Initial setup and permissions
Follow the first-launch guide to prepare recording and text insertion. When no Onvilo window is visible, open Settings from the Onvilo icon in the menu bar. Onvilo does not appear in the Dock or Command-Tab. Open Help from the same menu.
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Open Onvilo
Open the app from Applications. The initial setup window appears on first launch.
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Allow Microphone access
Allow access in the macOS prompt. Dictation cannot record audio without this permission.
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Allow Accessibility access
Open System Settings from the setup window, then enable Onvilo under Privacy & Security > Accessibility.
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Prepare the speech model
Download the model for the selected dictation language. Dictation cannot start until the model is installed.
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Check text cleanup
Review the Apple Intelligence status, then try dictation in the final test field. Dictation still works when cleanup is unavailable.
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Start the free quota automatically or activate your license
On first launch, Onvilo automatically starts a cumulative 20-minute free quota for every feature without a card. It does not convert to a paid plan automatically. If the first start fails, open General settings and choose Try free for 20 minutes to retry. When the quota is used up, the recording panel and General settings show a link that opens the dedicated purchase page for your display language. That page is not linked from the product pages, so start a purchase from this link in the app. If you purchased Onvilo or received a license key from the operator, enter it to activate the app. Trial and license credentials and the local free-quota usage meter are stored in this Mac’s Keychain; audio and transcripts are never sent to the authentication API.
Why each permission is used
- Microphone
- Captures your voice while recording.
- Accessibility
- Inspects the input field and directly inserts transcripts or translated text.
- Input Monitoring
- Sends Command + V when an app does not support direct insertion.
Input Monitoring is not required to finish initial setup. If an app needs the Command + V fallback, use the error prompt to open System Settings and grant it then.
Where you can buy Onvilo
Onvilo is sold only in countries and regions where our legal and tax obligations are already met. Adding a display language does not add a country we can sell in.
Who can buy
Purchases are for a natural person contracting in their own name and responsibility. That person may use Onvilo at their workplace, as a sole proprietor, in their own business, or in their professional activity. Purchases in a company, organisation, or team name, on behalf of another person or entity, shared licences, resale, and redistribution are not available.
Countries and regions you can buy from today
You can buy from the countries and regions listed below. Enter your billing address, including the country or region, in Stripe Checkout. The final sales check happens after payment.
- Australia
- Hong Kong SAR China
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Malaysia
- New Zealand
- Philippines
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Thailand
- United States
Countries and regions still under review
For the countries and regions below we are still working through consumer protection, privacy and tax review. Stripe Checkout may still accept a payment, but we will hold licence delivery and email you about the review. We cannot promise when sales will open.
- Brunei
Countries and regions excluded entirely
The countries and regions below are excluded across the whole country or region for v1.0, not just in a particular state, province, or territory. If payment is accepted, we will not issue a licence automatically and will email you about the review. We cannot promise when sales will resume.
- Canada (not available anywhere in this country or region)
- Taiwan (not available anywhere in this country or region)
When part of a country is excluded
Some countries or regions may exclude particular states, provinces, or territories. If the billing region entered in Stripe Checkout is excluded, we will not issue a licence automatically and will email you about the review.
- United States: American Samoa, California, Guam, New Jersey, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, United States Minor Outlying Islands
When your Stripe billing country or region needs review
The LP has no country or region or payment-route selector, and every purchase starts with Stripe Managed Payments. We use the full billing address entered in Stripe Checkout as the final source of truth. If the billing country or region is outside the sales scope or still under review, we will hold licence delivery, email you, and then either issue the licence or refund the payment after review.
If you cannot buy
If Onvilo is not available where you live, contact support and we will tell you where things stand. We cannot promise when sales will open. support@onvilo.app
Dictation
Dictation is available with the cumulative 20-minute free quota that starts automatically on first launch or a purchased license. When the quota is used up, the recording panel and General settings show a link to the purchase page. The default hotkey is Option + Space. A short tap and a hold of about one second or longer start different recording modes. The menu opened from the Onvilo icon in the menu bar also opens Settings and Help.
Tap for hands-free recording
A short tap starts recording, which continues after you release the keys. Because you do not hold anything down, use this mode for longer passages. Press the hotkey again, Enter, or Esc when you finish speaking to confirm.
Hold for push-to-talk
Hold the hotkey for about one second or longer to record only while held. Release the keys when you finish speaking. You can also press Enter or Esc while holding to confirm.
