The VoiceInk license key: how to activate it, find it again, and move it to another Mac

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To activate VoiceInk, open VoiceInk Pro from the sidebar, paste your license key, and click Activate. Activation needs a network connection. If the key never arrived, check spam, then open the Polar customer portal with the exact email address you used at checkout. Without a key, onboarding offers a 7-day trial. A Mac license covers Macs only: it does not activate VoiceInk on an iPhone.

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 comes from its own documentation, read on October 9, 2026.

Download YapToText on the Mac App StoreThis 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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Activate, or start the trial

  • Trial. During onboarding, choose Start 7-day Trial.
  • Activate. Open VoiceInk Pro in the sidebar, paste the key, click Activate. The app checks the key with its licensing service, so you need to be online.
  • If it fails. Copy the whole key with no spaces around it, check your connection, and read the exact error message.

Find a lost key

  1. Search your email, including spam and junk, for the purchase email.
  2. Open the Polar customer portal and enter the exact email address used at checkout.
  3. Follow its verification steps to reach your purchase.

If you paid with Apple's Hide My Email, the purchase is under the relay address, not your ordinary Apple ID email. If the checkout address was mistyped, VoiceInk's docs say to contact support with your receipt.

Move to a new Mac

The activated VoiceInk Pro view shows your license and its device activations. Use its deactivate action on the old Mac to release that slot, then activate on the new one. If activation says the device limit is reached, an old Mac is still holding a slot. A settings backup does not carry the license activation or your provider keys, so deactivate before you wipe the old Mac.

iPhone is a separate purchase

VoiceInk's docs are direct about this: a VoiceInk for macOS license activates the Mac app and does not activate VoiceInk for iPhone. A multi-device Mac license covers several Macs, and an iPhone does not count as one of them. The VoiceInk on iPhone page covers the iOS app.

What the license does not include

VoiceInk can send text to hosted AI providers for cleanup and rewriting, using your own API keys. Its docs say the Mac license does not include that third-party usage, and that providers control their own costs and quotas. Local transcription models, and its local cleanup model on a supported Mac, need no provider key. The VoiceInk pricing page has the license prices.

No key at all

YapToText has no license key, no trial clock and no device limit, because it has no paid tier. It is free on the Mac App Store, and its speech model and cleanup model both run on the Mac with no provider keys to manage. VoiceInk offers many more models and providers to choose from. YapToText makes the choice for you. The VoiceInk alternative page compares them.

Download YapToText on the Mac App StoreThis 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

  • Activate. VoiceInk Pro in the sidebar, paste, Activate, online.
  • Trial. 7 days, from onboarding.
  • Lost key. The Polar portal, with your checkout email.
  • New Mac. Deactivate the old one first.
  • iPhone. Not covered by a Mac license.

If VoiceInk changes how licensing works, open an issue on GitHub and I will update this page. Every one gets read.

Download YapToText on the Mac App StoreThis 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.

About the author. Ryleigh Newman is a developer whose hands make typing difficult and who dictates every day with YapToText, the app this site describes. Facts about other apps come from their own sites, with the date they were read. More about the project.

Sources

Questions

How do I activate my VoiceInk license key?

Open VoiceInk Pro from the sidebar, paste the key and click Activate. You need a network connection.

I lost my VoiceInk license key. How do I get it back?

Use the Polar customer portal with the exact email address you used at checkout, or find the purchase email.

Does VoiceInk have a free trial?

Yes. Onboarding offers a 7-day trial.

Does my VoiceInk Mac license work on iPhone?

No. Its docs say a macOS license does not activate VoiceInk for iPhone.

How do I move VoiceInk to a new Mac?

Deactivate the license on the old Mac from the VoiceInk Pro view, then activate it on the new one.