Glasscribe is a lightweight macOS menu bar app that delivers real-time subtitles for anything on your Mac. It captures system audio or mic input and shows a floating subtitle overlay on top of whatever you're doing. No cloud, no API keys — everything runs 100% on-device using Apple's built-in Speech framework and Neural Engine. Your voice data never leaves your Mac.
Unlike other transcription tools, Glasscribe is designed to feel native — it sits quietly in your menu bar, launches instantly, and gets out of your way.
Floating Subtitle Overlay — A compact, always-on-top window displays live captions over any application. Perfect for following along with foreign-language content, accessibility, or keeping up with fast-paced meetings without switching windows.
System Audio Capture — Transcribe audio playing from any app on your Mac — Zoom calls, YouTube videos, podcasts, online lectures — without installing virtual audio drivers or browser extensions. Just click and it works.
22+ Languages with Live Translation — Transcribe in English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Cantonese, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, and more. Translate between any supported language pair in real-time, all processed locally on your device.
Dictation Mode with Auto-Paste — Speak naturally and Glasscribe automatically types the transcribed text at your cursor in any application. Ideal for writing emails, documents, messages, and notes hands-free.
Complete Privacy — Unlike cloud-based alternatives like Otter.ai or Whisper API services, Glasscribe processes everything locally. No internet connection needed, no data collection, no third-party servers. Your conversations stay yours.
Session History & Export — Every transcription is automatically saved with full-text search. Export sessions as .txt or .srt subtitle files for further editing or archival.
Built for macOS — A native Swift application designed specifically for Mac. Supports macOS Sonoma and later on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, using minimal system resources.
Who It's For:
- Remote workers who need meeting transcriptions without cloud services
- Content creators transcribing podcasts, interviews, and videos
- Language learners using live translation for immersion
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