Confirm a recording
Press the dictation hotkey again, Enter, or Esc while recording to confirm the audio captured so far and move on to transcription and cleanup. There is no way to discard a recording in progress. After transcription or cleanup has started, Esc does nothing in Onvilo and is passed to the frontmost app. When the translation window is open, dictation goes into its source field instead, and any of the three confirmation actions confirms the recording without closing the window.
What the recording panel shows
The panel shows the live transcript, microphone input level, and elapsed time. Words in the live transcript can change until recognition is final. After you confirm a recording, Onvilo recognizes the saved audio as a whole with accuracy prioritized. For regular dictation it cleans up and inserts that result; in the translation window it sends the result to the source field. If the final pass fails, times out, or returns no text, it uses the result finalized during recording. Recordings that insert file paths with @ use the finalized live result so the path and speech boundaries stay intact.
Where the result goes
Onvilo remembers the frontmost app when recording starts. After processing, it returns to that app and tries to insert the result into its input field. The frontmost app also determines which profile and per-app term list are used.
Insert a file path with @ while recording (for coding)
Register Git repositories under Settings > Coding, then press the @ key while recording to open a file search panel. While the panel is open, audio input to the recording is paused (the microphone in-use indicator stays on). The panel opens with your changed files (staged / unstaged); type to filter, use ↑↓ to select, Tab to preview, and Enter to insert the path and resume recording immediately. Press Esc to return to recording without inserting. The inserted path format (default: @relative-path) can be changed in Settings > Coding. File paths and contents are never sent anywhere.
Maximum length of one recording
A single recording lasts up to 10 minutes. When the limit is reached, Onvilo stops recording automatically and transcribes what it captured so far. The recording panel tells you when a recording ended this way, so you can start a new one to continue.
Apple Speech recognition model
Onvilo uses on-device Apple Speech. Each dictation language needs its model before first use. It uses fast provisional recognition while recording, then recognizes the complete audio with accuracy prioritized after you stop.
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Open Settings
Open Settings from the menu opened by the Onvilo icon in the menu bar, then select Engine.
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Check the language
Choose the language you will speak under General > Speech Recognition Language. It is independent of the display language.
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Download the model
If Engine shows that the speech model is not installed, select Download and wait for it to finish.
If the model is missing while offline
A model that has not been installed cannot be prepared offline. Connect to the internet, download the model for the selected language, then try again. Once installed, transcription with that model works offline.
Text cleanup with Apple Intelligence
After transcription, Apple Foundation Models conservatively corrects clear recognition and notation errors on your Mac. It does not summarize or aggressively rewrite what you said. Dictation into the source field of the translation window skips this cleanup and keeps the raw transcript, because the translation is produced afterwards in the window. File paths inserted with @ while recording are excluded from cleanup and output as is. Pronunciation-based terminology correction can also normalize similar-sounding katakana or Latin tokens in Japanese and English dictation; URLs are protected. For Japanese dictation, unnecessary spaces next to Japanese text and after Japanese full stops are normalized, while spaces inside English phrases and paragraph line breaks are preserved.
When cleanup is available
If the Apple Intelligence model supports the selected language and is ready, Onvilo cleans up the transcript before output. Cleanup uses your registered terminology as spelling hints.
When cleanup is unavailable
AI-based correction is skipped if the Mac is ineligible, Apple Intelligence is off, the model is preparing, or the selected language is unsupported. The transcript is not lost; basic notation normalization and paragraph formatting still run before it is pasted or copied.
Auto-paste and the clipboard
Whenever possible, Onvilo inserts the transcript directly into the input field without touching the clipboard. In apps that do not accept direct insertion, it uses the clipboard temporarily and automatically restores what you had copied. Recordings that use file mentions keep the input field from the start of recording as the paste target.
Use Auto-Paste
Enable Auto-Paste under General settings to return to the app that was active when recording began and insert into its input field.
Copy without pasting
Disable Auto-Paste to copy the result without sending input to another app. Press Command + V wherever you want the text.
Use apps that reject direct insertion
For terminals and other apps that do not accept direct insertion, Onvilo falls back to Command + V. The previous clipboard contents are restored automatically after pasting. This path may require Input Monitoring permission.
Insert from the translation window
A translation you confirm in the translation window is inserted into the app you came from with direct insertion or Command + V, regardless of the Auto-Paste setting. Use Copy in the window when you only want the text on the clipboard.
