How to use Handy: install it, pick a model, and dictate into any app
By Ryleigh Newman · Published
Handy is a free, open source speech to text app for Mac, Windows and Linux. To use it on a Mac, install it, grant Microphone and Accessibility access, download a model when it asks, then click into any text field, hold Option Space, speak, and release. Handy transcribes on your computer and pastes the text where the cursor is.
I built YapToText, a dictation app for the Mac, so read what I say about Handy with that in mind. Every fact about Handy here comes from its documentation at handy.computer and its README on GitHub, read on October 11, 2026.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
On this page: 10 sections
Install Handy on a Mac
- Download the .dmg from handy.computer. There is one for Apple silicon and one for Intel Macs.
- Open the .dmg and drag Handy to your Applications folder.
- Open Handy and allow Microphone, which captures your voice, and Accessibility, which lets it type into other apps.
- Pick a speech model to download when Handy asks. Every model runs on your device.
- Look for Handy in the menu bar. It is ready when the model has finished downloading.
Handy is also in Homebrew:
brew install --cask handyIts README notes that the Homebrew cask and the winget package for Windows are not maintained by the Handy developers. On Windows the command is winget install cjpais.Handy, and on Debian or Ubuntu you install the downloaded .deb with sudo apt install ./Handy_*.deb so the dependencies come with it.
Your first dictation
- Click into any text field: a browser, an editor, a chat app.
- Hold Option Space. On Windows and Linux the default is Ctrl Space.
- Speak.
- Release the keys. Handy transcribes and pastes the text at the cursor.
Push to talk is the default: hold to record, release to stop. Turn Push To Talk off in the General settings and Handy switches to toggle mode, where one press starts recording and a second press stops it.
From Handy's getting started page, read October 11, 2026.
| Action | Default shortcut on a Mac |
|---|---|
| Transcribe | Option Space |
| Transcribe with post-processing | Option Shift Space |
| Cancel a recording | Escape |
To change a shortcut, click its field in settings and press the keys you want. Handy's docs say many Mac users pick the Fn key. One caution from the same page: Fn only reaches macOS from Apple keyboards, so it will not trigger from a third-party keyboard. If you use both, build the shortcut from Control, Option, Shift or Command.
Which model to pick
Handy's docs recommend Parakeet V3 for most people, Whisper for broad language coverage, and Cohere Transcribe for the highest quality English on a machine with a capable GPU.
Sizes and notes from Handy's models page, read October 11, 2026.
| Model | Size | Languages | What Handy's docs say |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parakeet V3 | About 478 MB | 25 European languages | Recommended for most users. Detects the language itself, and writes numbers as words |
| Parakeet V2 | About 473 MB | English only | Fast |
| Whisper Small | About 487 MB | 99 and more | For a less powerful machine |
| Whisper Medium | About 492 MB | 99 and more | A balance of speed and accuracy |
| Whisper Large | About 1.1 GB | 99 and more | Best accuracy, slower |
| Whisper Turbo | About 1.6 GB | 99 and more | No translation to English |
| Cohere Transcribe | About 1.8 GB | 14 | Highest quality English. Does not detect the language, so select it |
| Moonshine V2 Tiny to Medium | 31 to 192 MB | English only | Lightweight, for lower-powered hardware |
| GigaAM v3 | About 225 MB | Russian | For Russian speakers |
| Canary 1B v2 | About 692 MB | 25 | Transcription and translation. Select your language, because auto defaults to English |
| SenseVoice | About 160 MB | Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Cantonese | Fastest |
Whisper and Cohere Transcribe use the GPU, through Metal on a Mac. The docs say every other model runs on the CPU for now. To change model, open settings and choose one from the dropdown. A new model downloads the first time you use it.
Settings worth knowing
- Microphone. Handy uses the system default input unless you pick one. On a MacBook its docs recommend the built-in microphone, and warn that Bluetooth devices can have issues.
- Mute While Recording. Silences music or other system audio while you dictate.
- Audio Feedback. Plays a sound when recording starts and stops.
- Auto Submit. Sends Enter, Cmd Enter or Ctrl Enter after the text, for chat apps and command lines. Off by default.
- Clipboard Handling. Handy pastes through the clipboard and then restores what was there, or leaves the transcription on the clipboard if you prefer.
- Custom Words. Corrects words that are often misheard. The docs call it very imperfect and point to post-processing for better results.
- History. Each entry keeps the text and the recording, with a limit you set. A limit of 0 turns history off.
