ParrotDownload
Parrot is a free, local-first voice dictation app for Apple Silicon Macs. No account, no subscription, no servers — requires Apple Silicon (M1 and later).
Apple Silicon (M1 and later) · .dmg · macOS 11+ · Free for life
In the box
Global hotkey
Press fn to start recording from any app. Release the hotkey and your words paste at the cursor.
Fast, private transcription
Speech turns into text on your Mac — snappy enough for daily work, with nothing uploaded.
Custom vocabulary
Teach Parrot your jargon, names, and abbreviations once — it gets them right every time after that.
Optional AI cleanup
On-device cleanup removes filler words, fixes grammar, and matches your writing style.
Local history
Every dictation is saved on your Mac. Search, copy, re-paste — all offline.
Native menu bar app
Light native app. Low memory, no Electron bloat.
Setup
Hit the download button above. The .dmg is signed for Apple Silicon (M1 and later).
Open the .dmg and drag the Parrot icon into your Applications folder. Eject the disk image when you're done.
On first launch, macOS will ask for Microphone (to record) and Accessibility (to paste at the cursor). Both are required.
Pick the speed and accuracy balance you want. Parrot downloads what it needs once — then everything runs offline.
Anywhere, in any app. Release the hotkey and your transcription pastes at the cursor.
Apple Silicon
M1, M2, M3, or M4
macOS 11+
Big Sur or later
~5 GB free
For models & cache
Common questions
Yes — Free for life. No account, no trial, no card. Unlimited local dictation on your Mac.
Not currently. Parrot requires Apple Silicon (M1 and later) for the on-device performance that makes dictation feel instant.
No. Parrot runs entirely on your Mac — transcription, cleanup, and history all stay on-device. Nothing is sent to any server.
The .dmg is signed and notarized, but on first launch macOS still asks for Microphone and Accessibility permissions. You can revoke either anytime in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
Drag Parrot from Applications to the Trash. Models and history live in ~/Library/Application Support/com.kash.parrot — delete that folder to remove everything.