This is a big one. oto now goes everywhere you work, and understands you better than ever. • Command Line Tool: Drive oto from your terminal: transcribe files, start and stop recordings, browse history. Install it in one click from Settings → Advanced. • AI Assistant Integration (MCP): Let AI tools like Claude transcribe through oto, fully on-device. A ready-to-paste config lives in Settings → Advanced. • Major Accuracy Upgrade: Transcription is noticeably more accurate across the board, thanks to an upgraded on-device engine and higher-fidelity audio capture. Soft consonants, word endings, and quiet recordings all come through more reliably. • New English Model: Parakeet V2 (English) is now available as an optional download for the best possible English accuracy. • Screen Context (opt-in): oto can read the names visible on your screen when you start recording, so people and products are spelled exactly as you see them. Fully on-device: one frame, read and discarded. Nothing stored, nothing sent. • Echo-Free Meeting Recordings: In long-form recordings, your mic no longer picks up what your speakers are playing. The other side of the call stays on their side of the transcript, even without headphones. • Readable Long Transcripts: Long recordings now break into natural paragraphs instead of one wall of text. • Smoother Waveforms, Teams recording support, a long-form history filter, and dozens of refinements throughout. Your voice. Your hardware. Your rules.

- Long-form meeting recording — new mode for extended sessions with speaker diarization, recovery support, and a red status indicator while recording - Redesigned Settings — full SwiftUI rewrite with translucent sidebar, cleaner navigation, and a unified design system - Batch file transcription — drop multiple audio files and process them in a managed queue with per-item status - Quick re-paste — access recent transcriptions directly from the menu bar - M4A, MP3, and AAC fix — these formats now decode correctly (were previously producing silence) - Quieter speech detection — VAD threshold lowered so soft recordings are no longer rejected - Retranscribe with model picker — re-run any past recording through a different model from History

- **Settings Migration Safety** — Prevents all user settings (preferences, dictionary, hotkey config) from being reset on app update by adding migration-safe Codable decoders to preference structs

- **Parakeet Quality Overhaul + ITN** — Closes the quality gap with trailing silence padding, VAD tuning, hallucination filtering, filler word removal, and a full Inverse Text Normalization engine (spoken numbers → digits, currency, phone numbers, percentages) - **Unified WaveformEngine** — Consolidates three independent waveform renderers into a single behavioral source, eliminating 546 lines of duplicated animation logic - **USB Mic Silent Recording Fix** — Replaced AVAudioConverter (which silently zeroed multi-channel USB mic output) with manual channel mixing + linear interpolation resampling

- **Mini Player** — slim 100x34pt pill overlay with 6 snap points, floats on any display with automatic routing to notch on built-in screens - **Recording File Retention** — configurable auto-cleanup for audio files and transcription text (7/30/90/Forever), runs silently at launch - **Persistent Stats Accumulator** — dashboard totals survive history deletion via write-through accumulator with one-time migration - **Parakeet Model Warmup** — model preloads at startup and stays resident, eliminating cold-start latency on first transcription - **File Transcription Queue** — live progress panel for batch file jobs with per-item status, retry, and cancel - 5 Various bug fixes

1. AUHAL render callback crash — the main fix, affects USB/Bluetooth/AirPods/built-in during stop or device switch 2. Notch overlay hide state guard — overlay could get stuck visible 3. Diagnostic log crash report attachment — new flow to attach a .ips crash file when exporting diagnostics

- AirPods & Bluetooth mics now work reliably — no more Error 35 or retry loops - Continuity Microphone (iPhone mic) recording fixed — no more 0.1s empty files - Clipboard preserved when auto-paste is on — you never lose what you had copied - Loopback/Audio Hijack aggregate devices now record from the correct mic - Intel Mac crash fixed for large Whisper models - MacBook users with external monitors can now record normally (clamshell false positive fixed) - Input device name now shown in transcription history - Model stats UI enlarged for readability - Settings split into focused Appearance and Audio cards

- **Contextual Tips** - Smart post-onboarding tips surface contextually after real usage (e.g., auto-paste suggestion after 3 transcriptions, file transcription tip after 5). Non-intrusive floating banners with one-tap actions. - **Streamlined Onboarding** - Onboarding condensed from 6 screens to 4 (Welcome → Microphone → Try It → Ready). Success overlay with auto-advance replaces the old manual completion flow.

