Hello Transcribe

Hello Transcribe is a native iOS, iPadOS and macOS app from independent developer Ben Nortier that puts a full Whisper speech-to-text pipeline directly on your device. Instead of uploading recordings to a cloud API, the app runs the model locally with whisper.cpp, which means your voice notes, meetings and media files never leave the machine and transcription still works when you have no connection. It accepts many audio formats as well as common video formats, and can also transcribe the live microphone feed so you can dictate notes or capture a meeting in real time.

The free tier covers everyday transcription, while a single PRO purchase unlocks the workflow features heavy users ask for: presets for managing different configurations, VTT and SRT export so transcripts double as subtitles for videos or podcasts, and the ability to save or export the original audio for re-transcription later. Results can be stored encrypted in iCloud, and the app supports many input languages with translation into English.

A 4.3-star rating across roughly 39 App Store reviews suggests a well-liked, actively maintained utility. Reviewers highlight the convenience of on-the-go voice-to-text and note that very long files are processed in chunks, which can affect formatting on hour-long recordings — a reasonable trade-off for a tool that keeps everything offline and private.