Ghost Pepper

What is Ghost Pepper?

Ghost Pepper is a macOS voice dictation and meeting transcription app that converts speech to text and captures call transcripts locally on your machine. It’s designed for users who want speech-to-text workflows (dictation, call notes, and transcripts) without sending audio to a cloud service.

The app runs 100% locally using on-device models on Apple Silicon (M1+), and outputs transcripts and summaries saved as local files. The project is free and open source under the MIT License.

Key Features

• Voice dictation with a push-to-talk workflow: Hold Control to talk, release to transcribe, and paste the result into any text field.
• Meeting transcription saved as local Markdown: Call recordings can produce notes, a transcript, and AI-generated summaries saved as local markdown files.
• On-device speech cleanup: A local LLM performs cleanup such as removing filler words, fixing self-corrections, and cleaning up speech.
• 100% local execution on your Mac: Core features run on-device via Apple Silicon; nothing is uploaded, tracked, or stored in the cloud.
• Multiple speech-to-text model options: Uses local ASR models such as Whisper (tiny.en, small.en) and Parakeet v3, with different language coverage and performance tradeoffs.
• Local privacy verification and no telemetry: The site describes a “privacy audit” where core features were checked via AI code review, and states there are no analytics/telemetry SDKs.

How to Use Ghost Pepper

1. Download and install: Download the GhostPepper.dmg file and drag Ghost Pepper into your Applications folder.
2. Grant permissions: When prompted, allow Microphone and Accessibility permissions in macOS.
3. Configure input/trigger: Use the built-in Control key behavior—hold Control to speak, then release to transcribe.
4. Use for meetings: For meeting transcription, record calls and generate transcript outputs; the app saves results (transcript/notes/summaries) as local markdown.
5. If macOS blocks the app: If you see an “Apple could not verify” warning, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and choose Open Anyway once.

Use Cases

• Hands-free document editing: Dictate sentences into emails, docs, or notes using push-to-talk and paste the transcription into a text field.
• Personal study or brainstorming from speech: Capture spoken ideas as cleaned-up text after speech cleanup removes filler words and corrects self-edits.
• Team meeting documentation (offline workflow): Record a meeting and produce notes, a transcript, and a summary saved as markdown on your Mac.
• Language-specific transcription needs: Select a speech-to-text model based on whether you need English-only output (e.g., Whisper tiny.en or small.en) or broader language coverage (e.g., Parakeet v3, Qwen ASR variants).
• Privacy-focused transcription: Use local-only processing when you don’t want audio or transcription inputs leaving your device.

FAQ

• Does Ghost Pepper require a user account?
  No account is required, according to the page.

• Is audio sent to the cloud?
  The site states that all models run on your Mac and that nothing is uploaded, tracked, or stored in the cloud.

• What hardware is required?
  The download info specifies macOS 14.0+ and Apple Silicon (M1+).

• How do I start dictating?
  Hold Control to talk, then release to transcribe and paste the text into a target field.

• Where are meeting outputs stored?
  The page states meeting transcripts/notes/summaries are saved as local markdown files.

Alternatives

• Local speech-to-text apps on macOS: Other desktop dictation and transcription tools that emphasize on-device/offline processing, typically suited for similar push-to-talk or transcription workflows.
• Cloud transcription services (non-local): Web-based or API-driven transcription solutions that may offer broader language/model options but generally involve sending audio to a provider, contrasting with Ghost Pepper’s local-only approach.
• General-purpose offline transcription + text cleanup tools: Tools that focus on transcription (ASR) and separate text editing/cleanup steps, which can be combined into a workflow similar to Ghost Pepper’s dictation + cleanup + saving transcripts locally.