Local book workspace
Open local TXT, Markdown, and EPUB files and keep reading position, bookmarks, notes, and review history associated with the correct title.
WhaleRead
WhaleRead is a local-first macOS app for translating and reading local TXT, Markdown, and EPUB books in source, translated, or bilingual views. It suits readers and language learners who want on-device translation, reviewable AI suggestions, and passage-based questions without moving their library into a consumer cloud.
Local-first translation and bilingual reading
WhaleRead is a local-first macOS workspace for translating and reading books across languages. It opens local TXT, Markdown, and EPUB files, lets readers view source and translation together, and keeps reading position, notes, bookmarks, and review history with the title.
The product is designed around human-confirmed translation rather than automatic replacement. Translation suggestions remain separate from the book until they are inspected and explicitly applied, while Ask AI provides passage-aware explanations for questions about idioms, cultural references, and characters. The public preview includes on-device Hy-MT2 7B translation; a self-hosted 30B route is described as a private evaluation path, not part of the current download.
Core features
On-device translation
Run book translation with the on-device Hy-MT2 7B model in the public preview, with a separately downloaded model.
Bilingual reading
Switch between the original, translated, and bilingual views while retaining chapter position, search, bookmarks, notes, typography, images, and EPUB styling.
Evidence-first review
Highlight a questionable passage, inspect exact source evidence and model reasoning, then edit, keep, discard, or apply the suggested revision.
Page-based Ask AI
Ask questions about an idiom, cultural reference, or character from the reading page, choose the answer language, and save useful answers with reading notes.
Multilingual interface
Change the interface language between English and Chinese without changing the language identity of the saved reading task.
Practical use cases
Reading a foreign-language book
Import an EPUB, preserve its chapter structure and styling, and read the original beside a working translation while moving through the book at your own pace.
Language study
Use the bilingual view and saved position, notes, and bookmarks to study vocabulary, phrasing, and passages across two languages without switching apps.
Human-in-the-loop editing
Highlight an idiom or awkward sentence, compare the source with the model’s explanation, and save a confirmed revision only after reviewing the evidence.
Contextual reading questions
Ask about a cultural reference, character, or phrase directly from the passage, preview the context being sent, and retain a useful answer with reading notes.
Privacy-conscious translation evaluation
Keep book translation on a local Mac with the on-device model, or evaluate a separately controlled private 30B workflow when greater nuance is needed, while recognizing that the 30B route is not in the public download.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Keeps core reading and editing work on the Mac, with on-device 7B translation keeping book text on the device.
- Supports local TXT, Markdown, and EPUB files with source, translation, and bilingual reading views.
- Uses review records and explicit confirmation so model suggestions do not silently overwrite the reading edition.
- Provides passage-aware Ask AI with visible context and a user-selected compatible endpoint.
- Preserves EPUB chapters, images, in-book styling, and reading workspace items such as notes and bookmarks.
Cons
- The current public preview is for Apple silicon Macs running macOS 13 or later, and the separately downloaded 7B model is required for on-device translation.
- The preview is ad-hoc signed and not yet notarised by Apple, so first-open steps are required.
- The product documentation says real model outputs may contain errors; the self-hosted 30B route shown in evaluation is not included in the public download.
FAQ
What platforms does WhaleRead support?
WhaleRead 1.18.1 is available for Apple silicon Macs running macOS 13 or later. The public preview is ad-hoc signed and not yet notarised by Apple; the release page provides first-open instructions and a SHA-256 checksum.
Which translation models are available?
The public preview exposes on-device Hy-MT2 7B for book translation. The 7B model is downloaded separately. The source also describes a private, self-hosted 30B route used in evaluation, but that route is not included in the public download.
What file types and reading modes does it support?
WhaleRead can translate local TXT, Markdown, and EPUB files, and supports source, translation, and bilingual reading modes. EPUB chapters, images, and in-book styling are preserved according to the product description.
Can AI changes overwrite the book automatically?
Translation suggestions remain drafts until the reader reviews and explicitly applies them. Review records can keep the source evidence, current wording, model reasoning, and revision together.
How does WhaleRead handle AI privacy?
Core reading and editing work remains on the Mac. On-device 7B translation keeps book text on the device, while Ask AI sends only to the compatible endpoint and credential configured by the user. The prepared passage is shown before sending.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Reading and translation workspace
- Platform
- Apple silicon Mac; macOS 13 or later
- Supported files
- TXT, Markdown, and EPUB
- Public preview
- WhaleRead 1.18.1
- Translation model
- On-device Hy-MT2 7B; model downloaded separately
- Ask AI
- User-configured compatible endpoint
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