Install and set up VoiceInk on a Mac: requirements, permissions, the trial and your shortcut
By Ryleigh Newman · Published
VoiceInk requires macOS 15 or later. You download it from tryvoiceink.com, move it to Applications, grant Microphone and Accessibility, pick a recording shortcut, and start a 7-day trial or activate a license. Onboarding sets up the Parakeet V3 model as its local starting point.
I built YapToText, a different dictation app for the Mac, so read what I say about VoiceInk with that in mind. Every fact about VoiceInk here is from its documentation, read on October 9, 2026. The pages are Installation, Shortcuts and VoiceInk Refine.
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 it needs
From VoiceInk's docs page Installation, read October 9, 2026.
| Requirement | What the docs say |
|---|---|
| macOS | 15 or later |
| Apple Speech models | macOS 26 or later |
| Intel Macs | The app recommends cloud transcription, because local models do not work reliably there |
| VoiceInk Refine, the local cleanup model | Apple silicon and at least 16 GB of memory |
Install it
- Download VoiceInk from tryvoiceink.com.
- Open the download and move VoiceInk to Applications.
- Launch it and follow onboarding.
- If macOS blocks the first launch, open System Settings, Privacy & Security, approve the app, and open it again.
It is also in Homebrew, where the cask is named voiceink.
Permissions
- Microphone. To record your voice.
- Accessibility. To paste text, handle keyboard interactions and read selected text.
- Screen Recording. Optional. Only for screen context in AI-enhanced Modes.
macOS may ask you to restart VoiceInk after a permission change. A browser may also ask for Automation permission when VoiceInk reads its address for website triggers. The VoiceInk privacy page explains what each one exposes.
Trial or license
During onboarding, choose Start 7-day Trial, or activate a license. Afterward the VoiceInk Pro view in the sidebar manages activation. The license key page covers finding and moving a key, and the pricing page covers what each license costs.
Choose how the shortcut behaves
From VoiceInk's docs page Shortcuts.
| Recording mode | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Toggle | Press once to start, and again to stop |
| Push to Talk | Hold to record, release to stop |
| Hybrid | A short press toggles. Holding for at least half a second records until you release |
| Double Tap | Tap twice quickly to start, and twice again to stop |
Set it in Settings, Shortcuts. A shortcut can be a key combination, a single modifier key including Fn or a side-specific modifier, or a middle or extra mouse button. Add Second Shortcut gives you another one with its own mode. Cancel is Escape pressed twice in the recorder, unless you assign a key.
Start over
Settings, General, Reset Onboarding repeats onboarding on the next launch without resetting your other settings.
Build it from source
VoiceInk is open source under the GPL v3, and its site says you can build it yourself for free with Xcode. The ready-built download is the paid one, with automatic updates. The pricing page goes through that choice.
If you want nothing to set up
YapToText installs from the Mac App Store with its speech model and cleanup model inside the download, so there is no model to pick, no trial and no license. It asks for Microphone and Accessibility. It runs on Apple silicon Macs with macOS 14 or later, which is one version older than VoiceInk needs. It offers fewer models and no cloud providers. The install page walks through it, and the VoiceInk alternative page compares the two.
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
- Needs. macOS 15 or later.
- Get it. tryvoiceink.com, or the voiceink cask in Homebrew.
- Allow. Microphone and Accessibility. Screen Recording is optional.
- Start. A 7-day trial or a license.
- Shortcut. Toggle, Push to Talk, Hybrid or Double Tap.
If VoiceInk changes its requirements, 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://tryvoiceink.com/docs/installation (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://tryvoiceink.com/docs/shortcuts (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://tryvoiceink.com/docs/voiceink-refine (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://tryvoiceink.com/docs/license-management (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://github.com/ryleighnewman/YapToText (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaptotext/id6786382289 (checked 2026-10-10)
Questions
What macOS does VoiceInk need?
Its docs say macOS 15 or later, and macOS 26 or later for Apple Speech models.
Does VoiceInk work on Intel Macs?
Its docs say the app recommends cloud transcription on Intel Macs, because local models do not work reliably there.
How do I install VoiceInk?
Download it from tryvoiceink.com, move it to Applications, launch it and follow onboarding. It is also a Homebrew cask named voiceink.
Is VoiceInk free to install?
The download starts a 7-day trial. After that you buy a license, or build the app yourself from its GPL v3 source.
How do I change the VoiceInk shortcut?
Open Settings, Shortcuts, click the shortcut recorder and press the keys or mouse button you want, then pick a recording mode.