Kivo is a new Mac utility that converts spoken words into cleaned text and inserts them at the cursor in any Mac application. According to the maker, Gokulakrishnan S, the tool removes filler words and applies corrections before pasting the result, and audio processing remains on the user’s Mac.
How it works
The maker describes the workflow as: “Hold Option, speak, and let go.” Kivo listens while the key is held, transcribes the input, cleans up hesitations or corrections, and places the final text where the cursor is located—whether that is an email composer or an AI agent prompt box. The developer says no audio is uploaded off the device.
Availability and limitations
Kivo is offered free and does not require an account. The release is presented as an early preview: English language support only, Mac platform only, and the developer notes the app is currently slower than the target performance. At first launch users must allow the unsigned app in Privacy & Security, the maker warns.
The developer also states the app needs a one-time download of a 460 MB model to run locally. The listing frames this as a trade-off for keeping audio on-device and avoiding cloud uploads.
Gokulakrishnan S, who identifies himself as the maker of Kivo, invited user feedback on recognition errors and app behavior. The release is marked as launching in 2026 and available immediately as an early preview on Mac.
Users interested in testing should be prepared for English-only support, the one-time 460 MB model download, and the manual step to allow an unsigned app in Privacy & Security on macOS.
Original source: Product Hunt