MacWhisper Find and Replace: correct the same mistake in every transcript, and guide Whisper with a prompt
By Ryleigh Newman · Published
If MacWhisper keeps writing a name wrong, Global Replace fixes it in every new transcript. You set pairs of original and replacement text once, and MacWhisper applies them automatically. For words Whisper mishears in the first place, the Whisper prompt in Settings, Advanced gives the engine context before it transcribes. This page covers both, and one limit on mixed languages.
I built YapToText, a different dictation app for the Mac, 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.
This guide in other languages: Čeština, Deutsch, Español, Français, Magyar, Bahasa Indonesia, Italiano, 日本語, 한국어, Nederlands, Polski, Português, Русский, ไทย, Türkçe, Tiếng Việt, 简体中文, 繁體中文
Setting up Global Replace
- Open Settings, Global Replace.
- Click the plus button at the top right of Replacements.
- Enter the Original text and the Replacement text.
- Add as many pairs as you need. Edit a row in place, or remove it with the trash icon.
Changes take effect at once but only for future transcripts. Existing transcripts are not changed. The search bar filters a long list by either side of the pair.
The two match options
From MacWhisper's help article Find And Replace in Transcriptions, read October 10, 2026.
| Option | On | Off |
|---|---|---|
| Case Sensitive | Only replaces when the capitals match, so You is not you | Matches regardless of capitals |
| Only Replace Separate Words | Replaces whole words only | Also replaces inside other words, so replacing you changes your. Useful for languages without spaces between words |
What people use it for
- Misheard names. The help center's own example turns Mac whisper into MacWhisper.
- Privacy before sharing. Replace real names with pseudonyms.
- Consistent style. OK to Okay, e-mail to email.
- Regional wording. Swap phrases for local equivalents.
Moving or sharing the list
Export List saves the replacements as a JSON file, and Import List loads one, which the help center suggests for moving to a new Mac or sharing a list with a team. Remove All clears the list entirely.
The Whisper prompt, for words it mishears
Global Replace fixes text after transcription. To steer the transcription itself, MacWhisper has a Prompt field in Settings, Advanced, which gives Whisper context about the recording. The help center uses it for Chinese, where Whisper was trained on a mix of Simplified and Traditional text and can return the wrong one: a short sentence in the script you want, written in the prompt, nudges it the right way. It is clear that this does not always work.
One more limit from the help center: MacWhisper cannot transcribe a file with two languages at once. It suggests transcribing the file twice, once per language, and combining the results by hand.
How YapToText does the same job
MacWhisper from its help center, read October 10, 2026. YapToText from its own settings.
| MacWhisper | YapToText | |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed replacements | Global Replace pairs | Dictionary substitutions |
| Options | Case Sensitive, Only Replace Separate Words | Whole word and Case |
| Shape what Whisper hears | The Prompt field | Dictionary words prime the Whisper model |
| More than one list | A global list for all new transcripts | Several dictionaries, each can be turned off |
| Learning from you | Not described | Fix the same word twice and it offers to make it stick |
| Export | JSON | JSON |
In YapToText one dictionary entry does both jobs at once: it primes the speech model and replaces the text after. The dictionaries help page covers it, and superwhisper's vocabulary and replacements shows the same idea in another app.
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
- Fix a word everywhere. Settings, Global Replace, plus button.
- Only new transcripts. Old ones are not changed.
- Inside words. Turn off Only Replace Separate Words.
- Share it. Export List and Import List, as JSON.
- Wrong Chinese script. A sentence in the right script in Settings, Advanced, Prompt.
If MacWhisper changes Global Replace, 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://docs.macwhisper.com/article/37-find-and-replace-in-transcriptions (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://docs.macwhisper.com/article/9-chinese-simplied-and-traditional-troubleshooting (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://docs.macwhisper.com/article/23-multiple-languages-in-a-file (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
How do I find and replace in MacWhisper?
Open Settings, Global Replace, click the plus button, and enter the original and replacement text. It applies to every new transcript.
Does MacWhisper Global Replace change old transcripts?
No. Changes apply only to future transcripts.
Can I import a replacement list into MacWhisper?
Yes. Import List loads a JSON file, and Export List saves one.
Why does MacWhisper write Chinese in the wrong script?
Whisper was trained on a mix of Simplified and Traditional Chinese. A sentence in the script you want in Settings, Advanced, Prompt can guide it, though not always.
Can MacWhisper transcribe a file with two languages?
Not at the same time. Its help center suggests transcribing twice, once per language, and combining the text.