Getting started

Getting started with Talkie

What happens the first time you open Talkie, and what it asks your Mac for.

The first time you open it

Talkie needs macOS 14.6 or later. The version you download from this website also needs a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later). Move Talkie into your Applications folder first, then open it from there.

If you downloaded it from this website, macOS says Talkie came from the internet and asks you to confirm. Choose Open. That happens once. You have not installed it yet? Download Talkie.

Your first minute

  • Press Option+Space to open Talkie. Type to search, press Return to run the selected row, Command+K to see its actions and Escape to close.
  • Press Command+Comma in the launcher, or type "settings", to open Settings.
  • To dictate, press Fn or Control+Space, speak, and press it again. Settings, under Dictation, changes the key or lets you hold it while you speak.
  • Talkie asks for each permission the first time a feature needs it, and never before.

What Talkie asks for, and why

Only the microphone is needed to dictate. The others unlock one feature each; you can say no to them and change your mind later in System Settings.

macOS asks you in a dialog, with this text

Microphone · needed

macOS shows: “Talkie listens only while you dictate or speak to it, and turns your speech into text on this Mac.”

Change it later: System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone

Calendars · optional

macOS shows: “Talkie lists your upcoming events and adds new ones when you ask.”

Change it later: System Settings › Privacy & Security › Calendars

Reminders · optional

macOS shows: “Talkie lists, completes and adds reminders when you ask.”

Change it later: System Settings › Privacy & Security › Reminders

Contacts · optional

macOS shows: “Talkie finds people and copies their email or phone number when you ask.”

Change it later: System Settings › Privacy & Security › Contacts

You switch these on in System Settings

Accessibility · optional

Lets Talkie paste text into the app you are using and run window commands. Only the version you download from this website asks for it; the Mac App Store version copies the text and you press Command+V.

Change it later: System Settings › Privacy & Security › Accessibility

Input Monitoring · optional

Lets Talkie notice the Fn key, so Fn can start dictation. You can turn it on from Talkie’s Settings, under Dictation. Control+Space works without it.

Change it later: System Settings › Privacy & Security › Input Monitoring

Screen Recording · optional

Lets Talkie read text on your screen, for Ask About Screen.

Change it later: System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen Recording (named Screen & System Audio Recording on macOS 15 and later)

Open at Login · optional

Starts Talkie when you log in to your Mac.

Change it later: System Settings › General › Login Items

If something is off

Talkie does not hear me.

Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone and switch Talkie on. Then check that the right microphone is chosen in System Settings › Sound.

I said no to a permission by mistake.

Change it in System Settings › Privacy & Security (the exact place is listed above). After you change Input Monitoring or Screen Recording, macOS may ask you to quit and reopen Talkie.

I cannot find Talkie after opening it.

Press Option+Space. Opening Talkie again from Applications also shows the launcher.

macOS says the file is damaged, or the disk image will not open.

The download is most likely incomplete. Move the file to the Trash, download it again from this site, and compare its SHA-256 checksum with the one on the download page.

More answers are on the Support page. Still stuck? Write to support.talkie@ibrahimuzun.com.