Ghost Pepper
Local speech-to-text app for macOS with AI-powered transcription
AI Summary
Ghost Pepper is a macOS app for speech-to-text transcription that runs entirely locally on Apple Silicon. Users hold down the Control key, speak, and upon release automatically receive cleaned-up text inserted into any input field. All language models (WhisperKit) and LLM cleanup models run on the Mac without cloud connection.
✓ Pros
- + 100% local processing without internet connection or data sharing
- + Free and open source with multiple Whisper and cleanup models
- + Easy operation via hold-to-talk with Control key and automatic text insertion
✗ Cons
- − Only available for macOS with Apple Silicon (M1+)
- − Requires microphone and accessibility permissions for full functionality
Use Cases
- → Quick dictation of emails and messages without typing
- → Accessible text input for people with limited mobility
- → Productive writing of notes and documents through voice input
- → Privacy-compliant transcription of sensitive content without cloud upload
Who is it for?
Ideal for Mac users who are privacy-conscious and seeking fast voice input without cloud services.
Tags
What is Ghost Pepper?
Ghost Pepper is a macOS app that converts spoken language into text and inserts it directly into any active input field. The concept is straightforward: hold the Control key, speak, release. The transcribed and automatically cleaned-up text then appears at the cursor position. All processing runs locally on Apple Silicon Macs (M1 and later). Neither audio data nor transcripts leave the device.
For speech recognition, Ghost Pepper uses WhisperKit, Apple's optimized Whisper implementation for Neural Engine hardware. A downstream LLM model cleans up the transcribed text before output. Both run without an internet connection.
The project is open source and available free of charge.
Core features
- Hold-to-talk via the Control key: Recording runs only while the key is held down. No separate window, no manual confirmation.
- Automatic text insertion: The finished text lands directly in the current input field, whether that's a terminal, browser, or text editor.
- Local AI pipeline: WhisperKit for transcription and an LLM cleanup model run entirely on the Mac without any cloud connection.
- Multiple model options: Users can choose between different Whisper models and cleanup models, depending on the desired balance of speed and accuracy.
- Privacy by design: No account required, no API keys, no telemetry.
Who is Ghost Pepper for?
Ghost Pepper is aimed at Mac users with Apple Silicon hardware who want to use voice input without depending on cloud services such as the Whisper API, Google Speech, or similar. This includes developers working in sensitive environments where sending audio data externally is not permitted, as well as people who need to reduce typing for health reasons.
Installing Ghost Pepper requires granting microphone and accessibility permissions. The latter allow the app to insert text system-wide. Without this permission, automatic insertion does not work.
Intel Macs are not supported.
Context & alternatives
Ghost Pepper belongs to the category of local dictation tools for macOS. The most direct point of comparison is Apple's built-in dictation feature, which has also processed locally since macOS Ventura. Ghost Pepper differs through its LLM cleanup step, which corrects transcription errors after the fact, and through its open-source nature, which allows custom model adjustments.
Anyone who needs a cross-platform solution or Windows support will have to look elsewhere. Ghost Pepper is built exclusively for Apple Silicon and frames this constraint as a feature: the Neural Engine is what makes local inference fast enough to be practical.
