Settings reference
Applies to WhisprDesk 1.7.3 · Updated 2026-10-25
This page lists every setting in WhisprDesk 1.7.3, what it does, and its default. Settings are stored on your Mac, and API keys are encrypted with macOS secure storage. There are nine sections: Preferences, Hotkeys, Transcription, Intelligence, Agent Mode, Privacy & Data, System, License, and Legal.
Open Settings
Where: WhisprDesk > Settings
- Open the WhisprDesk app: click its icon in the Dock (or open it from your Applications folder).
- Click Settings at the bottom of the sidebar on the left.
- Click a section name, such as Transcription or Privacy & Data, to open it.
Transcription models (Whisper, NVIDIA Parakeet, and cloud providers) are set up in Settings > Transcription. AI text cleanup models are set up in Settings > Intelligence.
Preferences
Where: WhisprDesk > Settings > Preferences
| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Theme | Light, Dark, or Auto (match your Mac) | Auto |
| Dictation sounds | Plays a tone when recording starts and stops | On |
| Pause media | Pauses music when you start dictating and resumes it after | Off |
| Keep transcription in clipboard | Leaves the dictated text on the clipboard after pasting. When off, your previous clipboard contents are restored. | Off |
| Auto-hide when idle | Hides the floating dictation icon until you start dictating | Off |
| Start position | Where the recording panel appears: Bottom Right, Bottom Center, or Bottom Left | Bottom Right |
| Interface language | Language of the app: English, Español, Français, Deutsch, Português, Italiano, Русский, 日本語, 简体中文, 繁體中文 | Your Mac's language if listed, otherwise English |
| Transcription language | The language you speak. Auto-detect lets the engine decide. | Auto-detect |
| Launch at login | Starts WhisprDesk when you log in | Off |
| Start minimized | Starts without opening the main window | Off |
| Prefer Built-in Microphone | Uses your Mac's built-in mic. Turn off to pick a specific input device. | On |
| Auto-learn from corrections | When you fix a dictated word in the app you pasted into, the corrected word is added to your Dictionary. Runs on your Mac using the Accessibility permission. | On |
Hotkeys
Where: WhisprDesk > Settings > Hotkeys
| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Dictation Hotkey | The key that starts and stops dictation. Click the field and press a new key. Reset to Globe/Fn restores the default. | Globe (fn) |
| Activation Mode | Tap: press once to start, again to stop. Hold: hold while speaking, release to stop. | Tap |
Transcription
Where: WhisprDesk > Settings > Transcription
Chooses how your voice becomes text. The banner at the top shows the active model. Details: Choosing a transcription engine.
| Setting | Default |
|---|---|
| Cloud or Local | Cloud |
| Cloud provider and model | OpenAI, GPT-4o Mini Transcribe |
| Local engine | OpenAI Whisper (Base). Must be downloaded first. |
Intelligence
Where: WhisprDesk > Settings > Intelligence
| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Enable text cleanup | Sends the transcribed text to an AI model to tidy it before pasting. The model picker appears when on. | Off |
| Voice Agent name | Say "Hey" plus this name during dictation to give the AI an instruction. Only works with text cleanup on. | WhisprDesk |
| Prompt Studio | View, customize, and test the cleanup instructions | Built-in prompt |
Details: AI cleanup.
Agent Mode
Where: WhisprDesk > Settings > Agent Mode
A separate voice chat window that answers your questions. It is not dictation.
| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Agent Mode | Turns on the agent chat window and its hotkey | Off |
| Agent Hotkey | Opens the agent window. Cannot be the same as the dictation hotkey. | None set |
| Agent Model | AI model for conversations. A cloud model receives what you say. | Groq, GPT-OSS 120B |
| System Prompt | Your own instructions for the agent | Empty |
Privacy & Data
Where: WhisprDesk > Settings > Privacy & Data
| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Retention | Keeps recordings on your Mac for 7, 14, 30, 60, or 90 days so they can be re-transcribed | Disabled |
| Storage Usage | Shows how many recordings are stored and their size, with Show in Finder (when retention is on) and Clear All Audio | |
| Data Retention | Saves your dictations to History. When off, dictations are pasted but not saved. Notes and uploaded-file transcripts are still saved in Notes. | On |
Details: Audio and history.
Permissions lets you test Microphone, Accessibility, and System Audio (optional; this is the macOS Screen Recording permission, needed only for recording inside a note).
Reset accessibility permissions opens System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility. It does not remove anything by itself: remove WhisprDesk from the list there, then add it again.
System
Where: WhisprDesk > Settings > System
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Check for Updates | Checks GitHub for a new version. The app also checks automatically shortly after launch and every 4 hours. Downloading and installing only happen when you click. |
| Debug Logging | Writes detailed logs to your Mac for troubleshooting. Off by default. See Troubleshooting. |
| Model cache: Open | Opens the models folder in Finder |
| Model cache: Clear Cache | Deletes all downloaded models: Whisper, Parakeet, and local AI cleanup models |
| Reset app data | Permanently deletes everything WhisprDesk stores on this Mac: settings, history, notes, recordings, models, and cached data. Your license stays activated. The app reloads afterwards. |
License
Where: WhisprDesk > Settings > License
Shows your license status, customer email, masked license key, when it was last validated, and the days left in a trial. Your devices lists the Macs using your license (up to 2), each with Deactivate. When no license is active, you can enter a key or import a license file. License checks contact our licensing service, Keygen. See Activate your license and License file.
Legal
Where: WhisprDesk > Settings > Legal
The documents you accepted at first launch, each with its effective date. View opens it in the app; Open in browser opens the live page on whisprdesk.com.
Outside Settings
Dictionary (Where: WhisprDesk > Dictionary): words and names you add to improve recognition. To add one:
- Open the WhisprDesk app: click its icon in the Dock (or open it from your Applications folder).
- Click Dictionary in the sidebar.
- Type a word or phrase in the box and click Add word.
- To remove a word, click the remove button next to it. Clear all removes every word.
In cloud mode, your Dictionary words are sent to your provider along with your audio. The Dictionary helps Whisper (local) and cloud models. NVIDIA Parakeet does not use it.
Integrations (Where: WhisprDesk > Integrations > External App Gateway): the local API for other apps on your Mac. See Local API.
Which settings use the internet
Only these ever contact a server:
- Cloud transcription, cloud AI cleanup, and cloud Agent Mode: your chosen provider, using your key.
- Model downloads: Hugging Face or GitHub, only when you download.
- Update checks: GitHub.
- License activation and validation: Keygen.
Everything else works entirely on your Mac.