Native macOS · Universal voice · Local-first

    Pressay

    Hold, speak, release — to write from any application.

    Pressay 2 turns speech into text locally across macOS applications, without an account or Internet connection. The public beta introduces Signal OS, three signed local models and remote routes that always remain explicit.

    Download for macOSOfficial siteSource code
    Role
    Solo product design, art direction, macOS UX and Tauri/Rust/React development
    Period
    2026 public beta
    Status
    Public beta 2.0.0-beta.3 · download available
    Pressay — interface principale

    Public version 2.0.0-beta.3

    Install Pressay

    macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon

    Local dictation needs no account, history is off by default and optional BYOK credentials stay in Keychain.

    The download and local dictation are free. Optional BYOK routes may be billed by the selected provider.

    ReleasesPrivacy
    1. 1Download Pressay.dmg from this page.
    2. 2Open the DMG and drag Pressay into Applications.
    3. 3Launch Pressay, then grant Microphone and Accessibility.
    4. 4Choose a local model, then hold your shortcut, speak and release.

    Verifiable evidence

    arm64

    native binary

    Apple Silicon Macs

    macOS 14+

    compatibility

    Sonoma or later

    3

    local presets

    Fast, Polyglot and Precise

    316

    Rust tests

    Backend suite validated

    How to read the numbers : The CTA points to the Apple Silicon 2.0.0-beta.3 DMG signed with Developer ID, notarized and stapled by Apple, and published with its checksum.

    Context and role

    The core gesture stays immediate: hold your configurable shortcut, speak, then release to write at the current cursor.

    The interaction lives in the menu bar and a discreet Voice Bar; the main window configures models, modes and privacy rules.

    The vision extends beyond dictation to selection transformations and controlled actions without sacrificing local-first operation.

    Retained constraints

    • Run offline on Apple Silicon Macs using macOS 14 or later.
    • Never require an account, payment or remote provider for local dictation.
    • Store BYOK credentials in Keychain and keep local history off by default.
    • Show the processing route and prohibit silent Cloud fallback.
    • Ship a signed, notarized, stapled DMG with a verifiable checksum.

    Decisions and rejected options

    DECISION 01

    A free local core

    Dictation must remain available during any network, account or billing outage.

    Choice
    Fast, Polyglot and Precise transcribe on the Mac without an account or quota.
    Rejected
    A mandatory Cloud pipeline or a paywall before the first successful dictation.
    Trade-off
    First launch downloads a model and must explain disk space, speed and accuracy clearly.
    DECISION 02

    Explicitly routed transformations

    Rewriting or translating requires more than the local speech-to-text model.

    Choice
    Every mode names its route: local rules, Apple Intelligence, BYOK or Pressay Cloud.
    Rejected
    Silently switching to a remote provider when the local route is unavailable.
    Trade-off
    Advanced features stay unavailable until a compatible route is configured.
    DECISION 03

    Separate distribution channels

    Direct distribution and the Mac App Store do not allow the same payment and insertion mechanisms.

    Choice
    The direct DMG uses Developer ID; a separate sandboxed build is prepared for StoreKit.
    Rejected
    An ad hoc binary that requires bypassing Gatekeeper.
    Trade-off
    Each channel has its own test matrix and the Store build stays unavailable until TestFlight.

    Journey architecture

    1. 01

      Local capture

      Global shortcut, microphone, resampling and voice activity detection without upload.

    2. 02

      Signed catalogue

      Versioned presets with SHA-256 verification, resume and download fallback.

    3. 03

      Local transcription

      Parakeet and Whisper run on Apple Silicon with Metal acceleration.

    4. 04

      Explicit transformation

      The selected mode and route are visible before Apple Intelligence, BYOK or Cloud runs.

    5. 05

      Safe insertion

      Pastes into the target app, restores the clipboard and offers Copy as recovery.

    Quality and verification

    • Signed model catalogue with artifacts pinned by revision, size and SHA-256.
    • Rust, TypeScript and Playwright tests run in CI before publication.
    • The final DMG is notarized and stapled, not only the application inside it.
    • The GitHub asset is downloaded again and revalidated with codesign, stapler, Gatekeeper and its checksum.
    • Redacted release logs contain no dictation, API key, response, clipboard value or audio.
    Pressay — vue produit

    What is actually delivered

    • Free local dictation triggered by hold/release or toggle.
    • Three local presets—Fast, Polyglot and Precise—with verified downloads.
    • Minimal and Live Voice Bars plus a menu panel synchronized with the pipeline.
    • Built-in and custom modes, a dictionary and per-application profiles.
    • Optional encrypted local history with configurable retention.
    • BYOK credentials held in Keychain with explicit provider validation.
    • Cross-app insertion that restores the clipboard and offers Copy as recovery.
    • A reproducible release chain producing a verifiable DMG and checksum.

    Known limits

    • This free beta does not sell Pressay Pro yet: accounts, Cloud, sync and payments remain closed.
    • Microphone and Accessibility must be granted in System Settings.
    • The full native matrix across multiple Macs and all target applications is still in progress.
    • The Mac App Store edition still requires StoreKit, TestFlight and encryption compliance.
    • The app is independent and is neither published nor endorsed by OpenAI.

    Next step

    • Complete the native dictation, insertion, sound and Voice Bar matrix on reference Macs.
    • Isolate and validate production Cloud, Google, Apple and E2EE sync.
    • Open Stripe and then StoreKit only after entitlements and refund journeys pass.

    Technical foundation

    • Swift 6
    • SwiftUI
    • AppKit
    • AVFoundation
    • CryptoKit
    • Sparkle 2.9.2
    • OpenAI API
    • GitHub Actions