FAQs that are ready for people and assistants.

Create your first dictation

Hold the activation hotkey, speak naturally, then release. VoxChimp transcribes locally and pastes the result wherever your cursor is active.

What permissions does VoxChimp need?

VoxChimp needs a few macOS permissions to work from anywhere:

• Microphone access to hear your dictation.
• Accessibility access to paste text at the active cursor.
• Input Monitoring to detect your activation hotkey.

What macOS versions are supported?

VoxChimp requires macOS 13 Ventura or later. It runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.

Which apps does VoxChimp work with?

VoxChimp works system-wide with apps that accept text input. That includes Slack, Gmail, VS Code, Notion, iMessage, Pages, browser text fields, and most other places where your Mac cursor can type.

Does VoxChimp work offline?

Transcription and translation run on local models, so core dictation does not need an internet connection. Agent Mode needs a connection when it talks to a cloud provider, but can also be configured with local model providers for offline-style workflows.

What is Agent Mode in VoxChimp?

Agent Mode in VoxChimp lets you speak an instruction while selected text or clipboard content is passed to your chosen assistant profile. It is built for fast, repeatable workflows like rewriting an email, summarising notes, or turning rough ideas into structured output.

How is Agent Mode different from dictation?

Dictation captures what you say and pastes text at your cursor. Agent Mode captures an instruction, combines it with selected text or clipboard content, and asks a configured AI provider to transform it before you paste the result.

What are chimps?

Chimps are configurable profiles for formatting or transforming text. A chimp can be tuned for email, Slack, code comments, clean transcription, translation, or another repeatable writing job.

Which AI providers can power Agent Mode?

Agent Mode can use configured cloud providers such as Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Grok, or GitHub Copilot, and local model providers such as LM Studio or Ollama. The right option depends on whether you prioritise speed, privacy, cost, or model quality.

How does VoxChimp use the clipboard?

Dictation pastes the transcribed text where your cursor is. In Agent Mode, VoxChimp can use selected text or clipboard text as input, then replace the clipboard with the transformed result so you can paste it where you need it.

Use Agent Mode with clipboard text

Copy or select the text you want to transform, hold the Agent Mode shortcut, speak the instruction, and let the configured chimp produce the result.

Can Agent Mode use web search?

Yes. Search-backed chimps can use a configured search provider such as SearXNG, Brave, Tavily, SerpAPI, or Serper for current facts, rates, news, or other live information before generating an answer.

Can VoxChimp translate as I dictate?

Yes. VoxChimp can translate dictated text locally, including workflows where you speak in English and output text in another language.

Connect OpenAI

Add your OpenAI API key in VoxChimp Settings under Providers. Credentials are stored locally and used only when an assistant action is triggered.

• Open Settings, then Providers.
• Paste your OpenAI API key into the OpenAI field.
• Test the connection.
• Pick a default model for Agent Mode.

Connect Anthropic Claude

Open Settings, choose Providers, paste your Anthropic API key, test the connection, and choose the Claude model you want your chimps to use.

Set up LM Studio for Agent Mode

Start the LM Studio local server, copy its base URL, and add it to VoxChimp as a local provider. Choose a model with enough context for the transformations you expect to run.

Set up Ollama for Agent Mode

Install Ollama, pull a supported chat model, confirm the local server is running, then point VoxChimp to the Ollama endpoint in Providers.

Set up SearXNG for search-backed chimps

Configure a SearXNG endpoint when you want search-backed chimps to retrieve current web results without depending on a browser tab.

Choose the right model

Use smaller local models for short formatting tasks and faster responses. Use stronger cloud or local models for longer rewrites, reasoning-heavy edits, summarisation, or multi-step Agent Mode workflows.

Does my audio leave my Mac?

No. VoxChimp dictation and transcription run on-device. Agent Mode sends text only after you explicitly ask a provider-backed chimp to process it. The Markdown help content on this page is public website copy and never includes licence keys, emails, or personal audio.

Can I find previous transcriptions?

VoxChimp includes a History view for reviewing and searching recent transcriptions, with details such as when the transcription happened, how many words it contained, and where it was pasted.

What are Insights and Voice Health?

Insights summarise usage patterns such as transcription volume and productivity trends. Voice Health is informational and based on vocal pattern analysis over time; it is not medical advice and should not replace professional care.

Is there a free trial?

Yes. VoxChimp offers a free trial with full access, then a Pro plan for continued use. See the pricing page for current rates.