Local voice dictation for Apple Silicon Macs. Tap right Option to record, then tap it again to transcribe and paste into the focused app.
Audio is processed on your Mac. No account or API key is required.
After installation and model download, dictation works offline. The controller and inference runtime deny external networking; a constrained helper fetches only the pinned model. See the local-only audit for controls, license checks, verification, and the separate network requirements of source installation.
You need macOS 26 or newer, an Apple Silicon Mac, Rust, and Homebrew. Allow 21.35 GB for the model download, plus space for build files. The loaded model used about 20 GB of memory in our M5 Max tests.
Install Apple’s Command Line Tools if you haven’t already:
xcode-select --installFinish that installer, then open Terminal and run:
cargo install --locked --git https://github.com/nu-sync/nemo.git nemo-dictate
nemoThe first nemo run installs the build dependencies through Homebrew, builds the inference runtime, and creates ~/Applications/Nemo.app. Nemo appears as a dot in the menu bar and automatically downloads the Nemotron model. Open its menu to check the download.
Setup happens once. Later, run nemo or open Nemo from ~/Applications.
Wait for the model download to finish, then:
- Enable Nemo in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility. This enables right Option and automatic paste.
- Click where you want the text to go.
- Tap right Option. Allow Microphone access when prompted. Speak when Recording appears at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap right Option again. The indicator changes to Transcribing, then disappears when Nemo finishes copying and pasting your words.
Keep the destination app focused until paste finishes. Cancel in Nemo’s menu discards the current operation. Quit closes Nemo and releases the model.
The menu bar dot is gray when idle, red when recording, and amber during setup or transcription. Left Option and Option used with another key keep their normal behavior.
The indicator appears above the Dock on the display containing your pointer. It lets clicks pass through and keeps your destination app focused.
Choose Settings… from Nemo’s menu, or run nemo settings.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Remove trailing period | Removes the final . from each transcript. Off by default. |
| Launch on startup | Opens Nemo when you log in. macOS may ask you to approve the login item. |
| Sound pack | Choose Handy Marimba or macOS Recording. Preview the start and stop sounds. |
These settings save immediately. For other options, choose Open configuration from the menu. The file is ~/Library/Application Support/Nemo/config.toml; restart Nemo after editing it.
The model loads while you record and unloads after 60 idle seconds by default. To keep it ready for five minutes, change this value in your configuration:
idle_unload_seconds = 300See advanced configuration for shortcuts, recording limits, custom models, and inference tuning.
Finish your current dictation, then run:
cargo install --locked --force --git https://github.com/nu-sync/nemo.git nemo-dictate
nemoNemo keeps your model and settings and retains the previous app in ~/Applications/.Nemo.backups/. It refuses to replace an app that is recording or transcribing.
If an update changes the app’s signing identity, the installer stops before replacing it. To accept that update:
nemo install --allow-permission-reset
nemoYou may need to grant Microphone and Accessibility access again.
nemo doctor
nemo statusdoctor reports model and runtime paths, the input device, and permissions for both the command and the running app. Logs are in ~/Library/Application Support/Nemo/daemon.log and inference.log.
- No recording or paste: check Nemo’s Microphone and Accessibility entries in System Settings.
- Interrupted model download: choose Download model in the menu, or quit Nemo and run
nemoagain. Partial downloads are retained. - Build failed: fix the reported dependency or build error and run
nemoagain. Completed build files are retained.
Build and install the current checkout with Rust:
cargo xtask check
cargo xtask installThe update command retains the previous app and refuses to interrupt dictation. Python and Bash are not required for building or installing Nemo.
See development and advanced configuration for source builds, CLI commands, packaging, tests, and the application design. See contributing and release preparation for development and publication requirements. The project’s verify-nemo skill exercises real speaker playback, microphone capture, transcription, paste, and idle unloading.
Nemo is MIT licensed. It uses NVIDIA Nemotron 3.5 Transcribe, the AtomicChat IQ4_NL conversion, and NeMo-Speech.cpp. Model, runtime, and sound licenses are included in Nemo.app/Contents/Resources/licenses.