation, follows cues like "new paragraph", and spells your names your way. Most people do fine without it, and if it ever changes too much or alters a number, OliType types your exact words instead.

How is OliType different from Apple Dictation?

Apple's dictation is good for quick notes. OliType adds a hotkey you choose (any key, a mouse button, or a foot pedal) with four ways to use it, a floating Dictate button, a searchable history of everything you've said, Restore for a dictation you cancelled, exact fixes for the words it gets wrong, and an optional AI cleanup that removes false starts. Try both during the free trial and keep what works for you. See the side-by-side comparison.

Will it ever send a message for me?

Never. OliType never presses Return or Send. You always get to read your words first.

What if I cancel a dictation by mistake?

Press Esc once (or click Cancel) and nothing is typed. The recording waits in History for a day, so you can click Restore and get your words back.

Who makes OliType, and what does it run on?

OliType is made by Bishop Technology Solutions, LLC. Speech recognition is NVIDIA Parakeet, and the optional AI cleanup model is Qwen 3. Both run on your Mac. See the Credits page for the main parts OliType runs on; every license is included in the app: click Licenses… in About.

Is there a Windows or iPhone version?

Not today. OliType is made for the Mac.

Everything else is in the OliType Guide.

Still have a question? Contact us.

Your spoken words, written right.

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A Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or newer) · macOS 15 Sequoia or later