If insertion fails, Onvilo leaves the generated text on the clipboard. Close the error, check Accessibility and Input Monitoring, then press Command + V manually.
Text translation
Translation is available with the cumulative 20-minute free quota or a purchased license. Select text and press Control + Option + T to replace it with the translation in place. Press the same keys with nothing selected to open the translation window, where you can type and check the translation before inserting it. Apple Translation handles both on your Mac, so the text never leaves the device.
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Replace a selection in place
Select the text you want to translate and press Control + Option + T. Only the selection changes to the translation, and no window opens. You can change the hotkey under General settings.
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Open the translation window
Press Control + Option + T with nothing selected to open the translation window near the top center of the screen. Open Translation Window in the menu bar does the same. The only time a new window will not open is while dictation is still being processed; Onvilo then asks you to wait until it finishes.
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Check the translation as you type
Type the original in the upper field and the translation below updates automatically as you type. Onvilo detects the direction from what you type, and the swap button in the header switches it at any time.
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Insert the translation
Confirming closes the window and pastes the translation into the app you came from. The translation also stays on the clipboard.
Using the translation window and what happens after translation
- Commit key
- By default Enter inserts and Shift + Enter adds a line break. If you write multi-line text often, change Translation Window Commit Key under General settings so that Command + Enter inserts and Enter adds a line break.
- Copy and closing the window
- Copy puts the translation on the clipboard without pasting it. There are three ways to close the window: Esc, confirming the insertion, and the close button at the top left. Clicking another app or window does not close it, and it follows you to other Spaces, so you can translate while reading your source material. When you close it with Esc, the text you typed comes back the next time you open the window.
- Dictating the source text
- While the translation window is open, dictation (Option + Space by default) puts what you say into the source field of the translation window instead of the frontmost app. Speaking again appends to the field rather than replacing it, so you can mix dictation with typing. This path skips the Apple Intelligence cleanup and puts the raw transcript straight into the source field, because the translation is produced afterwards in the window. While recording, the window shows a recording indicator at the top and pressing the hotkey again, Enter, or Esc confirms the recording instead of closing the window. Press Esc again once recording has finished to close it. File search with @ is not available while dictating through this path.
- Input field
- A selection takes priority and is replaced in place. With no selection, when Onvilo can identify the focused field as editable and it contains text, the window opens with that whole text loaded, and confirming replaces the entire field with the translation.
- Clipboard
- On success, it contains only the translation. The original is not included.
- If replacement fails
- The recording panel area shows the error. If the clipboard held text before translation, Onvilo restores that text. Non-text content such as images or files is not restored.
Prepare translation models
Choose the source and target languages under General settings. Settings shows only languages available on this Mac. If that language pair is not installed, use the macOS prompt to download it once. When a model has not been downloaded yet, the translation window shows a download button so you can prepare it there. If the target text is in the other configured language, Onvilo automatically reverses the translation direction.
Candidate languages
- Japanese
- English
- Chinese (Simplified)
- Chinese (Traditional)
- Korean
- Spanish
Profiles, terminology, and correction learning
Onvilo stores these cleanup hints on your Mac. It does not send them to the operator with your audio or text. Shared and per-app terminology lists are managed separately, and the matching app list is preferred when recording starts. The terminology list selected when recording starts is also carried into cleanup after final recognition.
Built-in profiles
Onvilo has three built-in profiles: General, Engineer, and Business. It chooses one from the frontmost app when recording starts. There is no interface for creating, editing, or manually selecting profiles.
Terminology
Add the correct spelling under Terminology settings. Even with Common Mishearing left empty, Onvilo automatically replaces similar-sounding words with the correct spelling and uses the entry as a recognition and cleanup hint. Fill in Common Mishearing to always replace that exact wording. Pronunciation-based replacement works for Japanese and English dictation, and only on words heard as katakana or Latin letters. Short terms and words whose spelling differs from their pronunciation, such as SQL, are not replaced automatically.
Per-app terminology
Add an app under Apply to in Terminology settings to create a term list just for that app. Onvilo combines the list matching the frontmost app at recording start with the shared terms, and prefers the app-specific terms when there are many. Deleting an app’s list removes only that app’s terms and replacements; shared terms remain.
