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Audio & speech

Yubi

Push-to-talk dictation for the Mac that types where your cursor is, plus an AI helper that points to controls on screen.

Verified Freemium
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What Yubi does

Yubi is a dictation app for the Mac made by International Design LLC in Tokyo. You hold the right Option key, speak and let go, and the text lands wherever the cursor is, whether that is Slack, Mail, Notes or another app. The site's examples cover both Japanese and English.

A second key, the right Command key, asks for help with what is on screen. In the site's example you ask where Dark Mode is in System Settings and Yubi points at the control. Dictation is unlimited on every plan. Plans differ in the number of monthly tasks, which the pricing section links to help rather than talking; the site gives no fuller definition of a task.

Speech becomes text on the Mac through Apple's speech framework, or through whisper.cpp if you installed it yourself, so no audio is uploaded. Screen help works differently. The privacy policy says it reads the accessibility text of the front window (app name, window title, and the role, label and text of its controls) and sends that with your spoken request through Yubi's server to Anthropic's Claude models. An optional AI cleanup of dictated text takes the same route. The app does not take screenshots or record the screen, and the policy says the server does not keep dictation, requests or screen content. Both cloud features can be turned off.

The app is 6 MB, needs macOS 26 on Apple Silicon and asks only for microphone and Accessibility permissions. You sign in with a link sent by email.

  • Dictating messages, email and notes into any Mac app
  • Moving between Japanese and English dictation
  • Asking where a setting or button is and having it pointed out on screen

Who should use it

  • Mac users on macOS 26 who want dictation that runs on the device
  • People who write in both Japanese and English

Who should look elsewhere

  • Intel Macs or Macs on older macOS versions
  • Anyone who needs every piece of text to stay on the Mac while using screen help

Strengths

  • Audio is transcribed on the Mac and is not uploaded
  • Unlimited dictation on the free plan
  • Small 6 MB app that does not ask for Screen Recording permission

Limitations

  • Requires macOS 26 and Apple Silicon
  • Screen help and AI cleanup send window text and your requests to Anthropic through Yubi's server
  • The free plan includes only 10 tasks a month, and the site does not define a task
  • Prices are listed in Japanese yen; no annual price is given for Pro

Privacy notes

Dictation is transcribed on the Mac by Apple's speech framework or a user-installed whisper.cpp, and the app never takes screenshots or records the screen. Screen help sends the front window's accessibility text and your spoken request, and AI cleanup sends dictated text, through Yubi's server to Anthropic's Claude models; the policy says the server does not store dictation, requests or screen content.

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