Dictation in the app you're using
Use HoldType in Codex, Claude, ChatGPT, email and notes with the same shortcut.
Blazing-fast dictation. Built for Mac.
Translation and Quick Fixes, right where you work.
Your OpenAI key. No subscription or sign-up.
Free app · OpenAI API usage billed separately · macOS 14+
The app
$0
OpenAI requests billed separately
Dictate. Translate. Fix.
The same shortcuts and settings across your Mac. Dictation works in most apps that accept text.
Quick Fixes for existing text
Select text and shorten, translate or reformat it in place. Save recurring edits as your own commands.
Translation on its own shortcut
Dictate a reply in a familiar language. A separate shortcut translates it into the language selected in Settings.
Product features
The app interface is currently in English.
Quick Fixes
Shorten it. Translate it. Make it a list.
Select text and choose an action in Quick Fixes. In supported fields, the result replaces the selection right in the app.
Save recurring edits as your own commands, such as shortening text or formatting it as Markdown.
Language and vocabulary
Speak one language. Write another.
Choose a target language in Settings and hold Right Command + Right Option. HoldType transcribes your speech, translates the text and inserts the result.
Add names, project names and technical terms to Local Dictionary. It gives recognition a hint about how to spell them.
Recovery and control
Insert the last result again.
With Last Result saving enabled, insert the text again with Control + Command + V. Your macOS clipboard contents stay intact.
History keeps recent transcripts on this Mac. Open it from the menu bar.
The same shortcut across your Mac.
-
⌘
Hold
Hold Right Command where you can type
-
Speak
Dictate the text you need
-
Release
Release Command
-
Inserted
The transcript appears at the cursor
Native by design. Under your control.
Your OpenAI key
Pay for requests directly through OpenAI Platform. HoldType has no subscription.
gpt-transcribe recognition
An OpenAI model for transcribing speech in multiple languages. The dictionary provides spelling hints for names and technical terms.
Extra correction is optional
After transcription, HoldType can correct errors with a separate OpenAI request. This option is off by default.
Directly to OpenAI
Mac → OpenAI → text in your app.
Stored on your Mac
Settings, dictionary and history stay local. Keeping ordinary audio recordings is off by default and can be enabled separately.
Data processing and storage
Audio goes directly to OpenAI.
HoldType sends recordings from your Mac to OpenAI for transcription using your API key. HoldType has no server of its own for processing speech. The app has no analytics or cloud sync.
- Microphone
- HoldType
- OpenAI transcription
- Active app
Stored on your Mac
- The API key is stored in macOS Keychain.
- Mac → OpenAI → text in your app.
- Correction, translation and Quick Fixes send text to OpenAI when those features are used.
- Audio kept for recovery after a failure or interruption may remain on your Mac, including after restarting the app.
- Settings, dictionary and history stay local. Keeping ordinary audio recordings is off by default and can be enabled separately.
Free app. Requests billed by OpenAI.
Usage is charged to the OpenAI Platform balance connected through your API key. Cost depends on the model and how much you use it.
100 dictations: about $0.08 in this example.
If 100 dictations total 17 minutes of speech, transcription costs about $0.08 at the default model's rate of $0.0045 per minute. Repeat that daily for 30 days: about $2.30. Correction, translation and Quick Fixes cost extra.
Billing estimates transcription, correction, translation and Fixes costs on this Mac. Estimates may be incomplete for models with unknown rates. Actual charges and your balance are available in OpenAI Platform.
OpenAI API pricing
Why I built HoldType
One tool I can use across my Mac.
I wanted the same dictation shortcut in the apps I work in, with translation and text edits close at hand.
With HoldType, I can dictate, translate and run Quick Fixes where I'm already working. Extra correction stays optional.
I wrote HoldType in Swift. The app is free, uses my API key, and I pay OpenAI directly for requests.
Get started
From download to first dictation.
- Download the latest disk image from GitHub Releases.
- Drag HoldType into Applications and launch it.
- Grant microphone, global-shortcut, and insertion permissions.
- Add your OpenAI Platform API key in Settings.
Install with Homebrew
Homebrew installs the same version available from the download link.
brew tap holdtype/tap
brew trust holdtype/tap
brew install --cask holdtype
open -a HoldTypeConnect OpenAI
Create an API key, then add it in Settings.
An API key connects HoldType to your OpenAI Platform account. Create it on the OpenAI website and save it in the app's settings. A ChatGPT subscription does not include API usage.
- Sign in to OpenAI Platform and open the API key page.
- Create a secret key and copy it when OpenAI shows it.
- In HoldType, open Settings → OpenAI, paste the key, and save.
OpenAI shows the full key only when it is created. Keep it private and paste it only into HoldType, which stores it locally in macOS Keychain. API billing is separate from ChatGPT, and a new OpenAI Platform account may require prepaid credit.
The iPhone version
HoldType for iPhone is in development.
The app and HoldType Keyboard can already be built from source in Xcode. They are not yet published in the App Store.
Frequently asked questions
Why is an OpenAI API key required?
HoldType sends transcription requests through your own OpenAI Platform account. The key is stored locally in macOS Keychain. If API keys are new to you, follow the three-step guide above.
Is ChatGPT Plus enough?
No. ChatGPT subscriptions and OpenAI Platform API billing are separate. HoldType needs an API key with OpenAI Platform billing configured.
What does dictation cost?
The HoldType app is free. Requests are charged to your OpenAI Platform balance; you may need to add credit before getting started. Billing shows a local cost estimate, not your complete account bill.
What data is sent to OpenAI?
Audio is sent for transcription. Correction, translation and Quick Fixes send text and instructions to OpenAI. If nearby-cursor context is enabled, a short excerpt from around the cursor is added to the transcription request.
Is audio stored?
Keeping ordinary completed recordings is off by default. Audio for recovery after a failure or interruption may remain locally after restarting the app. Additional recording storage can be enabled in Settings; it is also local.
Which Mac apps work?
HoldType inserts text into most Mac apps through macOS Accessibility. With Last Result saving enabled, you can insert the result again if the first insertion fails.
Which languages are supported?
Transcription can use automatic or fixed source-language settings. Translation uses the target language you configure in HoldType.
Why does HoldType need macOS permissions?
Microphone access records speech, Input Monitoring supports the global shortcut, and Accessibility enables text insertion into the active app.
Is HoldType open source?
HoldType is source-available under FSL 1.1 with an MIT future license. Each released version converts to MIT two years after release.
Bring HoldType to your Mac.
Free app · OpenAI requests billed separately · macOS 14+