VivaDictaVivaDicta

Quick Start Guide

Install VivaDicta, grant permissions, and make your first recording.

1. Download & Install

  1. Download VivaDicta.
  2. Open the DMG and drag VivaDicta to your Applications folder.
  3. Launch VivaDicta — it will appear in your menu bar with a microphone icon.

2. Grant Permissions

On first launch, macOS will ask for several permissions. VivaDicta needs these to work properly:

  • Microphone — to record your voice.
  • Accessibility — to register the global keyboard shortcut and paste text at your cursor.
  • Screen Recording (optional) — to capture screen content for AI context injection.

See the Permissions Setup guide for step-by-step instructions.

3. Your First Recording

  1. Press the global shortcut — by default it's the right ⌘ Command key (configurable in settings) — or click the menu bar icon.
  2. The mini recorder appears — start speaking.
  3. Press the shortcut again (or click the stop button) to finish recording.
  4. VivaDicta transcribes your speech and pastes the text at your cursor automatically.

4. Choose a Transcription Model

VivaDicta supports both local and cloud transcription:

  • Local models (Whisper, Parakeet, Apple Speech) — free, private, no internet needed. Best for Apple Silicon Macs.
  • Cloud models (Groq, Deepgram, ElevenLabs, etc.) — fast and accurate. Many have generous free tiers.

We recommend starting with Groq — it's free forever and incredibly fast. See Recommended Models for more options.

5. Enable AI Processing (Optional)

VivaDicta can polish your transcriptions using AI — fix grammar, punctuate, reformat, summarize, translate, and more.

  1. Enable AI Processing in your Viva Mode settings.
  2. Choose an AI provider — you can sign in with your existing subscription (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude) or use a free provider like Groq.
  3. Pick a preset (Regular, Professional, Email, Coding, etc.) or create your own.

Next Steps

Permissions Setup →