Typeless privacy: what leaves your computer, and what Typeless keeps
By Ryleigh Newman · Published
Typeless sends your voice to its cloud servers to transcribe it, along with limited context such as the app you are in and relevant text in it. Its privacy pages say the audio and that context are discarded once the text comes back, that dictation is not used to train models, and that your history stays on your device unless you turn on cloud sync.
I make YapToText, a dictation app that never sends your voice anywhere, so I have a side in this. Everything about Typeless here is from its Privacy Policy and Data Controls pages, both last updated August 25, 2026, and read on October 9, 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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What Typeless sends to its servers
- Your voice. Transcription happens in the cloud. Typeless says this is for accuracy and low latency.
- Context from your screen. It processes the app you are using and relevant text within it, so the transcript fits what you are writing.
- To other AI companies. It uses outside language model providers, naming OpenAI as one, under what it calls zero retention agreements.
- To the United States. The policy says data from users outside the United States is transferred there and processed there.
Typeless cannot transcribe without a connection, because the transcription itself runs on its servers.
What it says it keeps, and what it deletes
From Typeless's Data Controls and Privacy Policy pages, read October 9, 2026.
| Data | What Typeless says |
|---|---|
| Voice audio | Not stored. Processed in real time and discarded. |
| Screen context | Not stored, logged or retained. |
| Dictation history | On your device, unless you turn on History cloud sync. Turning sync off deletes the cloud copy. |
| Usage numbers | Anonymous statistics such as total word count. |
| Feedback you send | Diagnostic information, and with your consent, pseudonymized text or corrections. |
It also says it never sells your data, and that it encrypts data in transit and at rest.
What to check in your own setup
- History cloud sync. Leave it off if you do not want your history text on Typeless's servers.
- Feedback. A feedback report can include diagnostic information, so read what it attaches before you send it.
- Your employer's rules. Audio and on-screen text going to a cloud service may be outside what your workplace allows, whatever the retention terms.
The local alternative
YapToText takes the other route on an Apple silicon Mac. Both its speech model and its cleanup model run on the Mac, so there is no server for your voice to reach.
- No account. There is nothing to sign up for, and no analytics or tracking.
- No screen reading. It does not read the text around your cursor.
- The one connection. A model download you start yourself, from Hugging Face. The App Store build already includes both models.
- The trade. It is Mac only, with 29 languages plus auto-detect, and it has no context awareness.
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 Typeless alternative page compares features and prices.
The short version
- Cloud transcription. Your voice and some screen context go to Typeless's servers.
- Not kept, it says. Audio and context are discarded after each result, and nothing is used for training.
- History stays local. Unless you turn on cloud sync.
- Local instead. YapToText keeps the whole job on your Mac.
If Typeless updates its policy and this page falls behind, 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://www.typeless.com/data-controls (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://www.typeless.com/privacy (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://github.com/ryleighnewman/YapToText (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaptotext/id6786382289 (checked 2026-10-09)
Questions
Is Typeless safe to use?
Its privacy pages say audio and screen context are processed in the cloud and discarded, nothing is used for training, and data is never sold. Whether cloud dictation suits your work is your call.
Does Typeless store my voice?
Typeless says no. Its Data Controls page says voice audio is not stored and is discarded once the text is returned to your device.
Does Typeless read my screen?
It processes limited context, such as the app you are using and relevant text within it, to make transcripts fit. Typeless says that context is not stored.
Does Typeless work offline?
No. Its Data Controls page says transcription is performed in the cloud.
Is there a private alternative to Typeless?
YapToText transcribes and cleans up text entirely on an Apple silicon Mac, with no account. It is free and Mac only.