- **AI Enhancement Global Hotkeys & UI Redesign** - Revamped AI settings with a cleaner card-based layout. Press Control+Option+E to cycle through your prompts during recording, or assign custom hotkeys to jump to specific ones. - **Double-Press ESC to Cancel** - Recording cancellation now requires a deliberate double-press of the ESC key, preventing accidental cancellations while keeping the escape key available for other apps. - **What's New Tab** - A new "What's New" settings tab displays formatted release notes directly inside the app, giving users a polished, in-app changelog organized by version. - **In-App Update Checker** - oto now automatically detects new App Store versions and surfaces a subtle sidebar button and local notification so you never miss an update. - **Hotkey Preferences Fix** - Existing users who kept the original default hotkey (Command+Option+Space) no longer have their preference silently reset on update. - **Notch Loading Indicator** - Pressing the hotkey before the model is ready now shows a "Loading..." message in the notch overlay.

- **Auto-Format on Paste** - Transcripts are automatically normalized into clean, punctuated paragraphs and lists before clipboard/paste with O(n) single-pass processing. - **Global Recording Hotkeys** - New Carbon-based global hotkeys (⌃⌥F for auto-format, ⌃⌥T for language toggle) work system-wide during recording without requiring window focus. - **Multi-Monitor Support** - Recording panel and notch overlay now appear on whichever screen has the mouse cursor. - **Full Accessibility Overhaul** - Comprehensive VoiceOver, Voice Control, Dynamic Type, Reduce Motion, and keyboard navigation support across all UI components.

**Accessibility Foundation for App Store Compliance**: Comprehensive accessibility infrastructure including Dynamic Type, Reduced Motion support, and VoiceOver foundations for all 100+ UI components **Auto-Paste with Accessibility Permission**: - New Auto-Paste section in Preferences enables automatic paste after transcription using App Store-compliant Accessibility permissions

- **Enhanced Onboarding Tutorial** - Improved first-run experience with better navigation, error handling, and "How to Cancel" guidance

- Audio-Reactive Recording Animation - Notch waveform bars respond to actual audio levels during recording - Bouncing Wave Processing Animation - Processing state shows smooth horizontal wave bouncing across bars - System Default Audio Input - New "System Default" option in audio input dropdown - Scrolling Settings Title - Title/subtitle now scroll with content in Preferences and Model tabs - Simplified Menu Bar - Streamlined menu with essential items only - Standard macOS Menus - Full Edit, View, Window, and Help menus when Settings window is open - Crash Recovery Fix - Successful transcriptions no longer incorrectly marked as "interrupted" - Memory Leak Prevention - Stale session cleanup and orphaned temp file removal - Floating Sidebar Settings - Modern floating card layout with shadows and rounded corners - Model Grading System - Labeled rating display with dot visualization for model performance - Performance Optimizations - Shadow rasterization and cached high contrast mode

- Recording Preservation: Recordings no longer lost when starting a new recording while transcription is in progress - Model Tab Reliability: Downloaded models immediately selectable without restart; fixed multiple "Active" states - Model Preloading Fix: Resolved infinite "Model is loading" state after engine/language changes - Recent Languages Fix: Recent language pills now correctly persist when switching languages - Smart Tap Edge Case: Recording GUI no longer gets stuck when recording is too short (less than 0.5s)

- Smart Tap Activation -> New permission-aware activation system with true double-tap detection - Crash-Resilient Recording -> Recordings now survive app crashes with automatic recovery on next launch - Clamshell Mode Support ->External microphones work properly when MacBook lid is closed - Flexible Hotkey Routing -> With Input Monitoring: any key combo including modifier-only. Without: ⌘/⌃ requirement

## Highlights - **Stats Calculation Fix** - File transcriptions no longer penalize efficiency metrics (#102) - **Separate Live vs File Stats** - Dashboard now properly distinguishes live recordings from file transcriptions - **Ready Indicator Fix** - Fixed persistence bug when starting new recordings (#100) --- ## Bug Fixes ### Stats Calculation - Fixed efficiency multiplier dropping after transcribing audio files - Efficiency and WPM now only use live recording stats (not file duration) - Time saved includes both live time saved + full file typing time - File-only users now see time saved (100% of typing time) - Added File Transcriptions card to dashboard (shows only when files transcribed) - Keystrokes saved includes both live and file words - Added cached single-pass computation for better performance ### Dynamic Notch Ready Indicator - Fixed ready indicator persisting when starting a new recording - Properly dismisses ready indicator and clears state before showing waveform - Reduced auto-dismiss timeout from 30 seconds to 15 seconds - Added safety clear of ready indicator state when recording starts

- Apple Native Transcription - macOS Tahoe 26+ support with 33 languages - Smart Ready Indicator - Notch overlay with Cmd+V auto-dismiss (#97) - Dynamic Notch System - Native notch overlays with waveform animations - Updated UI - Modernized settings with native macOS styling --- New Features Apple Native Transcription (macOS 26+) - Native Speech framework integration - 33 languages with proper BCP-47 locale mapping Smart Ready Indicator - Notch overlay showing transcription is ready to paste - Auto-dismisses on Cmd+V detection - 5s fallback timeout when Input Monitoring permission missing Dynamic Notch Overlays - DynamicNotchKit integration - Ultra-slim waveform animations Updated UI - Modernized Settings with glass effects - Updated segmented controls Quick Trigger / Modifier-Only Hotkeys - Double-tap modifier keys to trigger recor in it.

