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Download & Install

  1. Download the latest .dmg from GitHub Releases
  2. Open the DMG and drag Handless to your Applications folder
  3. Launch Handless from Applications

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Grant Permissions

Handless needs two macOS permissions:
  • Microphone — to capture your voice
  • Accessibility — to paste transcribed text into other apps
You’ll be prompted on first launch. You can also grant these in System Settings → Privacy & Security.

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Your First Transcription

  1. Press Fn to start recording
  2. Speak naturally
  3. Press Fn again (or release if using hold mode)
  4. Text appears in whatever app is focused
By default, Handless uses a local Whisper model. No internet required — your audio never leaves your Mac.

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Try a Cloud Provider

For better accuracy or broader language support:
  1. Open Settings → Models tab
  2. Select a provider (e.g. OpenAI, Deepgram, Groq)
  3. Paste your API key and click Test Connection
  4. Select the provider from the main interface
See Providers for the full list and setup details.

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Add Post-Processing

Clean up transcriptions with an LLM:
  1. Open Settings → Post-Processing tab
  2. Enable post-processing and select a provider
  3. Choose a prompt level: Mild, Medium, or Aggressive
  4. Press Option + Shift + Space to transcribe with polish
See Polish for more details.

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Next Steps