Private voice dictation for Mac
Updated 12 October 2026
Private voice dictation means your speech is turned into text on your own Mac and nothing is kept elsewhere. Kords works that way by default: on-device dictation sends no audio anywhere. Cloud mode is optional, and it processes your audio on a server and then discards it.
What “private” should mean for a dictation app
Dictation hears everything you say while it is on, so it deserves harder questions than most apps. Before you trust one, find out:
- Does my audio leave my Mac? If it does, when, and only if I choose?
- Which companies process it, and where are they based?
- Is my audio or the text kept anywhere, and for how long?
- Does it take screenshots, read my screen or log keystrokes?
- Does it still work with no internet?
- What permissions does it ask for, and why?
What Kords sends, and when
Kords has two ways to turn speech into text. On-device is the default and runs on your Mac. Cloud is optional and trades some privacy for higher accuracy. Here is what happens to each kind of data:
| On-device (default) | Cloud (optional) | |
|---|---|---|
| Your audio | Stays on your Mac | Sent to our server and transcription provider, processed, then discarded |
| Transcripts | Stay on your Mac | Returned to your Mac. Never stored by us |
| Text for Voices and translation | Stays on your Mac | Sent to our server and AI provider, tidied or translated, then discarded |
| Screenshots | Never taken | Never taken |
| Keystrokes | Never logged | Never logged |
| Anonymous counts and crash reports | Off unless you opt in | Off unless you opt in |
Cloud mode and Voices stay off until you switch them on in Settings. Signing in does not switch them on.
What Kords never does
- Take screenshots or record your screen.
- Log your keystrokes.
- Read window titles or the contents of your documents.
- Keep your audio or the words you dictate on our servers.
- Sell your data or show you ads.
What you keep control of
- Your dictation history, dictionary and voices live on your Mac. You choose how long history is kept and can clear it at any time.
- Anonymous usage counts and crash reports are off unless you turn them on, and they never include what you said.
- If you sign in, we keep your email, your plan and counts of seconds and words used to apply your allowance. No audio and no words.
The permissions Kords asks for, and why
| Permission | Why Kords needs it |
|---|---|
| Microphone | To hear you while you hold your shortcut. |
| Speech Recognition | To turn your speech into text on your Mac. |
| Accessibility | To listen for your shortcut in any app and to put the text at your cursor. |
The full detail is in the privacy policy.
Questions people ask
Does Kords send my audio to the cloud?
Not unless you switch Cloud mode on in Settings. In the default on-device mode your audio is processed on your Mac and nothing is sent.
Does Kords store my dictations?
Your history is saved on your Mac only, and you choose how long it is kept. We do not keep your audio or the words you dictate on our servers.
Who processes my audio in Cloud mode?
Our server is in the EU (Ireland). Audio is transcribed by Groq, with OpenAI as a fallback. It is processed and then discarded. Some of these providers are based in the United States.
Does Kords work without the internet?
Yes, in on-device mode. Cloud mode, Voices and server translation need a connection.