Correction learning
Enable history saving to use correction learning. Save the correct final text from a history entry, and Onvilo uses it as a cleanup example for later dictation with the same profile, app, and speech language. When an eligible terminology correction is found at least three times, Onvilo may also suggest adding it to Terminology. It is not used as a permanent replacement until you choose Add to List.
Coding settings
Manage the repositories and path format for file mentions under Coding settings. These settings are separate from profiles and terminology lists.
Vocabulary sync and suggestions
From Terminology settings, export shared and per-app vocabulary plus explicitly approved correction rules to a JSON file and import it on another Mac. History and audio are not included. Suggestions use your Prompt and selected app; enable Use History to also use explicitly corrected history for the same target and language. Up to 10 suggestions can be created, and vocabulary hints already in your list are omitted. An unregistered replacement rule can still be suggested even when its canonical term is already registered. Review a candidate before saving it as a vocabulary hint or replacement rule.
History and input-field context
History and input-field context are both off by default. Enable only the features you need under Privacy settings.
Save history
When Save History is enabled, transcripts and cleaned-up text are stored in a SQLite file on this Mac. Audio files are not kept in history. Dictation into the source field of the translation window is stored the same way; because that path skips cleanup, the transcript and the cleaned-up text are identical. File paths inserted with @ while recording are stored in the same history as part of the text. History suggestions use only history that you explicitly corrected or approved.
Choose a retention period
Choose 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, or forever. Entries older than the selected period are removed the next time Onvilo launches.
Delete history and correction learning
Under Privacy settings, choose Delete History and Correction Learning Data. This removes saved history and learning data, but it does not turn off Save History or remove terminology you entered yourself, whether shared or per-app.
Use text before the cursor as context
When Use Input Context for Cleanup is enabled, Onvilo reads up to 300 characters immediately before the cursor and uses them as a hint for the current cleanup. That text is processed only on the Mac, is not saved to history, and is not sent to the operator’s servers.
Copying and some paste operations use the general macOS clipboard. Temporary writes made for pasting carry the standard transient-data marker, and the previous contents are restored afterwards. Clipboard History, Universal Clipboard, or a clipboard manager may still separately store or sync the text, depending on their settings.
Common problems and recovery steps
Start with the setting closest to the error you see. Use the Onvilo icon in the menu bar to return to its windows after switching away; Onvilo does not appear in the Dock or Command-Tab. If final recognition fails, Onvilo automatically uses the result finalized during recording. If terminology is replaced unexpectedly, check the app-specific list and its Common Mishearing entry.
No suggestions appear
When Use History is enabled, history saving must be enabled and there must be explicitly corrected history for the same target and language. Turn it off to use only the Prompt and selected app. Suggestions are limited to 10, and vocabulary hints already in your list are omitted.
- Enable Save History under Privacy settings.
- Save a correct final text in a history detail, or explicitly approve a cleaned-up result.
- AI suggestions are not shown when Apple Intelligence is unavailable.
I spoke for a long time but only part of it was inserted
When a recording reaches the 10-minute limit, Onvilo stops recording automatically and transcribes what it captured up to that point.
- Check whether the recording panel showed "Recording limit reached (10 min)".
- For content longer than 10 minutes, record it in several passes, breaking at natural topic boundaries.
The hotkey does nothing
Onvilo may not be running, or another app may already use the same hotkey.
- Launch Onvilo from the Applications folder. If it is already running, quit and relaunch it.
- Check whether Onvilo displayed an alert saying it could not register the hotkey.
- Under General settings, choose a hotkey that does not conflict with Alfred, Raycast, Spotlight, ATOK, or another app.
Recording does not start, or no voice is detected
Check Microphone permission, the selected input device, and how long you spoke.
- Allow Microphone access for Onvilo in System Settings.
- Choose the correct input device under General settings.
- For hold-to-record, speak clearly for at least 0.5 seconds before releasing the keys.
- For hands-free recording, press the hotkey again, Enter, or Esc once you finish speaking.
How do I confirm a hands-free recording?
Press the dictation hotkey again, Enter, or Esc. Onvilo confirms the audio captured so far and moves on to transcription and cleanup.
- Press the hotkey again, Enter, or Esc.
- The recording panel also shows which key confirms the recording.
- To record only while a key is held, hold the hotkey for about one second or longer, then release it.
The file search panel does not open when I press @ while recording
No repository may be registered, or the @ key could not be captured.
- Register at least one Git repository under Settings > Coding.
- File search is not available while dictating into the translation window.
