Push-to-talk dictation
Hold Control to speak, then release to transcribe and paste text directly into the active text field. The page says it works across apps.
Ghost Pepper
Ghost Pepper is a macOS dictation and meeting transcription app that runs entirely on-device. It helps users capture speech, clean it up, and save transcripts locally without sending data to the cloud.
Overview
Ghost Pepper is a macOS voice dictation and meeting transcription app built around local inference. It lets you dictate into any text field, capture meetings with notes and transcripts, and generate cleanup and summary output without sending data off the machine.
The product is positioned as a privacy-focused Mac app: the site says all models run locally on Apple Silicon, no account is required, and output is stored on the user’s Mac. It supports macOS 14.0+ on Apple Silicon (M1+) and is presented as free and open source.
Key features
Meeting transcription
Record calls with notes, transcripts, and AI-generated summaries that are saved locally as Markdown files.
Smart cleanup
A local LLM removes filler words, fixes self-corrections, and cleans up speech before it is pasted or saved.
On-device privacy
The page says speech-to-text, cleanup, and transcription all run on your Mac, with no audio uploaded to cloud services.
Model selection
The app supports multiple speech and cleanup models, including Whisper tiny.en, Whisper small.en, Parakeet v3, Qwen3-ASR 0.6B, and Qwen 3.5 cleanup models.
Use cases
Everyday voice dictation
Dictate text into documents, chats, or forms from any app without switching to a separate editor. The control-key push-to-talk workflow is built for quick insertion into an active text field.
Meeting notes and transcripts
Capture a call, then review notes, transcripts, and AI-generated summaries stored locally as Markdown. This fits users who want a written record without depending on cloud transcription services.
Speech cleanup before publishing
Use the cleanup models to remove filler words and self-corrections before pasting speech into a document or message. That makes the app useful for drafting cleaner first-pass text from spoken input.
Model-aware workflows
Choose different speech models based on speed, accuracy, language coverage, and machine constraints. The listed options range from smaller English-only models to larger multilingual models.
Privacy-focused local transcription
Work in environments where local processing and no account sign-in are preferred, such as privacy-sensitive personal machines or offline-friendly setups. The product emphasizes that data stays on the Mac.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Runs entirely on-device, with the site stating that nothing is uploaded, tracked, or stored in the cloud.
- Supports dictation into any text field by holding Control to talk and releasing to paste.
- Can produce meeting notes, transcripts, and AI-generated summaries saved as local Markdown.
- Includes a privacy audit table on the page that documents local-only handling for speech-to-text, cleanup, transcription, storage, and analytics.
- Works without an account and is distributed as a Mac DMG for Apple Silicon Macs.
Cons
- The page only confirms support for macOS 14.0+ on Apple Silicon, so it is not positioned as a cross-platform tool.
- The app relies on local model downloads, which can require substantial disk space depending on the selected speech and cleanup models.
- The source does not describe pricing, limits, or team features beyond a local desktop workflow.
FAQ
How do I get started with Ghost Pepper?
It runs locally on macOS and is designed to work without an account. The source says you download the DMG, open it, drag the app to Applications, and grant Microphone and Accessibility permissions when prompted.
Does Ghost Pepper send audio or transcripts to the cloud?
The product states that speech-to-text and meeting transcription are handled by local models on your Mac, and that nothing is uploaded, tracked, or stored in the cloud.
What does Ghost Pepper save from a meeting transcription?
The source says meeting transcription can save notes, transcripts, and AI-generated summaries as local Markdown files on disk.
What devices and macOS versions does Ghost Pepper support?
The page presents Ghost Pepper as a Mac app for macOS 14.0+ on Apple Silicon (M1+) and notes that some models, such as Qwen3-ASR 0.6B, require macOS 15+.
Is Ghost Pepper designed for team collaboration?
The page shows a single-user desktop workflow. It does not provide information about shared team accounts, centralized admin features, or collaboration features.
Quick Facts
- Category
- AI productivity
- Platform
- macOS 14.0+ on Apple Silicon (M1+)
- Workflow
- Hold Control to dictate and paste into text fields
- Output
- Local Markdown notes, transcripts, and summaries
- Privacy model
- 100% local inference; no cloud storage
- License
- MIT License
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