anomalyco/hex

Local-first voice dictation for macOS. Hold a shortcut, speak, and paste into any app. Native Rust, on-device speech recognition, and a Linux beta.

What it solves

HEX solves the friction of typing by letting you dictate with your voice and have the text appear exactly where you're working. It works entirely on your device, so your speech never leaves your computer for basic dictation. It also handles corrections, app-specific behavior, and optional rewriting if you choose to enable provider-based features.

How it works

You hold a shortcut (default Option on Mac), speak, and release. HEX records your voice, transcribes it locally using a speech model you download during setup, and pastes the resulting text into the app that currently has focus. You can double-tap the shortcut to keep recording, press Escape to cancel, and use Option-Shift-V to paste the last dictation again. HEX runs as a menu-bar app and lets you switch between transcription models without opening settings.

Who it’s for

HEX is aimed at people who want fast, private voice dictation on macOS (Apple silicon, macOS 15+), with beta versions for Windows and Linux. It’s especially useful for developers, writers, and anyone who wants to avoid cloud transcription. It also offers optional features like Voice Action (describe a task and have it done) and experimental voice commands, plus a TypeScript SDK for developers who want to add local transcription to their own apps.

Highlights

  • Local-first transcription: speech is processed on your device, no cloud needed for basic dictation.
  • Cross-platform: Mac app is stable; Windows and Linux betas are available.
  • Customizable: choose your shortcut, language, model, and set up Modes for corrections or app-specific behavior.
  • Optional provider-powered rewriting via OpenCode, with no requirement for basic dictation.
  • Experimental voice commands run continuously on-device, and you can create custom commands in TypeScript.
  • A CLI lets you query past transcripts and meetings, and a TypeScript SDK lets you add local transcription to your own applications.

Related

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