- Unload Model. Frees memory after the model has been idle, from immediately to an hour, or never.
Cleanup with post-processing
Handy's own cleanup is labeled Alpha. It sends the finished transcription through an AI language model with a prompt you write, before the text is pasted.
- Open Settings, Advanced, and turn on Experimental Features.
- Turn on Post Processing. A Post-Processing section appears in the sidebar.
- Choose a provider, add its API key, select a model, and write a prompt that includes
${output}where the transcription should go. - Dictate with the post-processing shortcut, Option Shift Space. The normal shortcut always gives plain text.
The provider can be a cloud service with your own key, Apple Intelligence on an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 26 or later, or a custom endpoint, which is how you connect a local model. For LM Studio the docs give the base URL http://localhost:1234/v1. They also list the limits plainly: it adds a wait, a cloud provider needs a connection, and small models often ignore the prompt.
Control Handy from the command line
The README lists flags that talk to a running copy of Handy, which it calls largely a beta feature:
handy --toggle-transcription
handy --toggle-post-process
handy --cancel
handy --start-hidden --no-trayOn a Mac, call the binary inside the app: /Applications/Handy.app/Contents/MacOS/Handy --toggle-transcription. A Raycast extension by a community member can also start and stop recording.
Whether Handy is safe to use
- The code is public. Handy is open source under the MIT license, at github.com/cjpais/Handy.
- Speech stays on the computer. Its docs say all models run locally and nothing is sent to the cloud. Post-processing with a cloud provider is the exception, and it is off until you set it up.
- Releases are signed. The README explains how to verify a download with minisign against the public key in the repository.
- Who makes it. The About page says Handy is maintained by a single developer, CJ, and paid for by donations and sponsors.
- Platforms. Its download page lists macOS, Windows and Linux. It lists no phone app.
I have read its documentation, not audited its code, so treat this as what Handy says about itself.
Handy and YapToText
Handy from its docs and README, read October 11, 2026. YapToText from its own settings.
| Handy | YapToText | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, funded by donations | Free, no paid tier |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Runs on | Mac with Apple silicon or Intel, Windows, Linux | Apple silicon Macs, macOS 14 or later |
| Install | A .dmg, or Homebrew | The Mac App Store |
| Speech models | Many, downloaded on first use | Whisper Large v3 Turbo, included in the App Store download |
| Cleanup | Post-processing, in alpha, with a provider you set up | Built in, on the Mac, on by default |
| Default trigger | Hold Option Space | Tap Right Command |
Handy is the better fit on Windows, Linux or an Intel Mac, or if you want to choose among many speech models. YapToText fits if you want cleanup that works without setting up a provider. The Handy alternative page goes deeper, and the Handy troubleshooting page covers what to do when it stops.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
The short version
- Install. The .dmg from handy.computer, then Microphone and Accessibility.
- Dictate. Hold Option Space, speak, release.
- Model. Parakeet V3 for most people, Whisper for more languages.
- Cleanup. Post-processing, in alpha, with your own provider or a local model.
If Handy changes these steps, open an issue on GitHub and I will update this page. Every one gets read.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
Related
Sources
- https://github.com/cjpais/Handy (checked 2026-10-11)
- https://handy.computer (checked 2026-10-11)
- https://handy.computer/docs (checked 2026-10-11)
- https://handy.computer/docs/models (checked 2026-10-11)
- https://handy.computer/docs/general (checked 2026-10-11)
- https://handy.computer/docs/advanced (checked 2026-10-11)
- https://handy.computer/docs/post-processing (checked 2026-10-11)
- https://handy.computer/docs/troubleshooting (checked 2026-10-11)
- https://github.com/ryleighnewman/YapToText (checked 2026-10-11)
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaptotext/id6786382289 (checked 2026-10-11)
Questions
Is Handy speech to text free?
Yes. Handy is free and open source under the MIT license, and its site says it is paid for by donations and sponsors.
What is the default shortcut in Handy?
Option Space on a Mac and Ctrl Space on Windows and Linux. Hold it to record and release to stop, or turn off Push To Talk for toggle mode.
Does Handy work offline?
Yes. Its docs say every speech model runs on your machine. Only post-processing with a cloud provider needs a connection.
Which Handy model should I use?
Handy's docs recommend Parakeet V3 for most users, Whisper Small or Medium for broad language support, and Cohere Transcribe for the highest quality English.
Is there a Handy app for Android or iPhone?
Handy's download page lists macOS, Windows and Linux only.