What you are setting up
Auri Voice is a Mac dictation app: one shortcut, speak into whatever field has focus, get writing that already looks like you typed it carefully. Recognition and text cleanup run on your Mac by default. Cloud engines and AI providers stay optional.
- macOS 15 or later.
- A global shortcut you choose (toggle: press to start, press to stop).
- Microphone and Accessibility permissions so text can land at the cursor.
- Text improvement on by default: filler removed, self-corrections applied, punctuation and formatting fixed.
The point of the setup is speed you can feel. Speaking is roughly five times faster than typing when you are not re-editing every line by hand.
Pick a shortcut and grant permissions
During onboarding, choose a key, key combination, or supported mouse button that will not fight the apps you live in. Left Function is a common pick. In Toggle mode, press once to start recording and again to stop. Auri Voice then inserts the finished text into the field you were using.
- Install Auri Voice and complete setup on macOS 15 or later.
- Choose your shortcut and confirm Toggle mode unless you prefer hold-to-talk.
- Allow Microphone when macOS asks.
- Allow Accessibility so the app can insert text system-wide.
- Click into Notes, press the shortcut, speak one sentence, stop, and confirm the text landed.
If Notes works and Slack does not, click the message field again and retry before you change engines. Focus, not recognition, is usually the issue.
Speak naturally and let cleanup do its job
The habit that makes voice typing stick is simple: say the whole thought at normal speed, including the mid-sentence change of mind. Do not stop to polish every clause out loud.
Auri Voice's cleanup pass is on by default. It keeps the final intent when you correct yourself, drops filler like um and uh, and adds punctuation and basic formatting. You still review names and numbers, but you are not deleting every restart by hand.
- Speak in complete thoughts, then stop the shortcut.
- If you change your mind mid-sentence, keep talking. The cleanup pass is built for that.
- Glance once for proper nouns, then send or keep writing.
That is the difference people feel against Apple Dictation. Built-in dictation is useful, and it stays closer to a literal transcript. Auri Voice is aiming at sendable writing.
Choose a Voice Engine that matches the day
Auri Voice ships seven Voice Engine choices. You do not need to try all of them on day one.
- Fast English (Parakeet TDT v2): best everyday start if you dictate in English. Custom vocabulary fits here.
- Fast Multilingual (Parakeet TDT v3): when you switch languages in a normal week.
- Whisper Large Turbo: when noise, accents, or hard vocabulary still force edits after a good mic setup.
- Whisper Base, Nemotron, Auri Cloud, Apple On-Device: lighter local, lower latency, 100+ languages without a download, or built-in Apple speech.
Download local models on Wi-Fi before a trip. For private work, keep a local engine active and leave cloud speech off unless you need it. Text improvement is a separate AI Processing setting: Automatic prefers on-device AI when available, with Auri Cloud or bring-your-own-key providers if you opt in.
Optional: dictate from Apple Watch
When the Mac microphone is the wrong tool, use the Watch as a close mic. That helps in a loud room, on a walk between meetings, when you need to speak quietly, or when the laptop is closed or docked to an external display across the desk.
- Speak into the Watch.
- Auri Voice turns that audio into polished text in an app on your Mac or iPhone.
- Watch-to-Mac audio is encrypted in transit and transcribed locally on the Mac.
- Captures can land when you open the laptop if you were away from the keyboard.
Treat this as a mic upgrade, not a separate writing app. The same cleanup and shortcut workflow still apply once the text reaches your Mac.
Where Apple Dictation still fits
You do not have to delete Apple Dictation to use Auri Voice. Keep the built-in tool for throwaway fields: a Spotlight search, a two-word reminder, a quick note while you wait for Auri to finish setup.
| Job | Auri Voice | Apple Dictation |
|---|---|---|
| Short note or search box | Works, usually overkill | Fine |
| Email, Slack, docs all day | Cleanup on by default | Lots of cleanup by hand |
| Offline private drafting | Local engines + local cleanup by default | On-device for many languages |
| History of past takes | Searchable history on your Mac | No |
| Custom shortcut | You choose it | System keys only |
If you only need the free baseline, open System Settings, Keyboard, turn Dictation on, and use Fn/Globe or the microphone key. When that starts costing you editing time, switch the daily path to Auri Voice and keep Apple for the tiny jobs.
Privacy checklist before you dictate real work
Voice typing means a microphone is live inside your work apps. Spend two minutes on where audio and text go.
- Recognition: which Voice Engine is selected right now? Local models keep audio on the Mac after download. Auri Cloud and similar options need the network.
- Cleanup: AI Processing can stay on-device, use Auri Cloud, or use a bring-your-own-key provider. Automatic uses on-device AI when available.
- History: Auri Voice stores searchable transcripts on your Mac. You can turn history off. Audio history is off by default.
- Permissions: recheck Microphone and Accessibility after major macOS updates.
Write one rule you can say in a sentence. Example: client names and contract language stay on a local engine with on-device cleanup. That is easier to keep than a vague promise to yourself.
FAQ
How do I start voice typing with Auri Voice on a Mac?
Install Auri Voice on macOS 15 or later, pick a shortcut during setup, grant Microphone and Accessibility when asked, then click into any text field and press your shortcut. Speak, press again to stop, and the cleaned text appears at the cursor.
Do I need the cloud for Auri Voice to clean up my speech?
No. Recognition and text improvement both run on your Mac by default. Cloud speech engines and AI providers are optional if you turn them on.
How is this different from Apple Dictation?
Apple Dictation is free and built in, and it mostly writes what you said, including filler and restarts. Auri Voice adds a cleanup pass by default, a shortcut you choose, searchable history on your Mac, and engine options from local models to Auri Cloud.
Which Voice Engine should I pick first?
If you dictate in English, start with Fast English Dictation (Parakeet TDT v2). If you switch languages, use Fast Multilingual (Parakeet TDT v3). Change engines only after you have fixed mic distance and added custom vocabulary for names you say weekly.
Can I dictate from my Apple Watch?
Yes. Auri Voice can use the Watch as a close microphone for better audio in loud rooms, on the go, when you need to speak quietly, or when your Mac is docked away from you. Audio to the Mac is encrypted in transit and transcribed locally.