Push-to-Talk Mode Record hands-free with our new Push-to-Talk option! Simply hold your hotkey to record and release to transcribe - perfect for quick notes and rapid dictation. Switch between Push-to-Talk and Toggle modes in Preferences to match your workflow. Improved Recording Reliability - Fixed an issue where consecutive recordings could get stuck - Faster window response during rapid recording sessions - Better handling of short recordings Ollama Integration Fix - Fixed an issue where local Ollama model selection would reset after refreshing the model list

Fresh New Look • Redesigned app icon featuring a modern waveform design • Updated menu bar icon to match the new visual identity Redesigned First-Run Experience • All-new guided onboarding that walks you through setup step-by-step • Interactive demo lets you try voice recording before you start • Clearer microphone permission flow with helpful guidance Settings Improvements • New quick reference card in Tutorial tab for easy hotkey lookup • Replay onboarding anytime with the new "Replay Tutorial" button Under the Hood • Performance improvements and bug fixes

Your transcription model now preloads automatically when oto launches, eliminating the wait on your first transcription of the day.

Enhanced AI Workflow Control Press Tab during recording to cycle through your AI enhancement prompts or disable them on the fly. A visual indicator now shows which prompt is active, giving you instant feedback and complete control over your transcription workflow. Improved User Experience • Visual enhancement indicator appears automatically when recording starts • Helpful tips added to AI Integrations settings • Better support for Parakeet transcription engine • Polished interface with consistent styling throughout Bug Fixes • Fixed enhancement indicator not updating when settings change • Improved visual consistency across settings tabs

Fixed bug where parakeet model was not using custom vocabulary

Smoother hotkey setup, clearer permissions. We've refined the settings experience with upfront validation guidance so you can configure your recording shortcut without trial and error. Accessibility permissions now clearly explain what OTO needs for automatic paste and why your privacy stays intact with our local-only approach.

Version 2.0 – Your Voice, Elevated Video Transcription Transcribe audio from video files directly in OTO. Drop MP4s, MOVs, and more—perfect for meetings, lectures, and content creation. New AI Model: NVIDIA Parakeet Choose between Whisper and the new NVIDIA Parakeet model for even more accurate transcriptions—all processed locally on your Mac. Faster & Lighter Streamlined app architecture means faster downloads and quicker launches. We've optimized without compromising power. Enhanced Dark Mode Redesigned with deeper blacks, refined contrast, and smoother transitions. Dark mode now looks stunning on every display. Redesigned Settings Completely refreshed settings interface makes configuration intuitive and accessible. Find what you need, when you need it. Smart Auto-Paste Helper Get notified when your transcription is ready with customizable alerts: sound, banner, both, or silent mode. AI Post-Processing Transform raw transcriptions with AI refinement. Connect to local or external LLMs to polish, summarize, or reformat your text. Enhanced History Quickly filter between live recordings, audio files, and video transcriptions. Bug Fixes Fixed microphone permission persistence and improved overall stability. Your voice. Your hardware. Your rules.

## New Features **NVIDIA Parakeet Model Support** Added support for the NVIDIA Parakeet transcription model, giving you more options for high-quality, local voice-to-text processing. **File Transcription** Transcribe audio files directly from the Settings panel. Simply drop your audio files and get accurate transcriptions without recording. **Smart Auto-Paste Helper** New customizable paste notification system with multiple options: - Play a notification sound when text is ready to paste - Display an on-screen banner - Enable both notifications - Keep it silent **Enhanced History Tab** Improved history organization with new filtering options: - Filter by live recordings - Filter by transcribed files - Quickly find the transcriptions you need **AI Post-Processing Integration** Transform your transcriptions with AI-powered post-processing: - Use local or external LLM services - Apply custom prompts to refine your text - Maintain full control over your data ## Bug Fixes **Microphone Permission Persistence** - Fixed an issue where the microphone permission dialog would appear every time you tried to record after launching the app - Permission is now properly remembered across app launches - Improved startup performance