Boca LibreDownload freeFor Mac

Made for macOS

Your voice.
Your Mac.
Your words.

Hold Right Option, speak, and release. It is ready by default, and Boca Libre types wherever your cursor is—with a free Apple on-device mode that keeps your dictation on your Mac.

Download free for macOS
Download on your MacOpen bocalibre.app on your Mac to install Boca Libre.
See how privacy works

Works on macOS 15+ · Best local experience on macOS 26

New note

Wherever you can type

ListeningApple On-Device
Free to useNo accountApple on-device modeSigned & notarized

First-time setup

Download to dictation
in about two minutes.

Boca Libre is ready to use with free Apple on-device dictation after this setup. Adding an OpenAI API key is optional, and explained in the following section.

  1. Boca Libre
    Boca Libre
    AApplications
    1

    Move it to Applications

    Open the downloaded file, drag Boca Libre onto Applications, then open it from your Applications folder.

  2. Allow Boca LibreThese stay under your control.
    Microphone
    Speech Recognition
    Accessibility
    2

    Allow access once

    Follow the prompts for Microphone, Speech Recognition, and Accessibility. Boca Libre cannot hear or type until these are allowed.

  3. ●  Finder◔⌁⌕
    Look here
    Boca Libre

    Ready to dictate

    Boca Libre Settings…
    3

    Look in the upper-right

    Boca Libre has no Dock icon or main window. Click its speech-wave icon in the Mac menu bar to open Settings and confirm it is ready.

You are now ready to dictate with Apple On-Device. Boca Libre lives quietly in the menu bar at the upper-right. OpenAI cloud transcription is optional and comes next.

Which mode fits your Mac?

Choose the best mode for your Mac.

Apple On-Device is free and private. OpenAI cloud transcription is entirely optional—add your own API key only if you want its stronger speech-to-text.

If you have macOS 26

Apple On-Device

Decent transcription for everyday use. Audio stays on your Mac, there is no API key, and there is no usage charge.

Quality
Good
Privacy
Excellent

Optional cloud mode

OpenAI Transcribe

Excellent speech-to-text on any supported Mac. Audio is processed by OpenAI using your account and is subject to OpenAI's API data policy.

Quality
Excellent
Processing
Cloud

Optional: set up OpenAI

Add a key only if you want cloud transcription.

An API key is a private password for your OpenAI API account. It usually starts like this:

sk-proj-••••••••••••••••
  1. 1
    Create or sign in to an OpenAI API account

    Use the official OpenAI API site—a ChatGPT subscription alone does not include API usage.

    Open the OpenAI API site
  2. 2
    Create and copy a secret key

    Open API keys, choose Create new secret key, and copy it when it appears.

    Create an API key
  3. 3
    Paste it into Boca Libre

    Menu bar icon → Settings → Dictation → GPT Live Transcribe → OpenAI API key. Choose Check & save key.

Your API key is stored in macOS Keychain. OpenAI mode may incur API charges.

Private by design

Your words do not become our data.

Boca Libre has no account system, transcript history, advertising profile, or transcription server. In Apple On-Device mode, audio is processed on your Mac and discarded after the active dictation.

Read the plain-language privacy policy
Audio recordingsNot stored
Transcript historyNone
Account or loginNot required
Apple mode network fallbackRefused
Optional usage insightsYou choose

Product updates

What changed lately.

Short, practical improvements to make everyday dictation feel more dependable.

Latest0.3.12

Corrections that finish learning.

  • Waits for the complete edit before learning a correction, rather than saving an unfinished fragment.
  • Keeps the learning prompt slim, expands it smoothly to the right, and gives you 15 seconds to decide.
0.3.11

Quieter browser dictation.

Prevented the macOS alert sound that some browser text fields played when a dictation ended.

0.3.10

More reliable wherever you type.

Improved browser insertion, context-aware formatting, Keychain behavior, model switching, and optional retake cleanup.

0.3.9

Updates you can see.

The capsule now shows a clear download control when a verified Boca Libre update is ready.

View full release history

Good to know

Simple answers.

Is Boca Libre really free?

Yes. Apple On-Device mode is free to use and requires no Boca Libre account. The optional OpenAI mode uses your own API account and may incur OpenAI charges.

Does Boca Libre save what I say?

No transcript or audio history is created. Audio and transcript state exist only for the active dictation and are released after insertion or cancellation.

Why does it need Accessibility permission?

macOS requires Accessibility access for Boca Libre to detect the Right Option shortcut and type the result into the field where your cursor started.

Is it in the Mac App Store?

Not currently. Cross-app typing relies on macOS Accessibility features that do not fit the Mac App Store sandbox. Boca Libre is distributed directly, Developer ID signed, and notarized by Apple.

Speak freely

Try private voice typing
on your Mac.

Free. No account. Your words stay yours.

Download Boca Libre
Come back on your MacOpen bocalibre.app there to download the free Mac app.
Version 0.3.12 · macOS 15 or newer