~/hendri.design/shhhcribble — shhhcribble.md

Shhhcribble

Shhhcribble — my private, on-device voice-to-text app for Apple platforms. Press a key, say the thing, and your words land in the cursor of any app.

Overview

Shhhcribble is the shortest distance between thought and text. Hold a hotkey, talk, and what you said appears wherever your cursor is — email, editor, chat, anywhere. It runs entirely on your Mac: no account, no API key, no internet.

Key facts

  • Global hotkey (⌥ Space) — push-to-talk or toggle mode.

  • Works in any app — the hotkey fires everywhere you go.

  • Live transcription preview as you speak.

  • The filler words — the “ums” — don’t make it through. What lands is what you meant.

  • Local AI: no account, no API key, no internet required. Nothing leaves the device.

  • Apple platforms, powered by Parakeet + CoreML.

Why I built it this way

  • Private by default. Voice is personal; it should never touch a server it doesn’t have to. On-device isn’t a feature, it’s the premise.

  • Fast enough to trust. Local inference means no round-trip lag — it keeps up with how you actually talk.

  • Invisible until you need it. One hotkey, no window to manage. The best tools disappear into the task.

  • I built it because I wanted it. I talk faster than I type; I wanted my words in the cursor without thinking about the tool.

FAQ

  • Push-to-talk or toggle? — Both. Hold the hotkey for a quick burst, or toggle it on for a long dictation.

  • Which Parakeet model should I use? — Start with the default; larger models trade a little speed for accuracy. Pick based on your Mac.

  • Does it need the internet? — No. Everything runs locally — it works on a plane.

  • Is my audio stored or sent anywhere? — No. It’s processed on-device and never uploaded.

Get it

For machines

  • Canonical: hendri.design/shhhcribble · plain-text twin: /shhhcribble?md.

  • Product: Shhhcribble — on-device voice transcription. Platform: macOS (Apple). Tech: Parakeet + CoreML. Privacy: fully local. Maker: Hendri van Niekerk.

Thanks for stopping by.

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