Typely

Typely is an Ubuntu Linux tray application for speech-to-text transcription.

About Typely

Typely is designed for people who want fast voice typing on Linux without leaving their current workflow. It runs quietly in the system tray, listens when you trigger it with a global hotkey, transcribes your speech locally using Whisper models, and then inserts the text directly where your cursor is focused (or copies it to the clipboard if you prefer).

Unlike browser-based dictation tools, Typely is built for desktop productivity and privacy-first usage. Transcription is performed locally on your machine through faster-whisper, so your recordings are not sent to a cloud API. This makes it useful for writing emails, coding comments, notes, documentation, and chat messages while keeping control of your data.

The app is intentionally lightweight and practical: quick start/stop controls from the tray, hold-to-talk or toggle recording modes, configurable silence auto-stop, easy microphone switching, and downloadable model choices (small and medium) depending on your speed vs accuracy preference.

Features

• Tray-first workflow (starts hidden in system tray)
• Global hotkeys for toggle and hold-to-talk recording
• Editable hotkeys from tray menu
• Fast, local Whisper transcription (small, medium) via faster-whisper
• Model download controls from tray
• Output mode: paste at cursor or clipboard-only
• Silence auto-stop with configurable timeout
• Microphone device selection
• Easy installation via Debian package

Requirements

• Ubuntu Linux (X11 session for global hotkeys)
• Python 3.11+
• xclip and xdotool (for clipboard and auto-paste)
• Microphone access

Installation

The easiest way to install Typely is using the provided Debian package:

sudo dpkg -i typely_1.0.0_all.deb
sudo apt-get install -f  # To install any missing dependencies

After installation, you can launch Typely directly from your applications menu. The application will start hidden in your system tray.

Development Setup

If you want to run from source:

./scripts/setup_ubuntu.sh
source .venv/bin/activate
python -m typely

Tray Controls

• Start/stop listening
• Open Typely window
• Record mode (toggle, hold, both)
• Hotkeys:
  • Set Toggle Hotkey...
  • Set Hold Hotkey...
  • Reset Hotkeys to Default
• Model settings (small, medium)
• Output mode (cursor_paste, clipboard_only)
• Microphone selection and refresh
• Silence auto-stop enable/timeout

Config

Config file path:

~/.config/typely/config.json

Schema keys include:

• hotkey_toggle
• hotkey_hold
• record_mode (toggle, hold, both)
• default_model (small, medium)
• silence_autostop_enabled
• silence_autostop_ms
• paste_mode (cursor_paste, clipboard_only)
• audio_device

Tests

source .venv/bin/activate
pytest