AI Features
Use AI to transform text, answer questions, and more with your voice
Yapper’s AI features let you interact with AI using your voice. You can rewrite selected text with spoken instructions or ask questions and get instant answers — all triggered naturally during your recording workflow.
Two AI Modes
AI Transform
Select text in any app, press the recording shortcut, and speak an instruction like “make this more formal” or “translate to Spanish.” The AI rewrites and replaces the selected text, streaming the result in real time.
Learn more about AI Transform →
AI Q&A Voice Assistant
Say “Hey Yapper” followed by a question during any recording. The AI answers your question in a floating panel with full Markdown formatting — code blocks, lists, tables, and more. The answer is displayed only, never typed into your app.
How Yapper Chooses the Mode
When you stop recording, Yapper automatically detects the right mode:
| Condition | Mode | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Transcription starts with “Hey Yapper” | AI Q&A | Answer shown in floating panel |
| Text is selected in the active app | AI Transform | Selected text is rewritten |
| Neither | Normal dictation | Text typed into active field |
You don’t need to toggle anything. Just record naturally — Yapper routes to the right mode based on context.
Quick Setup
AI features require an API key from one of four supported providers:
| Provider | Models |
|---|---|
| Gemini (Google) | Gemini 3 Flash Preview, Gemini 3 Pro Preview |
| OpenAI | GPT-5 Mini, GPT-5 Nano |
| Anthropic | Claude Sonnet 4.5, Claude Haiku 4.5 |
| xAI | Grok 4, Grok 4.1 Fast |
Setting Up
- Open Settings (⌘ ,) → AI tab
- Select a Provider
- Click Get API Key to open the provider’s website
- Create and copy an API key
- Paste it into the API Key field and click Save
- Choose a Model
That’s it — both AI Transform and Q&A are now ready to use.
For detailed configuration, see AI Settings.
Privacy
AI features are designed with privacy in mind:
- Your voice never leaves your Mac — speech is always transcribed locally
- Only text is sent to your AI provider (your instruction, selected text, or question)
- Audio is never uploaded — the AI only sees transcribed text
- AI is optional — basic transcription works fully offline without any AI setup
When using AI Transform, Yapper reads the selected text in the active app via the Accessibility API. This text is sent to your AI provider along with your voice instruction. See Privacy & Security for full details.
When to Use AI
AI Transform is great for
- Polishing emails and documents
- Translating text between languages
- Changing tone (formal, casual, technical)
- Summarizing long passages
- Reformatting text (prose to bullet points, etc.)
AI Q&A is great for
- Quick factual questions
- Programming help and code snippets
- Explanations of concepts
- Getting suggestions without leaving your workflow
- Any question you’d ask a search engine or chatbot
When you don’t need AI
- Quick notes and personal messages
- When you want raw, unedited transcription
- Offline use (AI requires internet)
- Privacy-sensitive content you don’t want sent externally
Related Topics
- AI Transform — Rewrite selected text with voice
- AI Q&A Voice Assistant — Ask questions with “Hey Yapper”
- AI Settings — Configure your AI provider and model
- Privacy & Security — How your data is protected
- AI Issues — Troubleshoot problems