Arabic voice typing on Mac

macOS dictation handles Arabic as one formal language and stops there. Sawti is a menu bar app that understands how you actually speak, and can hand you Arabic, English or a coding prompt from the same sentence.

Two keys you already have

  1. Right Option Press to start talking, press again to stop. Your text is typed into the app you were in.
  2. Right Command Select English text in any app and press it. The Arabic opens in a small floating window that stays put while you keep working.

Pick the mode from the menu bar

Click the Sawti icon to choose what your voice becomes: Literal Dictation in your dialect, Smart for polished Modern Standard Arabic, Casual or Formal English, or Vibe Code for AI coding tools. Both keys can be remapped in Settings if they clash with something you use.

The read-back window remembers where you left it and how big you made it, so it opens where you want it every time.

A proper Mac citizen

Sawti is signed and notarized by Apple, so it opens without security warnings. It updates itself and tells you when it has. It asks for two permissions and explains each one: the microphone, to hear you, and Accessibility, to type the text into the app you are using.

The interface is Arabic first and fully right to left, with English one click away.

Get started

  1. Download Sawti Create a free account on the download page and get the Mac app.
  2. Drag it to Applications and open it A short setup walks you through the two permissions.
  3. Click into any app and press Right Option Talk, press again, and your words are there.

Questions people ask

Which versions of macOS?

macOS 14 and newer, on Apple silicon and Intel Macs.

Why is Sawti not on the Mac App Store?

Typing into other apps and reading a selection from a global hotkey are not allowed for App Store apps. Sawti is distributed directly instead, signed and notarized by Apple.

How is this different from macOS Dictation?

macOS Dictation writes what you say. Sawti also keeps or cleans your dialect, turns it into Modern Standard Arabic, types English from spoken Arabic, and explains selected English in Arabic.

Is there a free trial?

Yes. A free week, with no card needed.

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