Where MacWhisper stores its files, models and transcripts on a Mac
By Ryleigh Newman · Published
MacWhisper stores its data in your user Library, at ~/Library/Application Support/MacWhisper. That folder holds the downloaded speech models, the database of your transcripts, and any media the app keeps with them. The App Store edition, called Whisper Transcription, keeps the same things inside its sandbox container instead. Nothing is installed at the system level, so you can inspect or delete all of it yourself.
I built YapToText, a different Mac app for dictation and file transcription, so read what I say about MacWhisper with that in mind. Every fact about MacWhisper here comes from its own help center, read on October 10, 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.
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Every folder, for both editions
From MacWhisper's help article Local Files & Data Locations, read October 10, 2026.
| What | MacWhisper, from macwhisper.com | Whisper Transcription, from the App Store |
|---|---|---|
| Models, transcript database, media | ~/Library/Application Support/MacWhisper | ~/Library/Containers/com.goodsnooze.MacWhisper/Data/Library/Application Support/MacWhisper |
| Preferences | ~/Library/Preferences/com.goodsnooze.MacWhisper.plist | ~/Library/Containers/com.goodsnooze.MacWhisper/Data/Library/Preferences |
| Caches | ~/Library/Caches/com.goodsnooze.MacWhisper | Inside the same container, under Data/Library/Caches |
The Application Support folder has three parts: Models, the speech models you downloaded. Database, the transcripts, sessions and their details. External Media, media files the app manages alongside transcripts.
Open the folder
- In the Finder, choose Go, then Go to Folder, or press Shift Command G.
- Paste the path below and press Return.
~/Library/Application Support/MacWhisperThe Library folder is hidden by default, which is why Go to Folder is the quick way in. For the App Store edition, paste the container path from the table instead.
Free up space: the models
Models are the large files. Each speech model you download sits in the Models folder until you remove it, and the bigger ones take gigabytes. Remove a model you do not use from inside the app's model settings where you can, so the app's own list stays in step with the folder. If the disk is filling up, the Models folder is the first place to look.
Remove MacWhisper completely
- If you have a Pro license and are moving to another Mac, go to Settings, Pro, Remove license first. MacWhisper's licensing page says a personal license has a soft limit of 3 devices.
- Quit MacWhisper and drag the app to the Trash.
- Delete the Application Support folder, the Preferences file and the Caches folder from the table above.
- If you installed its command-line tool, open Settings, Advanced before deleting the app and click Uninstall under Command-Line Tool. It lives at /usr/local/bin/mw.
Export any transcripts you want to keep before step 3, because the database is where they live.
Where your audio goes while it is transcribed
With a local model, transcription happens on the Mac and the files stay in the folders above. MacWhisper also offers cloud transcription providers, and its help center suggests them for Intel Macs, where local transcription is much slower. A file sent to a cloud provider leaves the Mac. The MacWhisper privacy page covers which features are local and which are not.
Where YapToText keeps its files
For comparison, YapToText keeps its history as a plain JSON file inside its own sandbox container, under Application Support, YapToText, with settings, modes and dictionaries beside it. Nothing is synced or backed up by the app, and deleting the app deletes all of it. By default it keeps the last 500 dictations and deletes items older than 30 days, and both are settings.
It is free on the Mac App Store, runs its speech model on the Mac, and transcribes audio and video files as well as live dictation. The History page explains what is kept and how to export it.
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
- Main folder. ~/Library/Application Support/MacWhisper: models, the transcript database, media.
- App Store edition. The same, inside ~/Library/Containers/com.goodsnooze.MacWhisper.
- Open it. Finder, Shift Command G, paste the path.
- Biggest files. The Models folder.
- Uninstall. Remove the license, trash the app, delete the three folders.
If a path here has changed in a newer version, open an issue on GitHub. 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://docs.macwhisper.com/article/54-file-locations (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://docs.macwhisper.com/article/39-licensing (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://docs.macwhisper.com/article/57-macwhisper-command-line-tool (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://docs.macwhisper.com/article/34-transcription-is-slower-than-expected (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://github.com/ryleighnewman/YapToText (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaptotext/id6786382289 (checked 2026-10-10)
Questions
Where does MacWhisper store files?
In ~/Library/Application Support/MacWhisper. The App Store edition uses ~/Library/Containers/com.goodsnooze.MacWhisper/Data/Library/Application Support/MacWhisper.
Where does MacWhisper store its models?
In the Models folder inside its Application Support folder.
Where are MacWhisper transcripts saved?
In the app's internal database, in the Database folder inside Application Support. Export a transcript to save it as a file elsewhere.
How do I uninstall MacWhisper completely?
Remove your license in Settings, Pro, trash the app, then delete its Application Support folder, its Preferences file and its Caches folder.
Does MacWhisper install system files?
Its help center says no system-level files are installed and all data sits within your user account.