Frequently Asked Questions

SimplyTalk is a desktop dictation application for Windows 11 that converts your speech to typed text in real time. It runs 100% offline using a local AI model, so your voice data never leaves your computer. Hold a hotkey, speak, release, and your words appear wherever your cursor is.

Press and hold Ctrl+Shift to activate recording. Speak naturally at your normal pace. When you release the keys, SimplyTalk transcribes your speech using an on-device AI model and types the text wherever your cursor is. The entire process happens locally on your hardware.

SimplyTalk injects text system-wide, so it works with any application that accepts keyboard input. That includes email clients like Outlook and Gmail, messaging tools like Slack and Teams, document editors like Word and Google Docs, code editors like VS Code, and browsers.

No. SimplyTalk is 100% free - no subscriptions, no license keys. There are no monthly fees, no annual renewals, and no usage caps. Just download it and start dictating.

No. All speech recognition happens entirely on your computer. Once you have downloaded the installer, SimplyTalk works completely offline. There is no activation, no account, and no server check.

Never. Your audio is processed in memory on your device and discarded after transcription. No recordings, transcriptions, or usage data are ever sent to any server. SimplyTalk was designed from the ground up with privacy as a core requirement.

Yes. Because everything runs offline, SimplyTalk is suitable for legal, medical, financial, and other sensitive environments. No data leaves your machine, making it appropriate for workflows that involve privileged or regulated information.

Windows 11, approximately 200 MB of disk space, and a working microphone. No GPU is required; the AI model runs on your CPU. A discrete NVIDIA GPU improves performance with the higher-tier engines.

SimplyTalk is currently Windows 11 only. Mac support may be added in a future release.

Custom hotkey rebinding is coming in a future update. Currently, the default hotkey is Ctrl+Shift. You can modify the config.json file manually if needed.

Open Windows Settings, go to Apps, find SimplyTalk, and click Uninstall. No residual files are left behind.

Nothing. As of v1.6.0, SimplyTalk is 100% free - no subscriptions, no license keys, no trial periods, no usage caps. Every feature is free for everyone. Just download it, install, and start talking.

SimplyTalk is a passion project by Brian Galvan of PsyberEdge Strategies. As of v1.6.0 it is completely free for everyone. If you find it valuable and want to support continued development, you can optionally Buy Me a Coffee - but it is never required.

Nothing changes for you. You keep everything you have, and every feature continues to work exactly as before. If you have any questions, reach out to support@simplytalk.app.

No. License keys and activation were removed in v1.6.0. Download, install, and every feature is unlocked from the first launch. No account, no key, no activation step.

Make sure your target application has focus and your cursor is in a text field before releasing the hotkey. Some applications with elevated permissions may require running SimplyTalk as administrator.

Speak clearly at a normal pace. Make sure your microphone is positioned correctly and that background noise is minimal. Check the Audio tab in settings to verify the correct input device is selected.

The equalizer is enabled by default. Check the settings panel to make sure the overlay is toggled on. If it still does not appear, try restarting SimplyTalk from the system tray.