- Check that the Xcode Command Line Tools (git) are installed.
The speech recognition model is not installed
The selected dictation language does not have its Apple Speech model yet.
- Connect the Mac to the internet.
- Download the model for that language under Engine settings.
- Wait until the status changes to installed before recording.
A registered term is not applied
Pronunciation-based replacement has conditions. To always replace a specific wording, fill in Common Mishearing.
- Pronunciation-based replacement works for Japanese and English dictation, and only on words heard as katakana or Latin letters.
- Short terms and words whose spelling differs from their pronunciation, such as SQL, are excluded. Fill in Common Mishearing with the actual mishearing to always replace it.
- Terms in a per-app list apply only when recording starts in that app. Register terms you use everywhere under All apps (shared).
Text is not inserted into the input field
The field may reject direct insertion while Command + V posting is also not permitted. When an error is shown, Onvilo leaves the generated text on the clipboard.
- Allow Accessibility and Input Monitoring in System Settings.
- Select the target field and press Command + V manually.
- If the app continues to reject insertion, disable Auto-Paste and use copy-only output.
The transcript is not cleaned up
AI-based correction is skipped when Apple Intelligence is off or preparing, or when the device or selected language is unsupported. The transcript is still output after basic notation normalization and paragraph formatting.
- Check the Apple Intelligence model status under Engine settings.
- If it is off, enable Apple Intelligence in macOS System Settings.
The free trial cannot start or the license cannot be activated
Check the network connection and product version. One free trial is available per Mac and major product version.
- If the automatic start failed, check the internet connection and choose Try free for 20 minutes under General settings. Once the free quota is used up, it cannot be restarted; open the dedicated purchase page from the link in the recording panel or General settings to buy a license and continue using dictation and translation. That page is not linked from the product pages, so reopen the app if you closed it.
- If you purchased Onvilo or received a key from the operator, enter it under General settings and choose Activate license again.
- If the problem continues, contact support@onvilo.app with the purchase email address and error details.
Text translation fails
Check the target text, translation models, and whether the field is editable. Loading and replacing the whole field works only when Onvilo can identify it as editable. If replacement fails, Onvilo restores text that was on the clipboard before translation.
- Select non-empty text for a partial translation, or place the cursor in a non-empty editable field to translate it all.
- Choose the language pair under General settings and finish preparing the required model.
- If Onvilo cannot identify the field, select the target range explicitly, or type the text into the translation window and take the result with Copy.
The translation window does not open, or no translation appears
With text still selected, Onvilo replaces it in place instead of opening the window. A new window also will not open while dictation is still being processed. If no translation appears, check the models and the language settings.
- If Onvilo asks you to wait until dictation finishes, press the hotkey again, Enter, or Esc to confirm the recording, wait until pasting is done, and try again.
- To open the window, clear the selection first and press Control + Option + T, or choose Open Translation Window in the menu bar.
- If the window shows a download button, select it to finish preparing the model.
- If the window reports that it cannot determine the languages, choose the source and target languages again under General settings.
Enter inserts the translation when I only wanted a line break
By default Enter inserts and Shift + Enter adds a line break. Change the commit key if you write multi-line text often.
- Under General settings, set Translation Window Commit Key to the option where Command + Enter inserts and Enter adds a line break.
- The change applies from your next keystroke. No restart is needed.
Uninstalling and removing local data
Removing the app bundle may leave settings or history on the Mac. Quit Onvilo from the menu opened by its menu-bar icon first, then follow the steps that match how much data you want to remove.
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Delete history and correction learning
Before removing Onvilo, open Privacy settings and choose Delete History and Correction Learning Data.
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Quit and remove the app
Quit Onvilo, then move Onvilo from Applications to the Trash.
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Remove remaining local data
To remove settings and data too, choose Go > Go to Folder in Finder and delete each location listed below.
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Check vocabulary sync files
If you exported vocabulary settings, the JSON file remains at the location you chose. Delete it manually if needed.
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Revoke macOS permissions
Under System Settings > Privacy & Security, revoke any remaining Onvilo entries for Microphone, Accessibility, and Input Monitoring.
Local data locations
- History and related data
~/Library/Application Support/Onvilo- App settings
~/Library/Preferences/com.latech.Onvilo.plist
Onvilo cannot remove text retained by macOS Clipboard History, Universal Clipboard, or another app. Remove those copies separately in the relevant feature or app.